Many people are inquiring about what to do with a scheduled court date now that the courts are operating so differently due to COVID-19.

Courts are mainly dealing with issues that are deemed urgent. Whether or not your issue is urgent is assessed on a case by case situation. Issues that are deemed urgent are heard by a judge via a telephone or video conference.

Some examples of potential urgent issues are:

• Urgent issues with access and custody
• Hague applications
• Issues regarding the matrimonial home
• Child protection cases

What if your matter is not urgent? What do you do in the meantime until as the courts sort out when to go back to a regular schedule? These are all important questions.

Many people are guessing that the courts will be very busy when they open again. In an article “COVID-19: Veteran lawyers fear ‘huge chaos’ once courts open again” is anticipating a large backup of cases in an already overburdened system. The article also speaks to the technological advances that have been introduced due to COVID-19. Many believe these new technologies will be part of a new court system.

Steps to Justice – Your Guide to Law in Ontario is a resource to answer your questions related to current law and COVID-19. If you have a court date that has been rescheduled or you are confused about how to proceed with your case it is always a good idea to reach out to a lawyer for clarification.

Contact us anytime at SMP Law to help SiMPlify your legal matter at 905-565-9494 or email info@smplaw.ca if you have any questions or would like to book an appointment to meet and discuss your situation and how we can help.

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Bruineman, Marg. April 30, 2020. COVID-19: Veteran lawyer fear ‘huge chaos’ once courts open again. Timminstoday.com.