What is a D.R.O. ?
By: Steven Benmor, B.Sc., LL.B., Family Lawyer
Jurisdiction: Ontario (Canada)
A Dispute Resolution Officer (D.R.O.) is a lawyer who is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada; has practiced primarily in the field of Family Law for a minimum of ten years; and has been appointed to assist the Judges and the court system. At Toronto’s Divorce Court - the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the D.R.O. meets with separated spouses before their case proceeds to a hearing before a Judge to attempt to resolve their case or, at least, to narrowly define the issues and create a timetable to proceed to a hearing.
D.R.O.’s typically are involved in cases where one spouse is applying to the court to change a child support order or to change the parenting plan. The programme has been very successful. Approximately two-thirds of the cases are settled by the D.R.O. without proceeding before a Judge. Those cases that do proceed to a hearing before a Judge have benefited by the D.R.O. assisting the parties in defining the issues and ensuring that the proper evidence is submitted to the Judge.
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About the author: Steven Benmor practices Family Law in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Visit Steven Benmor’s online Family Law Resource Center for concise answers to many more frequently asked Family law questions, feature articles on Family law topics, dozens of links to other Family law websites, and more at www.benmor.com. The information on this page is for discussion purposes only. It is by no means legal advice or even a statement of the law on this subject. Please do not rely on the accuracy or completeness of this information. Any question or concern elicited by the information on this page should be taken to a lawyer who will consider the facts of each case and the legal remedies available. |
