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Canadian Divorce Glossary

Words beginning with "O"
If you're considering ending your marriage, learning to speak the "language" of divorce in Canada is an important first step. Below you will find a brief glossary of terms related to the separation process. These definitions are overviews, provided to help you begin to understand what is involved in ending a marriage.

Offer to Settle - An "offer to settle" is a legal document that details a formal offer made by one spouse to the other. The purpose of an offer to settle is two-fold: to try to resolve the case without incurring further legal expenses, and to put costs pressure on your spouse to resolve the case. If, at the end of your family law case, you do as well as or better than your offer to settle, your spouse will be required to pay a much higher portion of your legal fees than otherwise.

Order - An order is a direction by the court to do or not do something. It is a mandatory direction that must be followed and is binding upon the parties to a legal action. "Interim orders” are temporary and may be issued while the facts of a case are being decided. A “final order” is a permanent order at the end of a trial. Orders made by a judge based the agreement of the parties on specific issues are called "consent orders."

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