Civil court cases

2. - Family cases

Family cases are cases involving family law-related issues, including child protection, divorce, separation, custody and access, division of property, support, and adoption, among others. The methodology used to classify family cases is based on all issues that have been identified in a case, over the length of the case. The following hierarchy in the classification has been applied in order to group family cases by issue into mutually exclusive categories: (1) divorce, (2) child protection, (3) access and/or custody and support, (4) access and/or custody, (5) support.

2.1 - Child protection cases

Cases involving government agency supervision of parents/guardians/caregivers or the apprehension of children into government care because of issues of parental abuse, neglect, or incapacity. A case is counted as a child protection case if child protection has been one of the issues reported for the case (and no issue of divorce has been identified), over the length of the case.

2.2 - Divorce cases

Cases in civil court dealing with the legal dissolution of a legal marriage. A case is counted as a divorce case if divorce has been one of the issues reported for the case, over the length of the case.

2.3 - Other family cases

Family cases with no issue of divorce or child protection identified.