www.manitobacourts.mb.ca

Standard Clauses in Family Court Proceedings

In Manitoba, when families experiencing a family breakdown require an order that sets out the terms of family reorganization, that may include parenting arrangements, child or spousal/common-law partner support, sale or occupancy of the family home or division of family property, the matter is determined and an order is issued by the Family Division of the Court of Queen’s Bench.

Whether the details of an order are agreed-upon by the parties, or determined by a judge, the terms of the agreement or the Judge’s decision must be accurately described in a written order.  It is important that an order is easy to understand.  Unclear orders may cause problems for parents and others, including enforcement officers, who must obey or enforce the terms of an order.

The use of mandatory standard wording in court orders enables the terms of court orders to be more easily understood and followed.

In recognition of the benefits of mandatory standard clauses, the Court of Queen’s Bench introduced the use of standard clauses for most Family Division orders in 1998 (see Queen’s Bench Rules 70.31(11)-(13)).  These standard clauses have been updated regularly to reflect changes in family law and court procedures.

Version 6 of the Standard Clauses for Orders in Family Division Proceedings is now available for use in Family Division orders.  The clauses are available at:

            Version 6 (for use commencing March 1, 2021) – PDF

            Version 6 (for use commencing March 1, 2021) - Word

For more information, contact the Family Resolution Service at GetGuidance@gov.mb.ca, or call: 204-945-2313 (Winnipeg) or 1-844-808-2313 (toll-free).

Information on this page last updated on May 30, 2022