Courts and Tribunals of Québec
Unified Family Tribunal (UFT)
Important
Since October 10, 2025, civil union applications must be heard by the Court of Québec’s Unified Family Tribunal.
Situations covered
The situations covered are as follows:
- The parties are in a parental union, that is, they are de facto spouses and the parents of a child born or adopted on or after June 30, 2025. As soon as a child is born or adopted on or after June 30, the de facto spouses are in a parental union even if some of their children were born or adopted before that date;
- The parties decided to form a parental union after June 30, 2025;
- The parties are in a civil union and wish to file an application regarding their union before the court. If the parties were in a civil union and obtained a judgment on the consequences of their separation before October 10, 2025, any application to review the judgment must be filed with the UFT of the Court of Québec.
In family matters, if the parties are or were in one of the abovementioned situations, the UFT can hear and rule on the following applications:
- child custody and support applications;
- spousal support applications (for parties that are or were in a civil union);
- support applications by a child of full age;
- applications for dissolution of a civil union;
- applications for review of corollary relief in a dissolution of a civil union;
- applications related to partition of the parental union or family patrimony and other patrimonial rights arising from the community of life;
- protection of the family residence;
- parents’ applications concerning parental authority.
Emancipation – Legal tutorship – Suppletive tutorship
In civil matters, if the parties are in one of the situations above and the application is related to a civil or parental union application, the UFT can hear and rule on applications for emancipation, legal tutorship and suppletive tutorship.
If you’re not sure, consult a legal advisor, who will help you determine which court will hear your application.
Surrogacy
In matters of filiation, the UFT also hears applications for a change of filiation or for judicial recognition when a child is born of a parental project involving surrogacy, i.e. when the parents have used a surrogate mother to carry their child.
It also hears applications claiming or contesting the filiation of a child born of a parental project involving surrogacy.
Youth
In youth matters, the UFT may hear and rule on:
- applications relating to the security or development of a minor (under 18);
- adoption applications;
- applications concerning child custody and support, emancipation, parental authority and suppletive tutorship, if related to an application for adoption or youth protection;
- applications concerning a tutorship requested by the Director of Youth Protection, if related to an application for adoption or youth protection.
Applications that cannot be heard by the UFT
- Applications for divorce or legal separation;
- Applications for review of corollary relief in a divorce or legal separation;
- Applications for emancipation, legal tutorship or suppletive tutorship that are not related to a parental or civil union application;
- Support applications by a child of full age whose parents are not and have not been in a civil or parental union;
- Applications by de facto spouses with no common children concerning the partition of patrimonial rights arising from their community of life;
- Child custody and support applications from de facto spouses whose common children were all born or adopted before June 30, 2025, or applications from such couples concerning the partition of patrimonial rights arising from their community of life;
- Child custody and support applications concerning a child whose parents have never been spouses;
- Parental authority applications concerning a child whose parents are not and have not been in a civil or parental union;
- Applications claiming or contesting the filiation of a child not born of a parental project involving surrogacy;
- Applications concerning young people aged 12 to 18 charged with offences under the Criminal Code or certain federal statutes;
- Penal applications concerning young people aged 14 to 18 charged with offences under municipal bylaws or provincial laws or regulations.
Last update: October 20, 2025