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A five-hour time difference to Toronto, eight to Vancouver, and provinces that each make their own family law.
Canada draws British families for work and for good, and a separation across that distance raises the same questions as Australia does about flights, holidays and how a young child manages a long journey – though a five-hour time difference to Toronto is easier to work with than a ten-hour one.
As in the United States, family law is not national. The provinces and territories each have their own rules, and Québec's civil law system differs from the common law provinces more than most people expect. Legal advice has to come from the right province.
Situations we are asked about
- One parent emigrating to Canada while the children remain in England, or moving with them.
- Splitting school holidays and sharing the cost of long-haul flights.
- Property, pensions or savings in either country.
- A proposed permanent move that has not been agreed.
Money and property in two countries
Canadian property, RRSPs and pensions can all be discussed in mediation. How they would be handled in an English case, and what a Canadian court would do with an English order, are legal questions – and the answer can differ by province.
If a child is taken or kept without agreement
Canada is a party to the 1980 Child Abduction Convention, in force with the United Kingdom since 1986. It signed the 1996 Child Protection Convention in 2017 but has not ratified it, so that convention does not operate between the two countries.
This is a summary, not advice, and the exceptions and detail matter enormously. Our guide to the Hague Conventions explains how they work. If a child has already been taken or is not being returned, take specialist legal advice immediately – mediation must never delay that.
School years and holidays
The Canadian school year runs from early September to late June, close enough to the English pattern that summers align well. The long summer break is where most cross-Atlantic time is spent; March break is short and sits near, but not on, the English Easter holiday.
Travel, distance and contact
Seven to nine hours' flying, and a time difference of three and a half or four and a half hours to Newfoundland (depending on the time of year) through to eight to British Columbia. Toronto and Montréal are close enough for a fortnight to be worthwhile; the western provinces usually mean longer, less frequent visits.
Language and timing
Mediation is held in English. Interpreters are arranged for French or other languages where they are needed. Much of this site can also be read and listened to in six other languages.
Canada is currently 5 hours behind the UK, so sessions are arranged for a time that works in both places. Appointment times are agreed with each of you beforehand.
How this would work
Everything is held online. Each of you meets the mediator separately first – that is the MIAM, and it is where suitability is assessed, including whether an English mediator is right for your situation at all. After that, joint sessions are arranged at a time that works in both countries, or as shuttle sessions where being in the same call is not right.
A MIAM matters only if a case in England and Wales is possible; a MIAM certificate carries no weight before a foreign court. Mediation cannot decide which country has authority, cannot give legal advice, and what you agree is not enforceable until a lawyer makes it so – so independent advice, usually in both countries, runs alongside.
Where there has been abuse or controlling behaviour, mediation may not be suitable at all: see domestic abuse and mediation.
Fees: a MIAM is £125 per person and joint sessions £180 per person – full fees. The Government voucher and Legal Aid have eligibility rules most families living abroad will not meet; it is checked individually, never assumed.
Not sure an English mediator is the right choice? That is what the free chat is for. If a mediator in your own country would serve you better, we will say so.
Questions we are asked
Does the province matter?
For legal advice, yes – each province and territory has its own family law, and Québec differs from the rest. For the practical arrangements discussed in mediation it matters less.
How do sessions work across the time difference?
Between three and a half and eight hours depending on the province and the time of year, which usually means a UK afternoon and a Canadian morning. Times are agreed with both of you.
Sources
- HCCH – status table, 1980 Child Abduction Convention
- HCCH – status table, 1996 Child Protection Convention
- GOV.UK – international parental child abduction
Treaty status and official guidance checked on 27 September 2026.
This page is general information about family mediation. It is not legal advice about your own situation. Whether a court in England and Wales can deal with your case is a legal question, and it needs advice here and in Canada.