Guides · Family Law
Military Divorce Near CFB Borden: Pensions, Postings, and Kids
A separation for a CFB Borden family brings issues a civilian divorce doesn't: dividing the Forces pension, and postings and deployments that move the kids.
CFB Borden is the largest training base in the Canadian Armed Forces, about 100 kilometres north of Toronto in the heart of Simcoe County. If you are posted there and your marriage is ending, your divorce is not a civilian one with a uniform on. Three things follow their own rulebooks: the military pension, the postings, and the children. This guide walks through each, and where a Borden-area family case actually gets heard.
If there is any family violence in your relationship, tell a lawyer or duty counsel right away. The process is different and moves faster, and help is available quickly.
Where is a Borden family case heard?
At the Barrie courthouse. CFB Borden sits in Essa Township, just west of Barrie, and because that is in Simcoe County your family case goes to the Superior Court of Justice at 75 Mulcaster Street in Barrie, about half an hour east of the base. Legal Aid Ontario runs family duty counsel there, so if money is tight you can get same-day help at the courthouse. For family support on the base itself, the Borden Family Resource Centre offers free deployment, transition, and family services (705-424-1200 ext. 3994).
How is a Canadian Forces pension divided?
This is usually the biggest asset in a military separation, and it has its own federal rules. A Regular Force pension is divided under the Pension Benefits Division Act, to a maximum of 50% of the value that built up during the time you lived together. Your former spouse does not receive your pension. Instead a lump sum representing their share is moved into a locked-in retirement vehicle or an annuity in their name. The application is federal form CF-FC 2486.
Two cautions. First, the Reserve Force pension is different, and even the government's own pages are not consistent about whether a reservist's pension can be divided the same way. If you are a reservist, do not assume either answer. Confirm it with the CAF Pension Centre and a family lawyer before you settle. Second, dividing the pension as property is separate from support. Child or spousal support can be enforced against a federal pension under a different law, the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act.
How do deployments and postings change a parenting plan?
They are the reason a military parenting plan cannot look like a civilian one. Members are typically posted to a new location every three to five years, and about one in four Regular Force members moves to a new base in any given year. Deployment lengths vary by operation, from short stints to many months (a recent domestic operation ran eight months). A schedule that assumes both parents stay in Barrie can fall apart the moment one is posted or deployed.
So build the plan for the life you actually lead. Spell out what happens to parenting time during a deployment, who steps in, and how the deployed parent stays in contact. A plan that anticipates a move and a deployment holds up. One that ignores them ends up back in court.
What happens when a posting means moving the kids?
A posting that would move a child is a relocation, and family law, not the military, decides whether it can happen. Under the Divorce Act, a parent who plans to relocate with a child must give at least 60 days' written notice. If the other parent objects in time, the move cannot go ahead unless they agree or a court finds it is in the child's best interests. Your posting message does not override that. If a posting is even possible during your separation, raise it with a lawyer early, because the notice clock and the objection window matter.
What kind of lawyer do you need?
One who has actually handled military files. The pension division form, the posting and deployment realities, and relocation law are not part of every family practice. When you call a firm, ask directly whether they have done a Canadian Forces pension division and how they handle a parenting plan around deployments and postings. For the basics that apply to any Ontario divorce, see our guide to how to get a divorce in Ontario, and for choosing a firm locally, hiring a divorce lawyer in Barrie. In Barrie, Sage Law Group, a family-law firm in Simcoe County, is one place to start; ask any firm you consider about their military experience. You can browse the family-law firms in our Simcoe County directory, 81 as of September 2026, and shortlist a few to meet.
Family Law firms in Simcoe County
Sage Law Group, formerly AGS Professional Law Corporation, is a family law firm based in Barrie that serves clients across Ontario by phone, video, and in person. It handles divorce and separation, parenting arrangeme…
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Bair Family Law is a family law firm in Barrie, Ontario, that practises family law exclusively. Led by senior lawyer Tessa Bair, its team of lawyers, paralegals, and law clerks handles divorce, separation, parenting, …
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Barriston Law (Barriston LLP) is a full-service law firm serving Central Ontario, with offices in Barrie, Collingwood, Bracebridge, and Huntsville. It practises across business and real estate law, wills and estates, …
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Baulke Stahr McNabb LLP is a full-service law firm in Collingwood, Ontario, serving the surrounding Georgian Bay area. It practises real estate, business law, wills and estates, employment, and litigation. The firm wo…
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Beeksma Law is an award-winning estate and commercial law practice founded in 2018 serving Ontario families and businesses. The firm operates remotely-first and technology-enabled across Hamilton, Port Elgin, Owen Sou…
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Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionBenjamin P. Nielsen, Barrister, Solicitor & Notary Public is a sole-practitioner law office in Barrie, Ontario. The practice covers family law, criminal defence, wills and estates, and immigration matters, and also pr…
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Immigration LawFrequently asked questions
Can my spouse get half of my military pension?
Up to half of the value that accumulated while you lived together, for a Regular Force pension divided under the Pension Benefits Division Act. It is paid to them as a lump sum into a locked-in account, not as a share of your monthly pension. The rules for a Reserve Force pension are less settled, so confirm those with the CAF Pension Centre and a lawyer.
Do I have to deal with the divorce at the Barrie court?
Family matters for the Borden and Essa area are heard at the Superior Court of Justice in Barrie. That said, most family cases settle through negotiation or mediation and never reach a trial.
What if I get posted in the middle of the divorce?
Tell your lawyer as soon as you know. If the posting would move a child, it is a relocation: you have to give the other parent at least 60 days' written notice, and they can object. Sorting out parenting before you are posted saves a scramble later.
