Parenting After Separation Course Quebec: The Mandatory Session Explained

You Can't Skip This Step

If you're a separating parent with minor or dependent children in Quebec and you and your co-parent still disagree on a question about your separation when the case is scheduled to be heard, you must attend a 2.5-hour information session before your case can be heard by a judge. This requirement comes from Articles 417 and 420 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and courts enforce it strictly — without the attestation of attendance, your file stalls.

This isn't mediation. It's a group information session that covers the psychological impact of separation on children and explains the legal process ahead. Mediation comes after, and it's a separate step.

What the Session Covers

The session runs approximately 2.5 hours and includes two main segments followed by a question period:

Part one (about 90 minutes) focuses on how separation affects children emotionally and psychologically. It covers the common reactions children have at different ages — regression in toddlers, anger in school-aged children, loyalty conflicts in teenagers — and explains how parental conflict amplifies these impacts. The goal is to help parents see the separation through their child's eyes.

Part two (about 30 minutes) introduces the legal process and the role of family mediation. It explains the five free mediation hours available, how mediation differs from litigation, and what happens when mediation succeeds versus when it fails.

The session is informational, not therapeutic. You won't be asked to share personal details or negotiate with your co-parent. You'll listen, take notes, and leave with a certificate.

How to Register

Registration is handled by the Ministère de la Justice du Québec. Sessions are available remotely (virtual), making them accessible regardless of where you live in the province.

Parents register separately. You don't need to attend the same session group as your co-parent — in fact, you can specifically request separate sessions if being in the same room would be uncomfortable or unsafe.

The session is free of charge. There are no fees for registration, attendance, or the certificate.

The Attestation of Attendance

At the end of the session, you receive an attestation de participation — a certificate confirming you completed the mandatory information session. This document must be filed with the court before your custody case can proceed.

Hold onto this certificate. If it's lost, you may need to re-attend the session to get a replacement. File a copy with your own records and give the original to your lawyer or mediator for court filing.

Exemptions for Domestic Violence

Parents who are victims of spousal or family violence are exempt from the mandatory information session. To claim this exemption, you need a certificate from a recognized domestic violence assistance service (such as a shelter or specialized support organization) confirming your situation.

The exemption exists because victims of violence should not be required to sit through a session that assumes both parents can engage in constructive co-parenting. If violence is part of your situation, the session's advice about cooperative communication and joint decision-making doesn't apply to you in the same way, and forcing attendance could cause additional harm.

What Comes After the Session

Once you have your attestation, the next step is family mediation. Quebec provides five free hours of subsidized mediation with a government-accredited mediator for an initial separation (two and a half hours for reviewing an existing agreement). The mediator helps you work toward a parenting agreement covering custody, support, and property division.

If mediation produces a complete agreement, it can be filed with the court and homologated by a Special Clerk without a hearing. If mediation partially succeeds, the resolved items are documented and the remaining disputes proceed to court. If it fails entirely, the mediator issues a report confirming the process was attempted, clearing you to proceed to trial.

The mandatory information session and mediation are sequential steps designed to keep as many families as possible out of contested litigation. The vast majority of Quebec custody cases settle during or shortly after mediation.

Making the Most of This Step

The session itself is brief, but the information it provides sets the tone for everything that follows. Pay attention to the segment on how children experience separation — it's the same framework judges use when evaluating your parenting proposals.

Going into mediation well prepared is what makes the difference between resolving your arrangement within the free hours and spending thousands on contested proceedings. The Quebec Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide helps you build your parenting proposal before mediation starts, so your sessions focus on negotiation rather than education.

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