Court File and Parties
SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE – ONTARIO
RE: ANATOLI VELEV, Applicant AND: DRAGOMIRA VELKOVA VELEVA, Respondent
BEFORE: M.D. Faieta J.
COUNSEL: Self-represented, Applicant Self-represented, Respondent
HEARD: May 19, 2026
Endorsement
1A Case Conference was held to address child support. At the applicant’s request, a Bulgarian interpreter was provided by the Court.
Background
2The parties moved to Canada in 2021 and separated on July 12, 2022. There are two children of the marriage, Aleksi, age 11 and Amelia, age 9. The respondent states that she was abused by the applicant during and after their marriage. They separated on June 23, 2022. On December 16, 2022, after returning from several months in Bulgaria, the applicant entered the respondent’s home unannounced and assaulted the respondent and her friend (by pushing, hitting and kicking them to the ground) in the presence of their children. On June 26, 2024, the applicant entered a peace bond which included a restraining order and a no communication order. The applicant’s work visa expired in August 2024 at which time he returned to Bulgaria where he remains.
3There is no dispute that the respondent has not had parenting time with the children since the applicant was charged with assault in December 2022. The respondent states that the children are afraid of the applicant and do not want to have contact with him. At a Case Conference on February 20, 2025, the parties agreed that the children would benefit from counselling however the applicant took the position that the respondent mother should bear the entire cost of counselling, whereas the respondent submitted that it should be equally shared.
4On a motion held on March 10, 2026, I dismissed the applicant father’s motion for parenting time, the appointment of a specialist in child psychology to conduct an evaluation of the dynamics of this family, and for financial disclosure. I ordered that the parties equally share the cost of counselling for the children using the services of Dr. Michele Locke, a registered clinical psychologist. If the counsellor is unable to assist the parties, another counsellor would be retained as recommended by Dr. Locke or as otherwise agreed by the parties. On March 17, 2026, Dr. Locke declined this retainer. Dr. Locke provided a further referral to the respondent who also declined this retainer. At the conference, the respondent advised that both children have recently commenced seeing a therapist.
5At the same motion, given that the applicant has never paid child support to the respondent and that there is no order for child support, I directed that this Case Conference be held to address the issuance of an order for child support. Such orders can be on notice at Case Conference. See Rule 17(8)(b.1) and Burke v. Poitras, 2018 ONCA 1025, at para. 5.
Financial Disclosure
6Each party is dissatisfied with the financial disclosure made by the other party. There have been numerous case conferences and more than one order for financial disclosure. This matter should move forward to trial. At trial, an adverse inference may be drawn if appropriate: See s. 23 of the Federal Child Support Guidelines, SOR/97-175; Kohli v. Thom, 2025 ONCA 200, at paras.116-120.
7Accordingly, in order to move this matter towards trial, I have scheduled a combined Settlement Conference/Trial Management Conference.
Child Support
8A court may order, on a temporary or final basis, that a spouse pay child support for any or all children of the marriage in accordance with the applicable guidelines: See Divorce Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.), s. 15.1. In this respect, the Federal Child Support Guidelines, amongst other things, specifies the amount of child support payable and the rules for the calculation of the payor’s income.
9There is no Order requiring the applicant to pay child support nor has he paid child support informally. Their son Aleksi has juvenile diabetes for which the respondent mother incurs medical expenses of $1,200 per month.
10There is no dispute that the applicant father, a hairdresser, has not paid child support since the parties separated in June 2022 nor has he contributed towards any section 7 expenses.
11The applicant states in his Case Conference brief that he will earn $11,700 CAD in 2026. The applicant filed a sworn Financial Statement dated February 16, 2026 which states that his gross income in 2025 was $13,700 CAD and that he will earn $13,680 CAD in 2026. There is no corroborating evidence to support these statements.
12The respondent states the applicant earned about $40,000 per year plus tips while he was a hairdresser in Toronto. This is not disputed.
13The respondent further states that the applicant is self-employed in Bulgaria and owns a hair salon, that operates as “A’Velle Beauty”. She states that his income for support purposes is unclear due to the applicant’s failure to provide adequate financial disclosure. Nevertheless, based on the limited financial documentary evidence provided, it appears, from the bank statements produced for October 2025-March 2026, that the applicant has deposited between 7,000-8,500 BGN per month during that period which is equivalent to an annual income of about $70,000-75,000 CAD. The respondent notes that the applicant has not produced his credit card statements. The applicant’s Form 13.1 financial statement dated February 16, 2026 is missing Parts 4(c) – through Part 5. Accordingly, it missing details regarding bank accounts, life insurance, business interests, money owed, other property and debts and other liabilities.
14The rules for imputing income are described in Irvine v. Irvine, 2026 ONSC 2321, at paras. 49-55.
15I am persuaded by the deposits made by the applicant to his bank account in the last six months that there is an evidentiary basis to find that the applicant’s gross annual income is at least $70,000 CAD. Based on his statements at this conference regarding his business expenses such as rent and operating costs, I find it fair to impute an income of $40,000 CAD per year to the applicant.
16Accordingly, the respondent shall pay child support of $609 CAD per month in child support for his two children based on his imputed income of $40,000 CAD per year.
Outstanding Costs Orders
17The applicant owes a total of $10,000 in costs to the respondent as follows:
(a) The Order of Justice Pawagi of the Ontario Court of Justice dated October 2, 2024, in the amount of $1,500.00.
(b) The Order of Justice Shin Doi dated April 8, 2025, in the amount of $1,500.00.
(c) The Order of Justice Mathen dated July 22, 2025, in the amount of $1,500.00.
(d) The Order of Justice C. Leach dated April 18, 2026, in the amount of $500.00.
(e) My Order, dated May 15, 2026, in the amount of $5,000.00.
18The respondent was self-represented at this conference as she states that she can no longer afford a lawyer given that the applicant has not paid these costs orders.
19The applicant is put on notice that the respondent may bring a motion to strike his Answer so that she will be able to proceed to trial on an uncontested basis for his failure the above Orders.
20In any event, the applicant may not bring any further motions without the prior written permission of a Judge of this Court until he complies with the above costs orders.
Order
21Order to go as follows:
(a) On a temporary and without prejudice basis, I find that the applicant father’s annual income in 2026 is $40,000.00 CAD and order that the applicant pay the sum of $609.00 CAD per month in child support to the respondent commencing on June 1, 2026, and on the first day of every month thereafter.
(b) A Support Deduction Order shall issue.
(c) The applicant father shall not bring any further motions until he has complied with all costs order unless he obtains, by way of a Form 14B motion, the prior written permission of a Judge of this Court.
(d) A Settlement Conference and Trial Management Conference shall be held on October 9, 2026, at 10:00 am.
(e) By August 9, 2026, each party shall serve and file an updated Financial Statement (Form 13) with all required supporting documentation;
(f) By August 9, 2026, each party shall serve and file an updated Certificate of Financial Disclosure (Form 13A) with all required supporting documentation;
(g) By August 9, 2026, each party shall serve and file a Net Family Property Statement (Form 13B) with all required supporting documentation;
(h) By August 9, 2026, the applicant shall deliver his proposed Trial Scheduling Endorsement Form (“TSEF”) in WORD format to the respondent.
(i) By September 10, 2026, the respondent shall complete those parts of the TSEF that pertain to her case and return the TSEF in WORD format to the applicant.
(j) All parts of the TSEF must be completed. Each party’s description of the issues and the relief sought should be clear and not confusing. Areas where there is a dispute between the parties can be left blank for discussion with (and completion by the Court) at the TMC. If proposed dates for the exchange of documents are in dispute, the Applicant shall include their proposed dates for discussion and determination by the Court at the TMC.
(k) The applicant shall file the TSEF with their 17F Confirmation Form. The TSEF shall be in WORD format.
(l) By September 10, 2026, each party shall serve and file a Comparison of Net Family Property Statements (Form 13C)
(m) By September 10, 2026, each party shall serve and file an updated offer to settle all outstanding issues;
(n) By September 10, 2026, each party shall serve and file an updated outline of their opening statement for trial.
(o) This Order is effective immediately without a formal order being issued and entered.
22The forms for the TSEF, the Financial Statement (Form 13), the Certificate of Financial Disclosure (Form 13A), the Net Family Property Statement (Form 13B) and the Comparison of Net Family Property Statements (Form 13C) can be found here
https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/filing-procedures/rules/family/
23The parties should review the information for self-represented litigants on the Court’s website:
https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/areas-of-law/family/
Mr. Justice M.D. Faieta
Date: May 19, 2026