Consent orders are used if both parties can come to an agreement.

A consent order is an order of the court that is made when the parties involved have come to an agreement without the assistance of court and wish to make this agreement official. Consent orders do not require court hearings.

A hearing involves the court hearing the case and hearing from the parties, and ultimately making their decision about the orders to be made. Each party drafts their own orders and applies to the court to have these orders approved. Consent orders can only be completed if both parties can reach an agreement. An application for consent orders can be made at the beginning, middle or end of a court matter.

If the court accepts the orders, the court then approves the application for consent orders. The orders are enforceable and both parties must follow these orders as set out. Consent orders protect both parties in the future, as opposed to just a verbal agreement where there is room for misunderstandings, change of mind for what was agreed, or change of mind due to personal reasons.