Someone other than a party who becomes involved in the court process. One example of a third party is an employer who is ordered to provide income information.

A structured court appearance involving the people named on the file (the ‘parties’) and their lawyers, if applicable, where evidence is presented in front of a judge in a courtroom. It is a called a ‘trial’ (instead of a 'hearing') if it involves deciding the final outcome of a court proceeding, such as a petition for divorce, or the final disposition of a child protection matter. It is a called a ‘hearing’ if it involves a contested application (one where the parties disagree about what should happen) or variation application for any other matter.