Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Divorce Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

• 2 (1) In this Act,

  age of majority

  age of majority, in respect of a child, means the age of majority as determined by the laws of the province where the child habitually resides, or, if the child habitually resides outside of Canada, eighteen years of age; (majeur)

  appellate court

  appellate court, in respect of an appeal from a court, means the court exercising appellate jurisdiction with respect to that appeal; (cour d’appel)

  applicable guidelines

  applicable guidelines means

  • (a) if both spouses or former spouses are habitually resident in the same province at the time an application is made for a child support order or for a variation order in respect of a child support order or the amount of a child support is to be calculated or recalculated under section 25.01 or 25.1, and that province has been designated by an order made under subsection (5), the laws of the province specified in the order, and

  • (b) in any other case, the Federal Child Support Guidelines; (lignes directrices applicables)

  child of the marriage

  child of the marriage means a child of two spouses or former spouses who, at the material time,

  • (a) is under the age of majority and who has not withdrawn from their charge, or

  • (b) is the age of majority or over and under their charge but unable, by reason of illness, disability or other cause, to withdraw from their charge or to obtain the necessaries of life; (enfant à charge)

  child support order

  child support order means an order made under subsection 15.1(1); (ordonnance alimentaire au profit d’un enfant)

  competent authority

  competent authority means, except as otherwise provided, a tribunal or other entity in a country other than Canada, or a subdivision of such a country, that has the authority to make a decision under their law respecting any subject matter that could be dealt with under this Act; (autorité compétente)

  contact order

  contact order means an order made under subsection 16.5(1); (ordonnance de contact)

  corollary relief proceeding

  corollary relief proceeding means a proceeding in a court in which either or both former spouses seek a child support order, a spousal support order or a parenting order; (action en mesures accessoires)

  court

  court, in respect of a province, means

  • (a) for the Province of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice,

  • (a.1) for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of the Province,

  • (b) for the Province of Quebec, the Superior Court,

  • (c) for the Provinces of Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, the Supreme Court of the Province,

  • (d) for the Province of New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench for the Province, and

  • (e) for Yukon or the Northwest Territories, the Supreme Court, and in Nunavut, the Nunavut Court of Justice,

  and includes such other court in the province the judges of which are appointed by the Governor General as is designated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of the province as a court for the purposes of this Act; (tribunal)

  custody

  custody[Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 1]

  custody order

  custody order[Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 1]

  decision-making responsibility

  decision-making responsibility means the responsibility for making significant decisions about a child’s well-being, including in respect of

  • (a) health;

  • (b) education;

  • (c) culture, language, religion and spirituality; and

  • (d) significant extra-curricular activities; (responsabilités décisionnelles)

  divorce proceeding

  divorce proceeding means a proceeding in a court in which either or both spouses seek a divorce alone or together with a child support order, a spousal support order or a parenting order; (action en divorce)

  family dispute resolution process

  family dispute resolution process means a process outside of court that is used by parties to a family law dispute to attempt to resolve any matters in dispute, including negotiation, mediation and collaborative law; (mécanisme de règlement des différends familiaux)

  family justice services

  family justice services means public or private services intended to help persons deal with issues arising from separation or divorce; (services de justice familiale)

  family member

  family member includes a member of the household of a child of the marriage or of a spouse or former spouse as well as a dating partner of a spouse or former spouse who participates in the activities of the household; (membre de la famille)

  family violence

  family violence means any conduct, whether or not the conduct constitutes a criminal offence, by a family member towards another family member, that is violent or threatening or that constitutes a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour or that causes that other family member to fear for their own safety or for that of another person — and in the case of a child, the direct or indirect exposure to such conduct — and includes

  • (a) physical abuse, including forced confinement but excluding the use of reasonable force to protect themselves or another person;

  • (b) sexual abuse;

  • (c) threats to kill or cause bodily harm to any person;

  • (d) harassment, including stalking;

  • (e) the failure to provide the necessaries of life;

  • (f) psychological abuse;

  • (g) financial abuse;

  • (h) threats to kill or harm an animal or damage property; and

  • (i) the killing or harming of an animal or the damaging of property; (violence familiale)

  Federal Child Support Guidelines

  Federal Child Support Guidelines means the guidelines made under section 26.1; (lignes directrices fédérales sur les pensions alimentaires pour enfants)

  legal adviser

  legal adviser means any person who is qualified, in accordance with the law of a province, to represent or provide legal advice to another person in any proceeding under this Act; (conseiller juridique)

  order assignee

  order assignee means a minister, member, agency or public body to whom a support order is assigned under subsection 20.1(1); (cessionnaire de la créance alimentaire)

  parenting order

  parenting order means an order made under subsection 16.1(1); (ordonnance parentale)

  parenting time

  parenting time means the time that a child of the marriage spends in the care of a person referred to in subsection 16.1(1), whether or not the child is physically with that person during that entire time; (temps parental)

  provincial child support service

  provincial child support service means any service, agency or body designated in an agreement with a province under subsection 25.01(1) or 25.1(1); (service provincial des aliments pour enfants)

  relocation

  relocation means a change in the place of residence of a child of the marriage or a person who has parenting time or decision-making responsibility — or who has a pending application for a parenting order — that is likely to have a significant impact on the child’s relationship with

  • (a) a person who has parenting time, decision-making responsibility or an application for a parenting order in respect of that child pending; or

  • (b) a person who has contact with the child under a contact order; (déménagement important)

  spousal support order

  spousal support order means an order made under subsection 15.2(1); (ordonnance alimentaire au profit d’un époux)

  spouse

  spouse includes, in subsection 6(1) and sections 15.1 to 16.96, 21.1, 25.01 and 25.1, a former spouse; (époux)

  support order

  support order means a child support order or a spousal support order; (ordonnance alimentaire)

  variation order

  variation order means an order made under subsection 17(1); (ordonnance modificative)

  variation proceeding

  variation proceeding means a proceeding in a court in which either or both former spouses seek a variation order. (action en modification)

• Marginal note:Child of the marriage

  (2) For the purposes of the definition child of the marriage in subsection (1), a child of two spouses or former spouses includes

  • (a) any child for whom they both stand in the place of parents; and

  • (b) any child of whom one is the parent and for whom the other stands in the place of a parent.

• Marginal note:Term not restrictive

  (3) The use of the term “application” to describe a proceeding under this Act in a court shall not be construed as limiting the name under which and the form and manner in which that proceeding may be taken in that court, and the name, manner and form of the proceeding in that court shall be such as is provided for by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (4) The use in section 21.1 of the terms “affidavit” and “pleadings” to describe documents shall not be construed as limiting the name that may be used to refer to those documents in a court and the form of those documents, and the name and form of the documents shall be such as is provided for by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court.

• Marginal note:Provincial child support guidelines

  (5) The Governor in Council may, by order, designate a province for the purposes of the definition applicable guidelines in subsection (1) if the laws of the province establish comprehensive guidelines for the determination of child support that deal with the matters referred to in section 26.1. The order shall specify the laws of the province that constitute the guidelines of the province.

• Marginal note:Amendments included

  (6) The guidelines of a province referred to in subsection (5) include any amendments made to them from time to time.

Jurisdiction

Marginal note:Jurisdiction in divorce proceedings

• 3 (1) A court in a province has jurisdiction to hear and determine a divorce proceeding if either spouse has been habitually resident in the province for at least one year immediately preceding the commencement of the proceeding.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction if two proceedings commenced on different days

  (2) If divorce proceedings between the same spouses are pending in two courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction under subsection (1) and were commenced on different days, and the proceeding that was commenced first is not discontinued, the court in which a divorce proceeding was commenced first has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any divorce proceeding then pending between the spouses and the second divorce proceeding is deemed to be discontinued.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction if two proceedings commenced on same day

  (3) If divorce proceedings between the same spouses are pending in two courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction under subsection (1) and were commenced on the same day, and neither proceeding is discontinued within 40 days after it was commenced, the Federal Court shall, on application by either or both spouses, determine which court retains jurisdiction by applying the following rules:

  • (a) if at least one of the proceedings includes an application for a parenting order, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court in the province in which the child is habitually resident;

  • (b) if neither of the proceedings includes an application for a parenting order, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court in the province in which the spouses last maintained a habitual residence in common if one of the spouses is habitually resident in that province; and

  • (c) in any other case, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court that the Federal Court determines to be the most appropriate.

Marginal note:Jurisdiction in corollary relief proceedings

• 4 (1) A court in a province has jurisdiction to hear and determine a corollary relief proceeding if

  • (a) either former spouse is habitually resident in the province at the commencement of the proceeding; or

  • (b) both former spouses accept the jurisdiction of the court.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction if two proceedings commenced on different days

  (2) If corollary relief proceedings between the same former spouses and in respect of the same matter are pending in two courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction under subsection (1) and were commenced on different days, and the proceeding that was commenced first is not discontinued, the court in which a corollary relief proceeding was commenced first has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any corollary relief proceeding then pending between the former spouses in respect of that matter and the second corollary relief proceeding is deemed to be discontinued.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction if two proceedings commenced on same day

  (3) If corollary relief proceedings between the same former spouses and in respect of the same matter are pending in two courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction under subsection (1) and were commenced on the same day, and neither proceeding is discontinued within 40 days after it was commenced, the Federal Court shall, on application by either or both former spouses, determine which court retains jurisdiction by applying the following rules:

  • (a) if at least one of the proceedings includes an application for a parenting order, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court in the province in which the child is habitually resident;

  • (b) if neither of the proceedings includes an application for a parenting order, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court in the province in which the former spouses last maintained a habitual residence in common if one of the former spouses is habitually resident in that province; and

  • (c) in any other case, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court that the Federal Court determines to be the most appropriate.

Marginal note:Jurisdiction in variation proceedings

• 5 (1) A court in a province has jurisdiction to hear and determine a variation proceeding if

  • (a) either former spouse is habitually resident in the province at the commencement of the proceeding; or

  • (b) both former spouses accept the jurisdiction of the court.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction if two proceedings commenced on different days

  (2) If variation proceedings between the same former spouses and in respect of the same matter are pending in two courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction under subsection (1) and were commenced on different days, and the proceeding that was commenced first is not discontinued, the court in which a variation proceeding was commenced first has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any variation proceeding then pending between the former spouses in respect of that matter and the second variation proceeding is deemed to be discontinued.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction if two proceedings commenced on same day

  (3) If variation proceedings between the same former spouses and in respect of the same matter are pending in two courts that would otherwise have jurisdiction under subsection (1) and were commenced on the same day, and neither proceeding is discontinued within 40 days after it was commenced, the Federal Court shall, on application by either or both former spouses, determine which court retains jurisdiction by applying the following rules:

  • (a) if at least one of the proceedings includes an application for a variation order in respect of a parenting order, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court in the province in which the child is habitually resident;

  • (b) if neither of the proceedings includes an application for a variation order in respect of a parenting order, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court in the province in which the former spouses last maintained a habitual residence in common if one of the former spouses is habitually resident in that province; and

  • (c) in any other case, the court that retains jurisdiction is the court that the Federal Court determines to be the most appropriate.

Marginal note:Transfer of proceeding if parenting order applied for

• 6 (1) If an application for an order under section 16.1 is made in a divorce proceeding or corollary relief proceeding to a court in a province and the child of the marriage in respect of whom the order is sought is habitually resident in another province, the court may, on application by a spouse or on its own motion, transfer the proceeding to a court in that other province.

• Marginal note:Transfer of variation proceeding in respect of parenting order

  (2) If an application for a variation order in respect of a parenting order is made in a variation proceeding to a court in a province and the child of the marriage in respect of whom the variation order is sought is habitually resident in another province, the court may, on application by a former spouse or on its own motion, transfer the variation proceeding to a court in that other province.

• (3) [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 5]

• Marginal note:Exclusive jurisdiction

  (4) Notwithstanding sections 3 to 5, a court in a province to which a proceeding is transferred under this section has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine the proceeding.

Marginal note:Jurisdiction — application for contact order

• 6.1 (1) If a court in a province is seized of an application for a parenting order in respect of a child, the court has jurisdiction to hear and determine an application for a contact order in respect of the child.

• Marginal note:Jurisdiction — no pending variation proceeding

  (2) If no variation proceeding related to a parenting order in respect of a child is pending, a court in a province in which the child is habitually resident has jurisdiction to hear and determine an application for a contact order, an application for a variation order in respect of a contact order or an application for a variation order in respect of a parenting order brought by a person referred to in subparagraph 17(1)(b)(ii), unless the court considers that a court in another province is better placed to hear and determine the application, in which case the court shall transfer the proceeding to the court in that other province.

• Marginal note:No jurisdiction — contact order

  (3) For greater certainty, if no parenting order has been made in respect of a child, no application for a contact order may be brought under this Act in respect of the child.

Marginal note:Removal or retention of child of marriage

• 6.2 (1) If a child of the marriage is removed from or retained in a province contrary to sections 16.9 to 16.96 or provincial law, a court in the province in which the child was habitually resident that would have had jurisdiction under sections 3 to 5 immediately before the removal or retention has jurisdiction to hear and determine an application for a parenting order, unless the court is satisfied

  • (a) that all persons who are entitled to object to the removal or retention have ultimately consented or acquiesced to the removal or retention;

  • (b) that there has been undue delay in contesting the removal or retention by those persons; or

  • (c) that a court in the province in which the child is present is better placed to hear and determine the application.

• Marginal note:Transfer

  (2) If the court in the province in which the child was habitually resident immediately before the removal or retention is satisfied that any of paragraphs (1)(a) to (c) apply,

  • (a) the court shall transfer the application to the court in the province in which the child is present; and

  • (b) the court may transfer any other application under this Act in respect of the parties to the court in the province in which the child is present.

• Marginal note:Federal Court

  (3) If after the child’s removal from or retention in a province, two proceedings are commenced on the same day as described in subsection 3(3), 4(3) or 5(3), this section prevails over those subsections and the Federal Court shall determine which court has jurisdiction under this section. A reference in this section to “court in the province in which the child was habitually resident” is to be read as “Federal Court”.

Marginal note:Child habitually resident outside Canada

• 6.3 (1) If a child of the marriage is not habitually resident in Canada, a court in the province that would otherwise have jurisdiction under sections 3 to 5 to make a parenting order or contact order, or a variation order in respect of such an order, has jurisdiction to do so only in exceptional circumstances and if the child is present in the province.

• Marginal note:Exceptional circumstances

  (2) In determining whether there are exceptional circumstances, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including

  • (a) whether there is a sufficient connection between the child and the province;

  • (b) the urgency of the situation;

  • (c) the importance of avoiding a multiplicity of proceedings and inconsistent decisions; and

  • (d) the importance of discouraging child abduction.

Marginal note:Exercise of jurisdiction by judge

7 The jurisdiction conferred on a court by this Act to grant a divorce shall be exercised only by a judge of the court without a jury.

Duties

Parties to a Proceeding

Marginal note:Best interests of child

7.1 A person to whom parenting time or decision-making responsibility has been allocated in respect of a child of the marriage or who has contact with that child under a contact order shall exercise that time, responsibility or contact in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of the child.

Marginal note:Protection of children from conflict

7.2 A party to a proceeding under this Act shall, to the best of their ability, protect any child of the marriage from conflict arising from the proceeding.

Marginal note:Family dispute resolution process

7.3 To the extent that it is appropriate to do so, the parties to a proceeding shall try to resolve the matters that may be the subject of an order under this Act through a family dispute resolution process.

Marginal note:Complete, accurate and up-to-date information

7.4 A party to a proceeding under this Act or a person who is subject to an order made under this Act shall provide complete, accurate and up-to-date information if required to do so under this Act.

Marginal note:Duty to comply with orders

7.5 For greater certainty, a person who is subject to an order made under this Act shall comply with the order until it is no longer in effect.

Marginal note:Certification

7.6 Every document that formally commences a proceeding under this Act, or that responds to such a document, that is filed with a court by a party to a proceeding shall contain a statement by the party certifying that they are aware of their duties under sections 7.1 to 7.5.

Legal Adviser

Marginal note:Reconciliation

• 7.7 (1) Unless the circumstances of the case are of such a nature that it would clearly not be appropriate to do so, it is the duty of every legal adviser who undertakes to act on a spouse’s behalf in a divorce proceeding

  • (a) to draw to the attention of the spouse the provisions of this Act that have as their object the reconciliation of spouses; and

  • (b) to discuss with the spouse the possibility of the reconciliation of the spouses and to inform the spouse of the marriage counselling or guidance facilities known to the legal adviser that might be able to assist the spouses to achieve a reconciliation.

• Marginal note:Duty to discuss and inform

  (2) It is also the duty of every legal adviser who undertakes to act on a person’s behalf in any proceeding under this Act

  • (a) to encourage the person to attempt to resolve the matters that may be the subject of an order under this Act through a family dispute resolution process, unless the circumstances of the case are of such a nature that it would clearly not be appropriate to do so;

  • (b) to inform the person of the family justice services known to the legal adviser that might assist the person

    • (i) in resolving the matters that may be the subject of an order under this Act, and

    • (ii) in complying with any order or decision made under this Act; and

  • (c) to inform the person of the parties’ duties under this Act.

• Marginal note:Certification

  (3) Every document that formally commences a proceeding under this Act, or that responds to such a document, that is filed with a court by a legal adviser shall contain a statement by the legal adviser certifying that they have complied with this section.

Court

Marginal note:Purpose of section

• 7.8 (1) The purpose of this section is to facilitate

  • (a) the identification of orders, undertakings, recognizances, agreements or measures that may conflict with an order under this Act; and

  • (b) the coordination of proceedings.

• Marginal note:Information regarding other orders or proceedings

  (2) In a proceeding for corollary relief and in relation to any party to that proceeding, the court has a duty to consider if any of the following are pending or in effect, unless the circumstances of the case are of such a nature that it would clearly not be appropriate to do so:

  • (a) a civil protection order or a proceeding in relation to such an order;

  • (b) a child protection order, proceeding, agreement or measure; or

  • (c) an order, proceeding, undertaking or recognizance in relation to any matter of a criminal nature.

  In order to carry out the duty, the court may make inquiries of the parties or review information that is readily available and that has been obtained through a search carried out in accordance with provincial law, including the rules made under subsection 25(2).

• Marginal note:Definition of civil protection order

  (3) In this section, civil protection order means a civil order that is made to protect a person’s safety, including an order that prohibits a person from

  • (a) being in physical proximity to a specified person or following a specified person from place to place;

  • (b) contacting or communicating with a specified person, either directly or indirectly;

  • (c) attending at or being within a certain distance of a specified place or location;

  • (d) engaging in harassing or threatening conduct directed at a specified person;

  • (e) occupying a family home or a residence; or

  • (f) engaging in family violence.

Divorce

Marginal note:Divorce

• 8 (1) A court of competent jurisdiction may, on application by either or both spouses, grant a divorce to the spouse or spouses on the ground that there has been a breakdown of their marriage.

• Marginal note:Breakdown of marriage

  (2) Breakdown of a marriage is established only if

  • (a) the spouses have lived separate and apart for at least one year immediately preceding the determination of the divorce proceeding and were living separate and apart at the commencement of the proceeding; or

  • (b) the spouse against whom the divorce proceeding is brought has, since celebration of the marriage,

    • (i) committed adultery, or

    • (ii) treated the other spouse with physical or mental cruelty of such a kind as to render intolerable the continued cohabitation of the spouses.

• Marginal note:Calculation of period of separation

  (3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(a),

  • (a) spouses shall be deemed to have lived separate and apart for any period during which they lived apart and either of them had the intention to live separate and apart from the other; and

  • (b) a period during which spouses have lived separate and apart shall not be considered to have been interrupted or terminated

    • (i) by reason only that either spouse has become incapable of forming or having an intention to continue to live separate and apart or of continuing to live separate and apart of the spouse’s own volition, if it appears to the court that the separation would probably have continued if the spouse had not become so incapable, or

    • (ii) by reason only that the spouses have resumed cohabitation during a period of, or periods totalling, not more than ninety days with reconciliation as its primary purpose.

9 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 9]

Marginal note:Duty of court — reconciliation

• 10 (1) In a divorce proceeding, it is the duty of the court, before considering the evidence, to satisfy itself that there is no possibility of the reconciliation of the spouses, unless the circumstances of the case are of such a nature that it would clearly not be appropriate to do so.

• Marginal note:Adjournment

  (2) Where at any stage in a divorce proceeding it appears to the court from the nature of the case, the evidence or the attitude of either or both spouses that there is a possibility of the reconciliation of the spouses, the court shall

  • (a) adjourn the proceeding to afford the spouses an opportunity to achieve a reconciliation; and

  • (b) with the consent of the spouses or in the discretion of the court, nominate

    • (i) a person with experience or training in marriage counselling or guidance, or

    • (ii) in special circumstances, some other suitable person,

    to assist the spouses to achieve a reconciliation.

• Marginal note:Resumption

  (3) Where fourteen days have elapsed from the date of any adjournment under subsection (2), the court shall resume the proceeding on the application of either or both spouses.

• Marginal note:Nominee not competent or compellable

  (4) No person nominated by a court under this section to assist spouses to achieve a reconciliation is competent or compellable in any legal proceedings to disclose any admission or communication made to that person in his or her capacity as a nominee of the court for that purpose.

• Marginal note:Evidence not admissible

  (5) Evidence of anything said or of any admission or communication made in the course of assisting spouses to achieve a reconciliation is not admissible in any legal proceedings.

Marginal note:Duty of court — bars

• 11 (1) In a divorce proceeding, it is the duty of the court

  • (a) to satisfy itself that there has been no collusion in relation to the application for a divorce and to dismiss the application if it finds that there was collusion in presenting it;

  • (b) to satisfy itself that reasonable arrangements have been made for the support of any children of the marriage, having regard to the applicable guidelines, and, if such arrangements have not been made, to stay the granting of the divorce until such arrangements are made; and

  • (c) where a divorce is sought in circumstances described in paragraph 8(2)(b), to satisfy itself that there has been no condonation or connivance on the part of the spouse bringing the proceeding, and to dismiss the application for a divorce if that spouse has condoned or connived at the act or conduct complained of unless, in the opinion of the court, the public interest would be better served by granting the divorce.

• Marginal note:Revival

  (2) Any act or conduct that has been condoned is not capable of being revived so as to constitute a circumstance described in paragraph 8(2)(b).

• Marginal note:Condonation

  (3) For the purposes of this section, a continuation or resumption of cohabitation during a period of, or periods totalling, not more than ninety days with reconciliation as its primary purpose shall not be considered to constitute condonation.

• Marginal note:Definition of collusion

  (4) In this section, collusion means an agreement or conspiracy to which an applicant for a divorce is either directly or indirectly a party for the purpose of subverting the administration of justice, and includes any agreement, understanding or arrangement to fabricate or suppress evidence or to deceive the court, but does not include an agreement to the extent that it provides for separation between the parties, financial support, division of property or the exercise of parenting time or decision-making responsibility.

Marginal note:Effective date generally

• 12 (1) Subject to this section, a divorce takes effect on the thirty-first day after the day on which the judgment granting the divorce is rendered.

• Marginal note:Special circumstances

  (2) Where, on or after rendering a judgment granting a divorce,

  • (a) the court is of the opinion that by reason of special circumstances the divorce should take effect earlier than the thirty-first day after the day on which the judgment is rendered, and

  • (b) the spouses agree and undertake that no appeal from the judgment will be taken, or any appeal from the judgment that was taken has been abandoned,

  the court may order that the divorce takes effect at such earlier time as it considers appropriate.

• Marginal note:Effective date where appeal

  (3) A divorce in respect of which an appeal is pending at the end of the period referred to in subsection (1), unless voided on appeal, takes effect on the expiration of the time fixed by law for instituting an appeal from the decision on that appeal or any subsequent appeal, if no appeal has been instituted within that time.

• Marginal note:Certain extensions to be counted

  (4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the time fixed by law for instituting an appeal from a decision on an appeal includes any extension thereof fixed pursuant to law before the expiration of that time or fixed thereafter on an application instituted before the expiration of that time.

• Marginal note:No late extensions of time for appeal

  (5) Notwithstanding any other law, the time fixed by law for instituting an appeal from a decision referred to in subsection (3) may not be extended after the expiration of that time, except on an application instituted before the expiration of that time.

• Marginal note:Effective date where decision of Supreme Court of Canada

  (6) A divorce in respect of which an appeal has been taken to the Supreme Court of Canada, unless voided on the appeal, takes effect on the day on which the judgment on the appeal is rendered.

• Marginal note:Certificate of divorce

  (7) Where a divorce takes effect in accordance with this section, a judge or officer of the court that rendered the judgment granting the divorce or, where that judgment has been appealed, of the appellate court that rendered the judgment on the final appeal, shall, on request, issue to any person a certificate that a divorce granted under this Act dissolved the marriage of the specified persons effective as of a specified date.

• Marginal note:Conclusive proof

  (8) A certificate referred to in subsection (7), or a certified copy thereof, is conclusive proof of the facts so certified without proof of the signature or authority of the person appearing to have signed the certificate.

Marginal note:Legal effect throughout Canada

13 On taking effect, a divorce granted under this Act has legal effect throughout Canada.

Marginal note:Marriage dissolved

14 On taking effect, a divorce granted under this Act dissolves the marriage of the spouses.

Corollary Relief

15 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 11]

Child Support Orders

Marginal note:Child support order

• 15.1 (1) A court of competent jurisdiction may, on application by either or both spouses, make an order requiring a spouse to pay for the support of any or all children of the marriage.

• Marginal note:Interim order

  (2) Where an application is made under subsection (1), the court may, on application by either or both spouses, make an interim order requiring a spouse to pay for the support of any or all children of the marriage, pending the determination of the application under subsection (1).

• Marginal note:Guidelines apply

  (3) A court making an order under subsection (1) or an interim order under subsection (2) shall do so in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions

  (4) The court may make an order under subsection (1) or an interim order under subsection (2) for a definite or indefinite period or until a specified event occurs, and may impose terms, conditions or restrictions in connection with the order or interim order as it thinks fit and just.

• Marginal note:Court may take agreement, etc., into account

  (5) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a court may award an amount that is different from the amount that would be determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines if the court is satisfied

  • (a) that special provisions in an order, a judgment or a written agreement respecting the financial obligations of the spouses, or the division or transfer of their property, directly or indirectly benefit a child, or that special provisions have otherwise been made for the benefit of a child; and

  • (b) that the application of the applicable guidelines would result in an amount of child support that is inequitable given those special provisions.

• Marginal note:Reasons

  (6) Where the court awards, pursuant to subsection (5), an amount that is different from the amount that would be determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines, the court shall record its reasons for having done so.

• Marginal note:Consent orders

  (7) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a court may award an amount that is different from the amount that would be determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines on the consent of both spouses if it is satisfied that reasonable arrangements have been made for the support of the child to whom the order relates.

• Marginal note:Reasonable arrangements

  (8) For the purposes of subsection (7), in determining whether reasonable arrangements have been made for the support of a child, the court shall have regard to the applicable guidelines. However, the court shall not consider the arrangements to be unreasonable solely because the amount of support agreed to is not the same as the amount that would otherwise have been determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

Spousal Support Orders

Marginal note:Spousal support order

• 15.2 (1) A court of competent jurisdiction may, on application by either or both spouses, make an order requiring a spouse to secure or pay, or to secure and pay, such lump sum or periodic sums, or such lump sum and periodic sums, as the court thinks reasonable for the support of the other spouse.

• Marginal note:Interim order

  (2) Where an application is made under subsection (1), the court may, on application by either or both spouses, make an interim order requiring a spouse to secure or pay, or to secure and pay, such lump sum or periodic sums, or such lump sum and periodic sums, as the court thinks reasonable for the support of the other spouse, pending the determination of the application under subsection (1).

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions

  (3) The court may make an order under subsection (1) or an interim order under subsection (2) for a definite or indefinite period or until a specified event occurs, and may impose terms, conditions or restrictions in connection with the order as it thinks fit and just.

• Marginal note:Factors

  (4) In making an order under subsection (1) or an interim order under subsection (2), the court shall take into consideration the condition, means, needs and other circumstances of each spouse, including

  • (a) the length of time the spouses cohabited;

  • (b) the functions performed by each spouse during cohabitation; and

  • (c) any order, agreement or arrangement relating to support of either spouse.

• Marginal note:Spousal misconduct

  (5) In making an order under subsection (1) or an interim order under subsection (2), the court shall not take into consideration any misconduct of a spouse in relation to the marriage.

• Marginal note:Objectives of spousal support order

  (6) An order made under subsection (1) or an interim order under subsection (2) that provides for the support of a spouse should

  • (a) recognize any economic advantages or disadvantages to the spouses arising from the marriage or its breakdown;

  • (b) apportion between the spouses any financial consequences arising from the care of any child of the marriage over and above any obligation for the support of any child of the marriage;

  • (c) relieve any economic hardship of the spouses arising from the breakdown of the marriage; and

  • (d) in so far as practicable, promote the economic self-sufficiency of each spouse within a reasonable period of time.

Priority

Marginal note:Priority to child support

• 15.3 (1) Where a court is considering an application for a child support order and an application for a spousal support order, the court shall give priority to child support in determining the applications.

• Marginal note:Reasons

  (2) Where, as a result of giving priority to child support, the court is unable to make a spousal support order or the court makes a spousal support order in an amount that is less than it otherwise would have been, the court shall record its reasons for having done so.

• Marginal note:Consequences of reduction or termination of child support order

  (3) Where, as a result of giving priority to child support, a spousal support order was not made, or the amount of a spousal support order is less than it otherwise would have been, any subsequent reduction or termination of that child support constitutes a change of circumstances for the purposes of applying for a spousal support order, or a variation order in respect of the spousal support order, as the case may be.

Best Interests of the Child

Marginal note:Best interests of child

• 16 (1) The court shall take into consideration only the best interests of the child of the marriage in making a parenting order or a contact order.

• Marginal note:Primary consideration

  (2) When considering the factors referred to in subsection (3), the court shall give primary consideration to the child’s physical, emotional and psychological safety, security and well-being.

• Marginal note:Factors to be considered

  (3) In determining the best interests of the child, the court shall consider all factors related to the circumstances of the child, including

  • (a) the child’s needs, given the child’s age and stage of development, such as the child’s need for stability;

  • (b) the nature and strength of the child’s relationship with each spouse, each of the child’s siblings and grandparents and any other person who plays an important role in the child’s life;

  • (c) each spouse’s willingness to support the development and maintenance of the child’s relationship with the other spouse;

  • (d) the history of care of the child;

  • (e) the child’s views and preferences, giving due weight to the child’s age and maturity, unless they cannot be ascertained;

  • (f) the child’s cultural, linguistic, religious and spiritual upbringing and heritage, including Indigenous upbringing and heritage;

  • (g) any plans for the child’s care;

  • (h) the ability and willingness of each person in respect of whom the order would apply to care for and meet the needs of the child;

  • (i) the ability and willingness of each person in respect of whom the order would apply to communicate and cooperate, in particular with one another, on matters affecting the child;

  • (j) any family violence and its impact on, among other things,

    • (i) the ability and willingness of any person who engaged in the family violence to care for and meet the needs of the child, and

    • (ii) the appropriateness of making an order that would require persons in respect of whom the order would apply to cooperate on issues affecting the child; and

  • (k) any civil or criminal proceeding, order, condition, or measure that is relevant to the safety, security and well-being of the child.

• Marginal note:Factors relating to family violence

  (4) In considering the impact of any family violence under paragraph (3)(j), the court shall take the following into account:

  • (a) the nature, seriousness and frequency of the family violence and when it occurred;

  • (b) whether there is a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour in relation to a family member;

  • (c) whether the family violence is directed toward the child or whether the child is directly or indirectly exposed to the family violence;

  • (d) the physical, emotional and psychological harm or risk of harm to the child;

  • (e) any compromise to the safety of the child or other family member;

  • (f) whether the family violence causes the child or other family member to fear for their own safety or for that of another person;

  • (g) any steps taken by the person engaging in the family violence to prevent further family violence from occurring and improve their ability to care for and meet the needs of the child; and

  • (h) any other relevant factor.

• Marginal note:Past conduct

  (5) In determining what is in the best interests of the child, the court shall not take into consideration the past conduct of any person unless the conduct is relevant to the exercise of their parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact with the child under a contact order.

• Marginal note:Parenting time consistent with best interests of child

  (6) In allocating parenting time, the court shall give effect to the principle that a child should have as much time with each spouse as is consistent with the best interests of the child.

• Marginal note:Parenting order and contact order

  (7) In this section, a parenting order includes an interim parenting order and a variation order in respect of a parenting order, and a contact order includes an interim contact order and a variation order in respect of a contact order.

Parenting Orders

Marginal note:Parenting order

• 16.1 (1) A court of competent jurisdiction may make an order providing for the exercise of parenting time or decision-making responsibility in respect of any child of the marriage, on application by

  • (a) either or both spouses; or

  • (b) a person, other than a spouse, who is a parent of the child, stands in the place of a parent or intends to stand in the place of a parent.

• Marginal note:Interim order

  (2) The court may, on application by a person described in subsection (1), make an interim parenting order in respect of the child, pending the determination of an application made under that subsection.

• Marginal note:Application by person other than spouse

  (3) A person described in paragraph (1)(b) may make an application under subsection (1) or (2) only with leave of the court.

• Marginal note:Contents of parenting order

  (4) The court may, in the order,

  • (a) allocate parenting time in accordance with section 16.2;

  • (b) allocate decision-making responsibility in accordance with section 16.3;

  • (c) include requirements with respect to any means of communication, that is to occur during the parenting time allocated to a person, between a child and another person to whom parenting time or decision-making responsibility is allocated; and

  • (d) provide for any other matter that the court considers appropriate.

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions

  (5) The court may make an order for a definite or indefinite period or until a specified event occurs, and may impose any terms, conditions and restrictions that it considers appropriate.

• Marginal note:Family dispute resolution process

  (6) Subject to provincial law, the order may direct the parties to attend a family dispute resolution process.

• Marginal note:Relocation

  (7) The order may authorize or prohibit the relocation of the child.

• Marginal note:Supervision

  (8) The order may require that parenting time or the transfer of the child from one person to another be supervised.

• Marginal note:Prohibition on removal of child

  (9) The order may prohibit the removal of a child from a specified geographic area without the written consent of any specified person or without a court order authorizing the removal.

Marginal note:Parenting time — schedule

• 16.2 (1) Parenting time may be allocated by way of a schedule.

• Marginal note:Day-to-day decisions

  (2) Unless the court orders otherwise, a person to whom parenting time is allocated under paragraph 16.1(4)(a) has exclusive authority to make, during that time, day-to-day decisions affecting the child.

Marginal note:Allocation of decision-making responsibility

16.3 Decision-making responsibility in respect of a child, or any aspect of that responsibility, may be allocated to either spouse, to both spouses, to a person described in paragraph 16.1(1)(b), or to any combination of those persons.

Marginal note:Entitlement to information

16.4 Unless the court orders otherwise, any person to whom parenting time or decision-making responsibility has been allocated is entitled to request from another person to whom parenting time or decision-making responsibility has been allocated information about the child’s well-being, including in respect of their health and education, or from any other person who is likely to have such information, and to be given such information by those persons subject to any applicable laws.

Contact Orders

Marginal note:Contact order

• 16.5 (1) A court of competent jurisdiction may, on application by a person other than a spouse, make an order providing for contact between that person and a child of the marriage.

• Marginal note:Interim order

  (2) The court may, on application by a person referred to in subsection (1), make an interim order providing for contact between that person and the child, pending the determination of the application made under that subsection.

• Marginal note:Leave of the court

  (3) A person may make an application under subsection (1) or (2) only with leave of the court, unless they obtained leave of the court to make an application under section 16.1.

• Marginal note:Factors in determining whether to make order

  (4) In determining whether to make a contact order under this section, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including whether contact between the applicant and the child could otherwise occur, for example during the parenting time of another person.

• Marginal note:Contents of contact order

  (5) The court may, in the contact order,

  • (a) provide for contact between the applicant and the child in the form of visits or by any means of communication; and

  • (b) provide for any other matter that the court considers appropriate.

• Marginal note:Terms and conditions

  (6) The court may make a contact order for a definite or indefinite period or until a specified event occurs, and may impose any terms, conditions and restrictions that it considers appropriate.

• Marginal note:Supervision

  (7) The order may require that the contact or transfer of the child from one person to another be supervised.

• Marginal note:Prohibition on removal of child

  (8) The order may provide that a child shall not be removed from a specified geographic area without the written consent of any specified person or without a court order authorizing the removal.

• Marginal note:Variation of parenting order

  (9) If a parenting order in respect of the child has already been made, the court may make an order varying the parenting order to take into account a contact order it makes under this section, and subsections 17(3) and (11) apply as a consequence with any necessary modifications.

Parenting Plan

Marginal note:Parenting plan

• 16.6 (1) The court shall include in a parenting order or a contact order, as the case may be, any parenting plan submitted by the parties unless, in the opinion of the court, it is not in the best interests of the child to do so, in which case the court may make any modifications to the plan that it considers appropriate and include it in the order.

• Marginal note:Definition of parenting plan

  (2) In subsection (1), parenting plan means a document or part of a document that contains the elements relating to parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact to which the parties agree.

Change in Place of Residence

Marginal note:Non-application

16.7 Section 16.8 does not apply to a change in the place of residence that is a relocation.

Marginal note:Notice

• 16.8 (1) A person who has parenting time or decision-making responsibility in respect of a child of the marriage and who intends to change their place of residence or that of the child shall notify any other person who has parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact under a contact order in respect of that child of their intention.

• Marginal note:Form and content of notice

  (2) The notice shall be given in writing and shall set out

  • (a) the date on which the change is expected to occur; and

  • (b) the address of the new place of residence and contact information of the person or child, as the case may be.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), the court may, on application, provide that the requirements in those subsections do not apply or may modify them, including where there is a risk of family violence.

• Marginal note:Application without notice

  (4) An application referred to in subsection (3) may be made without notice to any other party.

Relocation

Marginal note:Notice

• 16.9 (1) A person who has parenting time or decision-making responsibility in respect of a child of the marriage and who intends to undertake a relocation shall notify, at least 60 days before the expected date of the proposed relocation and in the form prescribed by the regulations, any other person who has parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact under a contact order in respect of that child of their intention.

• Marginal note:Content of notice

  (2) The notice must set out

  • (a) the expected date of the relocation;

  • (b) the address of the new place of residence and contact information of the person or child, as the case may be;

  • (c) a proposal as to how parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact, as the case may be, could be exercised; and

  • (d) any other information prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), the court may, on application, provide that the requirements in those subsections, or in the regulations made for the purposes of those subsections, do not apply or may modify them, including where there is a risk of family violence.

• Marginal note:Application without notice

  (4) An application referred to in subsection (3) may be made without notice to any other party.

Marginal note:Relocation authorized

• 16.91 (1) A person who has given notice under section 16.9 and who intends to relocate a child may do so as of the date referred to in the notice if

  • (a) the relocation is authorized by a court; or

  • (b) the following conditions are satisfied:

    • (i) the person with parenting time or decision-making responsibility in respect of the child who has received a notice under subsection 16.9(1) does not object to the relocation within 30 days after the day on which the notice is received, by setting out their objection in

      • (A) a form prescribed by the regulations, or

      • (B) an application made under subsection 16.1(1) or paragraph 17(1)(b), and

    • (ii) there is no order prohibiting the relocation.

• Marginal note:Content of form

  (2) The form must set out

  • (a) a statement that the person objects to the proposed relocation;

  • (b) the reasons for the objection;

  • (c) the person’s views on the proposal for the exercise of parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact, as the case may be, that is set out in the notice referred to in subsection 16.9(1); and

  • (d) any other information prescribed by the regulations.

Marginal note:Best interests of child — additional factors to be considered

• 16.92 (1) In deciding whether to authorize a relocation of a child of the marriage, the court shall, in order to determine what is in the best interests of the child, take into consideration, in addition to the factors referred to in section 16,

  • (a) the reasons for the relocation;

  • (b) the impact of the relocation on the child;

  • (c) the amount of time spent with the child by each person who has parenting time or a pending application for a parenting order and the level of involvement in the child’s life of each of those persons;

  • (d) whether the person who intends to relocate the child complied with any applicable notice requirement under section 16.9, provincial family law legislation, an order, arbitral award, or agreement;

  • (e) the existence of an order, arbitral award, or agreement that specifies the geographic area in which the child is to reside;

  • (f) the reasonableness of the proposal of the person who intends to relocate the child to vary the exercise of parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact, taking into consideration, among other things, the location of the new place of residence and the travel expenses; and

  • (g) whether each person who has parenting time or decision-making responsibility or a pending application for a parenting order has complied with their obligations under family law legislation, an order, arbitral award, or agreement, and the likelihood of future compliance.

• Marginal note:Factor not to be considered

  (2) In deciding whether to authorize a relocation of the child, the court shall not consider, if the child’s relocation was prohibited, whether the person who intends to relocate the child would relocate without the child or not relocate.

Marginal note:Burden of proof — person who intends to relocate child

• 16.93 (1) If the parties to the proceeding substantially comply with an order, arbitral award, or agreement that provides that a child of the marriage spend substantially equal time in the care of each party, the party who intends to relocate the child has the burden of proving that the relocation would be in the best interests of the child.

• Marginal note:Burden of proof — person who objects to relocation

  (2) If the parties to the proceeding substantially comply with an order, arbitral award or agreement that provides that a child of the marriage spends the vast majority of their time in the care of the party who intends to relocate the child, the party opposing the relocation has the burden of proving that the relocation would not be in the best interests of the child.

• Marginal note:Burden of proof — other cases

  (3) In any other case, the parties to the proceeding have the burden of proving whether the relocation is in the best interests of the child.

Marginal note:Power of court — interim order

16.94 A court may decide not to apply subsections 16.93(1) and (2) if the order referred to in those subsections is an interim order.

Marginal note:Costs relating to exercise of parenting time

16.95 If a court authorizes the relocation of a child of the marriage, it may provide for the apportionment of costs relating to the exercise of parenting time by a person who is not relocating between that person and the person who is relocating the child.

Marginal note:Notice — persons with contact

• 16.96 (1) A person who has contact with a child of the marriage under a contact order shall notify, in writing, any person with parenting time or decision-making responsibility in respect of that child of their intention to change their place of residence, the date on which the change is expected to occur, the address of their new place of residence and their contact information.

• Marginal note:Notice — significant impact

  (2) If the change is likely to have a significant impact on the child’s relationship with the person, the notice shall be given at least 60 days before the change in place of residence, in the form prescribed by the regulations, and shall set out, in addition to the information required in subsection (1), a proposal as to how contact could be exercised in light of the change and any other information prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), the court may, on application, order that the requirements in those subsections, or in the regulations made for the purposes of those subsections, do not apply or modify them, if the court is of the opinion that it is appropriate to do so, including where there is a risk of family violence.

• Marginal note:Application without notice

  (4) An application referred to in subsection (3) may be made without notice to any other party.

Variation, Rescission or Suspension of Orders

Marginal note:Variation order

• 17 (1) A court of competent jurisdiction may make an order varying, rescinding or suspending, retroactively or prospectively,

  • (a) a support order or any provision of one, on application by either or both former spouses;

  • (b) a parenting order or any provision of one, on application by

    • (i) either or both former spouses, or

    • (ii) a person, other than a former spouse, who is a parent of the child, stands in the place of a parent or intends to stand in the place of a parent; or

  • (c) a contact order or any provision of one, on application by a person to whom the order relates.

• Marginal note:Leave of the court

  (2) A person to whom the parenting order in question does not relate may make an application under subparagraph (1)(b)(ii) only with leave of the court.

• Marginal note:Variation of parenting order

  (2.1) If the court makes a variation order in respect of a contact order, it may make an order varying the parenting order to take into account that variation order, and subsections (3) and (11) apply as a consequence with any necessary modifications.

• Marginal note:Variation of contact order

  (2.2) If the court makes a variation order in respect of a parenting order, it may make an order varying any contact order to take into account that variation order, and subsections (3) and (11) apply as a consequence with any necessary modifications.

• Marginal note:Conditions of order

  (3) The court may include in a variation order any provision that under this Act could have been included in the order in respect of which the variation order is sought, and the court has the same powers and obligations that it would have when making that order.

• Marginal note:Factors for child support order

  (4) Before the court makes a variation order in respect of a child support order, the court shall satisfy itself that a change of circumstances as provided for in the applicable guidelines has occurred since the making of the child support order or the last variation order made in respect of that order.

• Marginal note:Factors for spousal support order

  (4.1) Before the court makes a variation order in respect of a spousal support order, the court shall satisfy itself that a change in the condition, means, needs or other circumstances of either former spouse has occurred since the making of the spousal support order or the last variation order made in respect of that order, and, in making the variation order, the court shall take that change into consideration.

• Marginal note:Factors for parenting order or contact order

  (5) Before the court makes a variation order in respect of a parenting order or contact order, the court shall satisfy itself that there has been a change in the circumstances of the child since the making of the order or the last variation order made in respect of the order, or of an order made under subsection 16.5(9).

• Marginal note:Variation order

  (5.1) For the purposes of subsection (5), a former spouse’s terminal illness or critical condition shall be considered a change in the circumstances of the child, and the court shall make a variation order in respect of a parenting order with regard to the allocation of parenting time.

• Marginal note:Relocation — change in circumstances

  (5.2) The relocation of a child is deemed to constitute a change in the circumstances of the child for the purposes of subsection (5).

• Marginal note:Relocation prohibited — no change in circumstances

  (5.3) A relocation of a child that has been prohibited by a court under paragraph (1)(b) or section 16.1 does not, in itself, constitute a change in the circumstances of the child for the purposes of subsection (5).

• Marginal note:Conduct

  (6) In making a variation order, the court shall not take into consideration any conduct that under this Act could not have been considered in making the order in respect of which the variation order is sought.

• Marginal note:Guidelines apply

  (6.1) A court making a variation order in respect of a child support order shall do so in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

• Marginal note:Court may take agreement, etc., into account

  (6.2) Notwithstanding subsection (6.1), in making a variation order in respect of a child support order, a court may award an amount that is different from the amount that would be determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines if the court is satisfied

  • (a) that special provisions in an order, a judgment or a written agreement respecting the financial obligations of the spouses, or the division or transfer of their property, directly or indirectly benefit a child, or that special provisions have otherwise been made for the benefit of a child; and

  • (b) that the application of the applicable guidelines would result in an amount of child support that is inequitable given those special provisions.

• Marginal note:Reasons

  (6.3) Where the court awards, pursuant to subsection (6.2), an amount that is different from the amount that would be determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines, the court shall record its reasons for having done so.

• Marginal note:Consent orders

  (6.4) Notwithstanding subsection (6.1), a court may award an amount that is different from the amount that would be determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines on the consent of both spouses if it is satisfied that reasonable arrangements have been made for the support of the child to whom the order relates.

• Marginal note:Reasonable arrangements

  (6.5) For the purposes of subsection (6.4), in determining whether reasonable arrangements have been made for the support of a child, the court shall have regard to the applicable guidelines. However, the court shall not consider the arrangements to be unreasonable solely because the amount of support agreed to is not the same as the amount that would otherwise have been determined in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

• Marginal note:Priority to child support

  (6.6) Section 15.3 applies, with any necessary modifications, when a court is considering an application under paragraph (1)(a) in respect of a child support order and an application under that paragraph in respect of a spousal support order.

• Marginal note:Objectives of variation order varying spousal support order

  (7) A variation order varying a spousal support order should

  • (a) recognize any economic advantages or disadvantages to the former spouses arising from the marriage or its breakdown;

  • (b) apportion between the former spouses any financial consequences arising from the care of any child of the marriage over and above any obligation for the support of any child of the marriage;

  • (c) relieve any economic hardship of the former spouses arising from the breakdown of the marriage; and

  • (d) in so far as practicable, promote the economic self-sufficiency of each former spouse within a reasonable period of time.

• (8) [Repealed, 1997, c. 1, s. 5]

• (9) [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 13]

• Marginal note:Limitation

  (10) Notwithstanding subsection (1), where a spousal support order provides for support for a definite period or until a specified event occurs, a court may not, on an application instituted after the expiration of that period or the occurrence of the event, make a variation order for the purpose of resuming that support unless the court is satisfied that

  • (a) a variation order is necessary to relieve economic hardship arising from a change described in subsection (4.1) that is related to the marriage; and

  • (b) the changed circumstances, had they existed at the time of the making of the spousal support order or the last variation order made in respect of that order, as the case may be, would likely have resulted in a different order.

• Marginal note:Copy of order

  (11) Where a court makes a variation order in respect of a support order, parenting order or contact order made by another court, it shall send a copy of the variation order, certified by a judge or officer of the court, to that other court.

17.1 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 14]

Proceedings Between Provinces and Between a Province and a Designated Jurisdiction To Obtain, Vary, Rescind or Suspend Support Orders or To Recognize Decisions of Designated Jurisdictions

Definitions

Marginal note:Definitions

18 The following definitions apply in this section and in sections 18.1 to 19.1.

competent authority

competent authority means a court that has the authority to make an order or another entity that has the authority to make a decision with respect to support under this Act. (autorité compétente)

designated authority

designated authority means a person or entity that is designated by a province to exercise the powers or perform the duties and functions set out in sections 18.1 to 19.1 within the province. (autorité désignée)

designated jurisdiction

designated jurisdiction means a jurisdiction outside Canada — whether a country or a political subdivision of a country — that is designated under an Act that relates to the reciprocal enforcement of orders relating to support, of the province in which either of the former spouses resides. (État désigné)

responsible authority

responsible authority means a person or entity that, in a designated jurisdiction, performs functions that are similar to those performed by the designated authority under subsection 19(4). (autorité responsable)

Inter-Jurisdictional Proceedings Between Provinces

Receipt and Sending of Applications

Marginal note:If former spouses reside in different provinces

• 18.1 (1) If the former spouses are resident in different provinces, either of them may, without notice to the other,

  • (a) commence a proceeding to obtain, vary, rescind or suspend, retroactively or prospectively, a support order; or

  • (b) request to have the amount of child support calculated or recalculated, if the provincial child support service in the province in which the other former spouse habitually resides provides such a service.

• Marginal note:Procedure

  (2) A proceeding referred to in paragraph (1)(a) shall be governed by this section, sections 18.2 and 18.3 and provincial law, with any necessary modifications, to the extent that the provincial law is not inconsistent with this Act.

• Marginal note:Application

  (3) For the purpose of subsection (1), a former spouse shall submit an application to the designated authority of the province in which they are resident.

• Marginal note:Sending application to respondent’s province

  (4) After reviewing the application and ensuring that it is complete, the designated authority referred to in subsection (3) shall send it to the designated authority of the province in which the applicant believes the respondent is habitually resident.

• Marginal note:Sending application to competent authority in respondent’s province

  (5) Subject to subsection (9), the designated authority that receives the application under subsection (4) shall send it to the competent authority in its province.

• Marginal note:Provincial child support service

  (6) If the competent authority is a provincial child support service, the amount of child support shall be calculated or recalculated in accordance with section 25.01 or 25.1, as the case may be.

• Marginal note:Service on respondent by court

  (7) If the competent authority is a court, it or any other person who is authorized to serve documents under the law of the province shall, on receipt of the application, serve the respondent with a copy of the application and a notice setting out the manner in which the respondent shall respond to the application and the respondent’s obligation to provide documents or information as required by the applicable law.

• Marginal note:Service not possible — returned application

  (8) If the court or authorized person was unable to serve the documents under subsection (7), they shall return the application to the designated authority referred to in subsection (5).

• Marginal note:Respondent resident in another province

  (9) If the designated authority knows that the respondent is habitually resident in another province, it shall send the application to the designated authority of that province.

• Marginal note:Respondent’s habitual residence unknown

  (10) If the habitual residence of the respondent is unknown, the designated authority shall return the application to the designated authority referred to in subsection (3).

• Marginal note:Applicant need not be served

  (11) Service of the notice and documents or information referred to in subsection (7) on the applicant is not required.

• Marginal note:Adjournment of proceeding

  (12) If the court requires further evidence, it shall adjourn the proceeding. Prior to adjourning, the court may make an interim order.

• Marginal note:Request for further evidence

  (13) If the court requires further evidence from the applicant, it shall request the designated authority of the province in which the court is located to communicate with the applicant or the designated authority in the province of the applicant in order to obtain the evidence.

• Marginal note:Dismissal of application

  (14) If the further evidence required under subsection (13) is not received by the court within 12 months after the day on which the court makes a request to the designated authority, the court may dismiss the application referred to in subsection (3) and terminate the interim order. The dismissal of the application does not preclude the applicant from making a new application.

• Marginal note:Order

  (15) The court may, on the basis of the evidence and the submissions of the former spouses, whether presented orally before the court or by affidavit or any means of telecommunication permitted by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, make a support order or an order varying, rescinding or suspending a support order, retroactively or prospectively.

• Marginal note:Application of certain provisions

  (16) Subsections 15.1(3) to (8) and 15.2(3) to (6), section 15.3 and subsections 17(3) to (4.1), (6) to (7), (10) and (11) apply, with any necessary modifications, in respect of an order referred to in subsection (15).

• Marginal note:Broad interpretation of documents

  (17) For greater certainty, if a court receives a document under this section that is in a form that is different from that required by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, or that contains terminology that is different from that used in this Act or the regulations, the court shall give a broad interpretation to the document for the purpose of giving effect to it.

Conversion of Applications

Marginal note:Application to court

• 18.2 (1) If an application is made to a court in a province under paragraph 17(1)(a) for a variation order in respect of a support order and the respondent habitually resides in a different province, the respondent may, within 40 days after being served with the application, request that the court convert the application into an application under subsection 18.1(3).

• Marginal note:Conversion and sending of application

  (2) Subject to subsection (3) and despite section 5, the court that receives the request shall direct that the application made under paragraph 17(1)(a), along with the evidence in support of it, be considered as an application under subsection 18.1(3), and shall send a copy of the application and of the evidence to the designated authority of the province in which the application was made.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) If the application under paragraph 17(1)(a) is accompanied by an application under paragraph 17(1)(b) for a variation order in respect of a parenting order, the court that receives the request shall issue the direction referred to in subsection (2) only if it considers it appropriate to do so in the circumstances.

• Marginal note:Application of certain provisions

  (4) Once the designated authority receives the copy of the application under subsection (2), subsections 18.1(2), (4), (5), (7) and (12) to (17) apply, with any necessary modifications, in respect of that application.

Marginal note:No action by respondent

• 18.3 (1) If an application is made to a court in a province under paragraph 17(1)(a) for a variation order in respect of a support order, the respondent habitually resides in a different province and the respondent does not file an answer to the application or request a conversion under subsection 18.2(1), the court to which the application was made

  • (a) shall hear and determine the application in accordance with section 17 in the respondent’s absence, if it is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to do so; or

  • (b) if it is not so satisfied, may direct, despite section 5, that the application, along with the evidence in support of it, be considered as an application under subsection 18.1(3), in which case it shall send a copy of the application and of the evidence to the designated authority of the province in which the application was made.

• Marginal note:Assignment of support order

  (2) Before the court hears and determines an application under paragraph (1)(a), the court shall take into consideration

  • (a) whether the support order has been assigned under subsection 20.1(1); and

  • (b) if the support order has been assigned, whether the order assignee received notice of the application and did not request a conversion under subsection 18.2(1).

• Marginal note:Application of certain provisions

  (3) If paragraph (1)(b) applies, then subsections 18.1(2), (4), (5), (7) and (12) to (17) apply, with any necessary modifications, in respect of the application.

Proceedings Between a Province and a Designated Jurisdiction

Receipt and Sending of Designated Jurisdictions’ Applications

Marginal note:If applicant resides in designated jurisdiction

• 19 (1) A former spouse who is resident in a designated jurisdiction may, without notice to the other former spouse,

  • (a) commence a proceeding to obtain, vary, rescind or suspend, retroactively or prospectively, a support order; or

  • (b) request to have the amount of child support calculated or recalculated, if the provincial child support service in the province in which the other former spouse habitually resides provides such a service.

• Marginal note:Procedure

  (2) A proceeding referred to in paragraph (1)(a) shall be governed by this section and provincial law, with any necessary modifications, to the extent that the provincial law is not inconsistent with this Act.

• Marginal note:Application

  (3) For the purposes of subsection (1), a former spouse shall submit, through the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction, an application to the designated authority of the province in which the applicant believes the respondent is habitually resident.

• Marginal note:Sending application to competent authority in respondent’s province

  (4) After reviewing the application and ensuring that it is complete, the designated authority referred to in subsection (3) shall send it to the competent authority in its province.

• Marginal note:Provincial child support service

  (5) If the competent authority is a provincial child support service, the amount of child support shall be calculated or recalculated in accordance with section 25.01 or 25.1, as the case may be.

• Marginal note:Service on respondent by court

  (6) If the competent authority is a court, it or any other person who is authorized to serve documents under the law of the province shall, on receipt of the application, serve the respondent with a copy of the application and a notice setting out the manner in which the respondent shall respond to the application and the respondent’s obligation to provide documents or information as required by the applicable law.

• Marginal note:Service not possible — returned application

  (7) If the court or authorized person was unable to serve the documents under subsection (6), they shall return the application to the designated authority referred to in subsection (3).

• Marginal note:Return of application to responsible authority

  (8) The designated authority shall return the application to the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction.

• Marginal note:Applicant need not be served

  (9) Service of the notice and documents or information referred to in subsection (6) on the applicant is not required.

• Marginal note:Adjournment of proceeding

  (10) If the court requires further evidence, it shall adjourn the proceeding. Prior to adjourning, the court may make an interim order.

• Marginal note:Request for further evidence

  (11) If the court requires further evidence from the applicant, it shall request the designated authority of the province in which the court is located to communicate with the applicant or the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction in order to obtain the evidence.

• Marginal note:Dismissal of application

  (12) If the further evidence required under subsection (11) is not received by the court within 12 months after the day on which the court makes the request to the designated authority, the court may dismiss the application referred to in subsection (3) and terminate the interim order. The dismissal of the application does not preclude the applicant from making a new application.

• Marginal note:Order

  (13) The court may, on the basis of the evidence and the submissions of the former spouses, whether presented orally before the court or by affidavit or any means of telecommunication permitted by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, make a support order or an order varying, rescinding or suspending a support order, retroactively or prospectively.

• Marginal note:Provisional order

  (14) For greater certainty, if an application under paragraph (1)(a) contains a provisional order that was made in the designated jurisdiction and does not have legal effect in Canada, the court may take the provisional order into consideration but is not bound by it.

• Marginal note:Application of certain provisions

  (15) Subsections 15.1(3) to (8) and 15.2(3) to (6), section 15.3 and subsections 17(3) to (4.1), (6) to (7), (10) and (11) apply, with any necessary modifications, in respect of an order referred to in subsection (13).

• Marginal note:Broad interpretation of documents

  (16) For greater certainty, if a court receives a document under this section that is in a form that is different from that required by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, or that contains terminology that is different from that used in this Act or the regulations, the court shall give a broad interpretation to the document for the purpose of giving effect to it.

Recognition of Decisions of Designated Jurisdiction

Marginal note:Recognition of decision of designated jurisdiction varying support order

• 19.1 (1) A former spouse who is resident in a designated jurisdiction may, through the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction, make an application to the designated authority of the province in which the respondent habitually resides for recognition and, if applicable, for enforcement, of a decision of the designated jurisdiction that has the effect of varying a support order.

• Marginal note:Registration and recognition

  (2) The decision of the designated jurisdiction shall be registered in accordance with the law of the province and that law, including the laws respecting reciprocal enforcement between the province and a jurisdiction outside Canada, applies in respect of the recognition of the decision.

• Marginal note:Enforcement

  (3) A decision that is recognized in accordance with the law of the province is deemed to be an order made under section 17, has legal effect throughout Canada and may be enforced in any manner provided for by the law of that province, including its laws respecting reciprocal enforcement between the province and a jurisdiction outside Canada.

Legal Effect, Enforcement, Compliance and Assignment

Definition of court

• 20 (1) In this section, court, in respect of a province, has the meaning assigned by subsection 2(1) and includes such other court having jurisdiction in the province as is designated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of the province as a court for the purposes of this section.

• Marginal note:Legal effect of orders and decisions throughout Canada

  (2) An order made under this Act in respect of support, parenting time, decision-making responsibility or contact and a provincial child support service decision that calculates or recalculates the amount of child support under section 25.01 or 25.1 have legal effect throughout Canada.

• Marginal note:Enforcement

  (3) An order or decision that has legal effect throughout Canada under subsection (2) may be

  • (a) registered in any court in a province and enforced in like manner as an order of that court; or

  • (b) enforced in a province in any other manner provided for by the laws of that province, including its laws respecting reciprocal enforcement between the province and a jurisdiction outside Canada.

• Marginal note:Variation of orders

  (4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a court may only vary an order that has legal effect throughout Canada pursuant to subsection (2) in accordance with this Act.

Marginal note:Assignment of order

• 20.1 (1) A support order may be assigned to

  • (a) any minister of the Crown for Canada designated by the Governor in Council;

  • (b) any minister of the Crown for a province, or any agency in a province, designated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of the province;

  • (c) any member of the Legislative Assembly of Yukon, or any agency in Yukon, designated by the Commissioner of Yukon;

  • (d) any member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, or any agency in the Northwest Territories, designated by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories; or

  • (e) any member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, or any agency in Nunavut, designated by the Commissioner of Nunavut.

• Marginal note:Rights

  (2) A minister, member or agency referred to in subsection (1) to whom an order is assigned is entitled to the payments due under the order, and has the same right to be notified of, and to participate in, proceedings under this Act to vary, rescind, suspend or enforce the order as the person who would otherwise be entitled to the payments.

Appeals

Marginal note:Appeal to appellate court

• 21 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), an appeal lies to the appellate court from any judgment or order, whether final or interim, rendered or made by a court under this Act.

• Marginal note:Restriction on divorce appeals

  (2) No appeal lies from a judgment granting a divorce on or after the day on which the divorce takes effect.

• Marginal note:Restriction on order appeals

  (3) No appeal lies from an order made under this Act more than thirty days after the day on which the order was made.

• Marginal note:Extension

  (4) An appellate court or a judge thereof may, on special grounds, either before or after the expiration of the time fixed by subsection (3) for instituting an appeal, by order extend that time.

• Marginal note:Powers of appellate court

  (5) The appellate court may

  • (a) dismiss the appeal; or

  • (b) allow the appeal and

    • (i) render the judgment or make the order that ought to have been rendered or made, including such order or such further or other order as it deems just, or

    • (ii) order a new hearing where it deems it necessary to do so to correct a substantial wrong or miscarriage of justice.

• Marginal note:Procedure on appeals

  (6) Except as otherwise provided by this Act or the rules or regulations, an appeal under this section shall be asserted, heard and decided according to the ordinary procedure governing appeals to the appellate court from the court rendering the judgment or making the order being appealed.

General

• 21.1 (1) [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 17]

• Marginal note:Affidavit re removal of barriers to religious remarriage

  (2) In any proceedings under this Act, a spouse (in this section referred to as the “deponent”) may serve on the other spouse and file with the court an affidavit indicating

  • (a) that the other spouse is the spouse of the deponent;

  • (b) the date and place of the marriage, and the official character of the person who solemnized the marriage;

  • (c) the nature of any barriers to the remarriage of the deponent within the deponent’s religion the removal of which is within the other spouse’s control;

  • (d) where there are any barriers to the remarriage of the other spouse within the other spouse’s religion the removal of which is within the deponent’s control, that the deponent

    • (i) has removed those barriers, and the date and circumstances of that removal, or

    • (ii) has signified a willingness to remove those barriers, and the date and circumstances of that signification;

  • (e) that the deponent has, in writing, requested the other spouse to remove all of the barriers to the remarriage of the deponent within the deponent’s religion the removal of which is within the other spouse’s control;

  • (f) the date of the request described in paragraph (e); and

  • (g) that the other spouse, despite the request described in paragraph (e), has failed to remove all of the barriers referred to in that paragraph.

• Marginal note:Powers of court where barriers not removed

  (3) Where a spouse who has been served with an affidavit under subsection (2) does not

  • (a) within fifteen days after that affidavit is filed with the court or within such longer period as the court allows, serve on the deponent and file with the court an affidavit indicating that all of the barriers referred to in paragraph (2)(e) have been removed, and

  • (b) satisfy the court, in any additional manner that the court may require, that all of the barriers referred to in paragraph (2)(e) have been removed,

  the court may, subject to any terms that the court considers appropriate,

  • (c) dismiss any application filed by that spouse under this Act, and

  • (d) strike out any other pleadings and affidavits filed by that spouse under this Act.

• Marginal note:Special case

  (4) Without limiting the generality of the court’s discretion under subsection (3), the court may refuse to exercise its powers under paragraphs (3)(c) and (d) where a spouse who has been served with an affidavit under subsection (2)

  • (a) within fifteen days after that affidavit is filed with the court or within such longer period as the court allows, serves on the deponent and files with the court an affidavit indicating genuine grounds of a religious or conscientious nature for refusing to remove the barriers referred to in paragraph (2)(e); and

  • (b) satisfies the court, in any additional manner that the court may require, that the spouse has genuine grounds of a religious or conscientious nature for refusing to remove the barriers referred to in paragraph (2)(e).

• Marginal note:Affidavits

  (5) For the purposes of this section, an affidavit filed with the court by a spouse must, in order to be valid, indicate the date on which it was served on the other spouse.

• Marginal note:Where section does not apply

  (6) This section does not apply where the power to remove the barrier to religious remarriage lies with a religious body or official.

Marginal note:Recognition of foreign divorce

• 22 (1) A divorce granted, on or after the coming into force of this Act, by a competent authority shall be recognized for the purpose of determining the marital status in Canada of any person, if either former spouse was habitually resident in the country or subdivision of the competent authority for at least one year immediately preceding the commencement of proceedings for the divorce.

• Marginal note:Recognition of foreign divorce

  (2) A divorce granted after July 1, 1968 by a competent authority, on the basis of the domicile of the wife in the country or subdivision of the competent authority, determined as if she were unmarried and, if she was a minor, as if she had attained the age of majority, shall be recognized for the purpose of determining the marital status in Canada of any person.

• Marginal note:Other recognition rules preserved

  (3) Nothing in this section abrogates or derogates from any other rule of law respecting the recognition of divorces granted otherwise than under this Act.

Marginal note:Recognition of foreign order that varies parenting or contact order

• 22.1 (1) On application by an interested person, a court in a province that has a sufficient connection with the matter shall recognize a decision made by a competent authority that has the effect of varying, rescinding or suspending a parenting order or contact order, unless

  • (a) the child concerned is not habitually resident in the country other than Canada in which the competent authority is located or that competent authority of that other country would not have had jurisdiction if it applied substantially equivalent rules related to the jurisdiction as those that are set out in section 6.3;

  • (b) the decision was made, except in an urgent case, without the child having been provided with the opportunity to be heard, in violation of fundamental principles of procedure of the province;

  • (c) a person claims that the decision negatively affects the exercise of their parenting time or decision-making responsibility or contact under a contact order, and the decision was made, except in an urgent case, without the person having been given an opportunity to be heard;

  • (d) recognition of the decision would be manifestly contrary to public policy, taking into consideration the best interests of the child; or

  • (e) the decision is incompatible with a later decision that fulfils the requirements for recognition under this section.

• Marginal note:Effect of recognition

  (2) The court’s decision recognizing the competent authority’s decision is deemed to be an order made under section 17 and has legal effect throughout Canada.

• Marginal note:Effect of non-recognition

  (3) The court’s decision refusing to recognize the competent authority’s decision has legal effect throughout Canada.

Marginal note:Provincial laws of evidence

• 23 (1) Subject to this or any other Act of Parliament, the laws of evidence of the province in which any proceedings under this Act are taken, including the laws of proof of service of any document, apply to such proceedings.

• Marginal note:Canada Evidence Act

  (2) The Canada Evidence Act applies in respect of a proceeding before the Federal Court to determine, under subsection 3(3), 4(3), 5(3) or 6.2(3), which court retains jurisdiction.

Marginal note:Means of presenting submissions

23.1 If the parties to a proceeding are habitually resident in different provinces, a court of competent jurisdiction may, in accordance with any applicable rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, make an order on the basis of the evidence and the submissions of the parties, whether presented orally before the court or by affidavit or any means of telecommunication permitted by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court.

Marginal note:Official languages

• 23.2 (1) A proceeding under this Act may be conducted in English or French, or in both official languages of Canada.

• Marginal note:Language rights

  (2) In any proceeding under this Act,

  • (a) any person has the right to use either official language, including to

    • (i) file pleadings or other documents,

    • (ii) give evidence, or

    • (iii) make submissions;

  • (b) the court shall, at the request of any person, provide simultaneous interpretation from one official language into the other;

  • (c) any party to that proceeding has the right to a judge who speaks the same official language as that party or both official languages, as the case may be;

  • (d) any party to that proceeding has the right to request a transcript or recording, as the case may be, of

    • (i) what was said during that proceeding in the official language in which it was said, if what was said was taken down by a stenographer or a sound recording apparatus, and

    • (ii) any interpretation into the other official language of what was said; and

  • (e) the court shall, at the request of any party to that proceeding, make available in that party’s official language of choice any judgment or order that is rendered or made under this Act and that relates to that party.

• Marginal note:Original version prevails

  (3) In the case of a discrepancy between the original version of a document referred to in paragraph (2)(a) or (e) and the translated text, the original version shall prevail.

• Marginal note:Court forms

  (4) The court forms relating to any proceedings under this Act shall be made available in both official languages.

Marginal note:Proof of signature or office

24 A document offered in a proceeding under this Act that purports to be certified or sworn by a judge or an officer of a court shall, unless the contrary is proved, be proof of the appointment, signature or authority of the judge or officer and, in the case of a document purporting to be sworn, of the appointment, signature or authority of the person before whom the document purports to be sworn.

Definition of competent authority

• 25 (1) In this section, competent authority, in respect of a court, or appellate court, in a province means the body, person or group of persons ordinarily competent under the laws of that province to make rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court.

• Marginal note:Rules

  (2) Subject to subsection (3), the competent authority may make rules applicable to any proceedings under this Act in a court, or appellate court, in a province, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, rules

  • (a) regulating the practice and procedure in the court, including the addition of persons as parties to the proceedings;

  • (b) respecting the conduct and disposition of any proceedings under this Act without an oral hearing;

  • (b.1) respecting the application of section 23.1;

  • (c) regulating the sittings of the court;

  • (d) respecting the fixing and awarding of costs;

  • (e) prescribing and regulating the duties of officers of the court;

  • (f) respecting the transfer of proceedings under this Act to or from the court; and

  • (g) prescribing and regulating any other matter considered expedient to attain the ends of justice and carry into effect the purposes and provisions of this Act.

• Marginal note:Exercise of power

  (3) The power to make rules for a court or appellate court conferred by subsection (2) on a competent authority shall be exercised in the like manner and subject to the like terms and conditions, if any, as the power to make rules for that court conferred on that authority by the laws of the province.

• Marginal note:Not statutory instruments

  (4) Rules made pursuant to this section by a competent authority that is not a judicial or quasi-judicial body shall be deemed not to be statutory instruments within the meaning and for the purposes of the Statutory Instruments Act.

Marginal note:Provincial child support service — calculation of child support

• 25.01 (1) With the approval of the Governor in Council, the Minister of Justice may, on behalf of the Government of Canada, enter into an agreement with a province authorizing a provincial child support service designated in the agreement to calculate the amount of child support in accordance with the applicable guidelines and set it out in a decision.

• Marginal note:Application of law of province

  (2) To the extent that it is not inconsistent with this section, the law of the province applies to a provincial child support service in the performance of its functions under this section.

• Marginal note:Effect of calculation by provincial child support service

  (3) The amount of child support calculated under this section is the amount payable by the spouse who is subject to a provincial child support service decision.

• Marginal note:Liability

  (4) A spouse who is subject to a provincial child support service decision becomes liable to pay the amount of child support calculated under this section on the day, or on the expiry of a period, specified by the law of the province or, if no day or period is specified, on the expiry of the period prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Disagreement with respect to amount

  (5) Either or both spouses who do not agree with the amount of the child support calculated under this section may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for an order under section 15.1 before the day or within the period specified by the law of the province or, if no day or period is specified, within the period prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Effect of application

  (6) The liability to pay the amount of child support under subsection (4) continues while the determination of the application under subsection (5) is pending.

• Marginal note:Recalculation of amount or application for order

  (7) After a spouse subject to a provincial child support service decision becomes liable to pay an amount of child support under subsection (4), either or both spouses may have the amount of child support recalculated under section 25.1 or apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for an order under section 15.1.

Marginal note:Provincial child support service — recalculation of child support

• 25.1 (1) With the approval of the Governor in Council, the Minister of Justice may, on behalf of the Government of Canada, enter into an agreement with a province authorizing a provincial child support service designated in the agreement to recalculate, in accordance with the applicable guidelines, the amount of child support orders on the basis of updated income information.

• Marginal note:Application of law of province

  (1.1) To the extent that it is not inconsistent with this section, the law of the province applies to a provincial child support service in the performance of its functions under this section.

• Marginal note:Deeming of income

  (1.2) For the purposes of subsection (1), if a spouse does not provide the income information, a provincial child support service may deem the income of that spouse to be the amount determined in accordance with the method of calculation set out in the law of the province or, if no such method is specified, in accordance with the method prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Effect of recalculation

  (2) Subject to subsection (5), the amount of a child support order as recalculated pursuant to this section shall for all purposes be deemed to be the amount payable under the child support order.

• Marginal note:Effect of deeming of income

  (2.1) Subject to subsection (5), the income determined under subsection (1.2) shall be deemed to be the spouse’s income for the purposes of the child support order.

• Marginal note:Liability

  (3) The spouse against whom a child support order was made becomes liable to pay the recalculated amount on the day, or on the expiry of the period specified by the law of the province or, if no day or period is specified, on the expiry of the period prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Disagreement with recalculation

  (4) If either or both spouses do not agree with the recalculated amount of the child support order, either or both of them may, before the day or within the period specified by the law of the province or, if no day or period is specified, within the period prescribed by the regulations, apply to a court of competent jurisdiction

  • (a) in the case of an interim order made under subsection 15.1(2), for an order under section 15.1;

  • (b) in the case of a provincial child support service decision made under section 25.01, for an order under section 15.1; or

  • (c) in any other case, if they are former spouses, for an order under paragraph 17(1)(a).

• Marginal note:Effect of application

  (5) Where an application is made under subsection (4), the operation of subsection (3) is suspended pending the determination of the application, and the child support order continues in effect.

• Marginal note:Withdrawal of application

  (6) If an application made under subsection (4) is withdrawn before it is determined, the spouse against whom the child support order was made becomes liable to pay the recalculated amount on the day on which the spouse would have become liable had the application not been made.

• Marginal note:Definition of child support order

  (7) In this section, child support order has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) and also means an interim order made under subsection 15.1(2), a provincial child support service decision made under section 25.01 and a variation order made under paragraph 17(1)(a).

Marginal note:Ministerial activities

25.2 The Minister of Justice may conduct activities related to matters governed by this Act, including undertaking research.

Marginal note:Regulations

• 26 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations for carrying the purposes and provisions of this Act into effect and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may make regulations

  • (a) respecting the establishment, mandate and operation of a central registry of divorce proceedings;

  • (b) providing for uniformity in the rules made under section 25;

  • (c) respecting the framework for the calculation or recalculation of the amount of child support by the provincial child support service under section 25.01 or 25.1; and

  • (d) prescribing any matter or thing that by this Act is to be or may be prescribed.

• Marginal note:Regulations prevail

  (2) Regulations made under paragraph (1)(b) prevail over rules made under section 25.

Marginal note:Guidelines

• 26.1 (1) The Governor in Council may establish guidelines respecting orders for child support, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, guidelines

  • (a) respecting the way in which the amount of an order for child support is to be determined;

  • (b) respecting the circumstances in which discretion may be exercised in the making of an order for child support;

  • (c) authorizing a court to require that the amount payable under an order for child support be paid in periodic payments, in a lump sum or in a lump sum and periodic payments;

  • (d) authorizing a court to require that the amount payable under an order for child support be paid or secured, or paid and secured, in the manner specified in the order;

  • (e) respecting the circumstances that give rise to the making of a variation order in respect of a child support order;

  • (f) respecting the determination of income for the purposes of the application of the guidelines;

  • (g) authorizing a court to impute income for the purposes of the application of the guidelines; and

  • (h) respecting the production of information relevant to an order for child support and providing for sanctions and other consequences when that information is not provided.

• Marginal note:Principle

  (2) The guidelines shall be based on the principle that spouses have a joint financial obligation to maintain the children of the marriage in accordance with their relative abilities to contribute to the performance of that obligation.

• Definition of order for child support

  (3) In subsection (1), order for child support means

  • (a) an order or interim order made under section 15.1;

  • (b) a variation order in respect of a child support order; or

  • (c) an order made under subsection 18.1(15) or 19(13) in respect of a child support order.

Marginal note:Fees

• 27 (1) The Governor in Council may, by order, authorize the Minister of Justice to prescribe a fee to be paid by any person to whom a service is provided under this Act or the regulations.

• Marginal note:Agreements

  (2) The Minister of Justice may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, enter into an agreement with the government of any province respecting the collection and remittance of any fees prescribed pursuant to subsection (1).

28 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 29]

29 to 31 [Repealed, 1997, c. 1, s. 12]

Transitional Provisions

Marginal note:Proceedings based on facts arising before commencement of Act

32 Proceedings may be commenced under this Act notwithstanding that the material facts or circumstances giving rise to the proceedings or to jurisdiction over the proceedings occurred wholly or partly before the day on which this Act comes into force.

Divorce Act, R.S. 1970, c. D-8

33 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 32]

Marginal note:Variation and enforcement of orders previously made

• 34 (1) Subject to subsection (1.1), any order made under subsection 11(1) of the Divorce Act, chapter D-8 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, and any order to the like effect made corollary to a decree of divorce granted in Canada before July 2, 1968 or granted on or after that day under subsection 22(2) of that Act may be varied, rescinded, suspended or enforced in accordance with sections 17 to 20, other than subsection 17(10), of this Act as if

  • (a) the order were a support order, parenting order or contact order, as the case may be; and

  • (b) in subsections 17(4), (4.1) and (5), the words “or the last order made under subsection 11(2) of the Divorce Act, chapter D-8 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, varying that order” were added immediately before the words “or the last variation order made in respect of that order”.

• Marginal note:Combined orders

  (1.1) Where an application is made under subsection 17(1) to vary an order referred to in subsection (1) that provides a single amount of money for the combined support of one or more children and a former spouse, the court shall rescind the order and treat the application as an application for a child support order and an application for a spousal support order.

• Marginal note:Enforcement of interim orders

  (2) Any order made under section 10 of the Divorce Act, chapter D-8 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, may be enforced in accordance with section 20 of this Act as if it were an order made under subsection 15.1(1) or 15.2(1) or section 16.1 or 16.5 of this Act, as the case may be.

• Marginal note:Assignment of orders previously made

  (3) Any order for the maintenance of a spouse, former spouse or child of the marriage made under section 10 or 11 of the Divorce Act, chapter D-8 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, and any order to the like effect made corollary to a decree of divorce granted in Canada before July 2, 1968 or granted on or after that day under subsection 22(2) of that Act may be assigned to any minister, member or agency designated under section 20.1.

Marginal note:Procedural laws continued

35 The rules and regulations made under the Divorce Act, chapter D-8 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, and the provisions of any other law or of any rule, regulation or other instrument made thereunder respecting any matter in relation to which rules may be made under subsection 25(2) that were in force in Canada or any province immediately before the day on which this Act comes into force and that are not inconsistent with this Act continue in force as though made or enacted by or under this Act until they are repealed or altered by rules or regulations made under this Act or are, by virtue of the making of rules or regulations under this Act, rendered inconsistent with those rules or regulations.

Divorce Act, R.S. 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.)

Marginal note:Variation and enforcement of support orders previously made

• 35.1 (1) Subject to subsection (2), any support order made under this Act before the coming into force of this section may be varied, rescinded, suspended or enforced in accordance with sections 17 to 20 as if the support order were a child support order or a spousal support order, as the case may be.

• Marginal note:Combined orders

  (2) Where an application is made under subsection 17(1) to vary a support order made under this Act before the coming into force of this section that provides for the combined support of one or more children and a former spouse, the court shall rescind the order and treat the application as an application for a child support order and an application for a spousal support order.

• Marginal note:Assignment of orders previously made

  (3) Any support order made under this Act before the coming into force of this section may be assigned to any minister, member or agency designated pursuant to section 20.1.

Marginal note:Agreements entered into under subsection 25.1(1)

35.2 Any agreement entered into by the Minister of Justice under subsection 25.1(1), as that subsection read immediately before the day on which section 27 of An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act comes into force, and that continues to be in force on that day, is deemed to have been entered into under subsection 25.1(1), as that subsection read on that day.

Marginal note:Proceedings commenced before coming into force

35.3 A proceeding commenced under this Act before the day on which this section comes into force and not finally disposed of before that day shall be dealt with and disposed of in accordance with this Act as it reads as of that day.

Marginal note:Person deemed to have parenting time and decision-making responsibility

35.4 Unless a court orders otherwise,

• (a) a person who had custody of a child by virtue of a custody order made under this Act, immediately before the day on which this section comes into force, is deemed as of that day, to be a person to whom parenting time and decision-making responsibility have been allocated; and

• (b) a spouse or former spouse who had access to a child by virtue of a custody order made under this Act, immediately before the day on which this section comes into force, is deemed as of that date, to be a person to whom parenting time has been allocated.

Marginal note:Person deemed to have contact order

35.5 If, immediately before the day on which this section comes into force, a person who is not a spouse or former spouse had access to a child by virtue of a custody order made under this Act, then, as of that day, unless a court orders otherwise, that person is deemed to be a person who has contact with the child under a contact order.

Marginal note:No notice

35.6 A person who is deemed under section 35.4, to be a person to whom parenting time or decision-making responsibility has been allocated is not required to give notice under either section 16.8 or 16.9 if a custody order to which they are a party specifies that no notice is required in respect of a change in the place of residence by the person or a child to whom the order relates.

Marginal note:No change in circumstances

35.7 For the purposes of subsection 17(5), as enacted by subsection 13(2) of An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, the coming into force of that Act does not constitute a change in the circumstances of the child.

Marginal note:Variation of orders previously made

35.8 An order made before the day on which this section comes into force under subsection 16(1), as that subsection read immediately before that day, or an order made in proceedings disposed of by the court in the manner described in section 35.3, may, as of that day, if it is still in effect, be varied, rescinded or suspended in accordance with section 17, as amended by section 13 of An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act, as if the order were a parenting order or contact order.

Marginal note:Provisional orders

35.9 If, before the day on which this section comes into force, a provisional order was made under subsection 18(2) as it read immediately before that day, the provisional order is deemed, as of that day, to be an application made under in subsection 18.1(3) and shall be dealt with and disposed of as such.

Commencement

Marginal note:Commencement

Footnote ^*36 This Act shall come into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

• Return to footnote ^*[Note: Act in force June 1, 1986, see SI/86-70.]