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Divorce Act

Version of section 3 from 2003-07-02 to 2021-02-28:


Marginal note:Jurisdiction in divorce proceedings

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

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

    (2) Where 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 within thirty days after it was commenced, 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 shall be deemed to be discontinued.

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

    (3) Where 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 thirty days after it was commenced, the Federal Court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any divorce proceeding then pending between the spouses and the divorce proceedings in those courts shall be transferred to the Federal Court on the direction of that Court.

  • R.S., 1985, c. 3 (2nd Supp.), s. 3
  • 2002, c. 8, s. 183

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