The Divorce Act Changes Explained
Background
This document explains some of the changes made to the Divorce Act through Bill C-78, 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 bill received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019.
Some of the changes to the Divorce Act came into force upon Royal Assent. However, most changes come into force on July 1, 2020.
What the document includes:
- A general explanation of the main changes to the Divorce Act (What is the change)
- An overview of the reasons why some of the changes were made (Reason for the change)
- A summary of the coming into force of the changes (When)
What the document does not include:
- Legal advice. This document only provides general legal information about the changes to the Divorce Act. People may want to seek legal advice from a professional working in family law for additional information about the law and its application.
- Information about the 2007 Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance nor the 1996 Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children. These two conventions are not in force yet.
Please note that the official version of changes to the Divorce Act – referred to as “New section” in this document – can be found in Bill C-78 on the Parliament of Canada. The official version of the current Divorce Act – referred to as “Old section” in this document – can be found on the Justice Canada laws.
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