Substantial Changes To The Divorce Act

The Divorce Act of 1985 is getting its first substantial update since coming into force.  On May 22, 2018, the government introduced Bill C-78 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 Bill received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, and will come into force on July 1, 2020.

The key objectives of the changes to the Divorce Act are four-fold:

1. To promote the best interests of the child;
2. To address the issue of family violence;
3. To help reduce child poverty; and
4. To improve the efficiencies and accessibility of the family justice system.