Bill C78 Means More Big Changes Coming to Family Law in Canada
Big changes are coming to family law legislation in Canada. In April and May, we discussed the changes being introduced by Bill 28, the Family Statutes Amendment Act in Alberta.
Now, Bill C78, an Act to Amend the Divorce Act, the Family Order and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act and the Garnishment Attachment and Pension Diversion Act, has been passed which will make major changes to the federal Divorce Act.
The main aims of Bill C78 are:
- Promoting the best interests of the child;
- Addressing family violence;
- Helping to reduce poverty;
- Making Canada’s family justice system more accessible and efficient;
- Aligning Canada’s family laws to align with international family law conventions, namely the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance and the Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children;
- Promoting consistency between the French and English versions of the Acts and providing for gender-neutral terminology.
Bill C78 received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 but most of the changes will not come into force for at least a year. Stay tuned to the Vogel LLP Blog to hear about the changes as they come into force and what they will mean for family law in Alberta and the rest of Canada.