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

Application of Debtor to Court

Marginal note:Recognition of State Party decision suspending or limiting enforcement of support order

• 29.4 (1) A debtor may submit to a court in the province in which the creditor is habitually resident an application for recognition of a decision of a State Party that has the effect of suspending or limiting the enforcement of a support order.

• Marginal note:Registration and recognition

  (2) The decision of the State Party 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.

Limits on Divorce Proceedings

Marginal note:Support decision obtained in State Party

• 29.5 (1) If a divorce proceeding is commenced in the province in which the debtor is habitually resident, the court of competent jurisdiction is not authorized to make an order under section 15.1 if the creditor has, in the State Party in which the creditor habitually resides, obtained a decision that requires the debtor to pay for the support of any or all of the children of the marriage.

• Marginal note:Exceptions

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply if

  • (a) the creditor accepts the jurisdiction of the court, either expressly or by defending on the merits of the case without objecting to the jurisdiction at the first available opportunity;

  • (b) the decision-making authority that made the decision in the State Party has no jurisdiction to vary the decision or make a new one or refuses to exercise its jurisdiction to do so; or

  • (c) the decision cannot be recognized or declared enforceable in the province in which the debtor is habitually resident.

30 and 31 [Repealed, 1997, c. 1, s. 12]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.]