Garnishment, Attachment and Pension Diversion Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. G-2)

Marginal note:Rules governing amount of diversion

36. Where

• (a) a financial support order provides only for periodic payments and the recipient’s pension benefit consists only of periodic payments, or

• (b) a financial support order provides only for a lump sum payment and the recipient’s pension benefit consists only of a lump sum payment,

the amount to be diverted from the recipient’s net pension benefit shall be governed by the following rules:

• (c) where the recipient is domiciled in Canada and ordinarily resident in a province in which there is in force a law of general application permitting garnishment, attachment or diversion of pensions for the enforcement of financial support orders, the amount to be diverted shall be determined in accordance with the law of that province in force at the time of the diversion payment,

• (d) where the recipient is domiciled in Canada and ordinarily resident elsewhere than in a province described in paragraph (c), the amount to be diverted shall be the amount required to satisfy the financial support order, up to a maximum of fifty per cent of the recipient’s net pension benefit,

• (e) where the recipient is domiciled outside Canada and the applicant is ordinarily resident in a province described in paragraph (c), the amount to be diverted shall be determined in accordance with the law of that province in force at the time of the diversion payment,

• (f) where the recipient is domiciled outside Canada and the applicant is ordinarily resident in a province other than one described in paragraph (c), the amount to be diverted shall be the amount required to satisfy the financial support order, up to a maximum of fifty per cent of the recipient’s net pension benefit, or

• (g) where the recipient and the applicant are domiciled outside Canada and are ordinarily resident outside Canada, the amount to be diverted shall be the amount required to satisfy the financial support order, up to a maximum of fifty per cent of the recipient’s net pension benefit.

Marginal note:Lump sum financial support order vs. periodic pension benefit

• 37. (1) Where a financial support order provides only for a lump sum payment and the recipient’s pension benefit consists only of periodic payments, no diversion shall be made, except as provided in subsection (2).

• Marginal note:Circumstances in which diversion shall be made

  (2) Where the Minister is of the opinion that it is impossible or impracticable for a financial support order described in subsection (1) to be varied to stipulate periodic payments and the Minister has so notified the applicant and the recipient, a diversion shall be made in the amount of fifty per cent of the recipient’s monthly net pension benefit, subject to subsection (3), until

  • (a) the financial support order has been satisfied in full by the diversion; or

  • (b) the Minister is satisfied, on receipt of evidence submitted by the applicant or recipient, that the financial support order has been satisfied in full by other means or is no longer valid and subsisting.

• Marginal note:Filing of annual statement

  (3) Where a diversion described in subsection (2) is made, the applicant must file annually with the Minister, within the prescribed time, a written statement respecting the applicant’s continued entitlement to the diversion, containing the prescribed information, signed by the applicant and witnessed by a person of a prescribed category.

• Marginal note:Where subsection (3) not complied with

  (4) Where subsection (3) is not complied with, the diversion shall be terminated as of the first day of the month following the expiration of the time prescribed under subsection (3), without prejudice to the applicant’s right to re-apply under this Part.