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 (S.C. 2019, c. 16)

Marginal note:1993, c. 8, s. 5

23 Paragraph 25(2)(b.1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

24 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 25:

Marginal note:1997, c. 1, s. 10; 1999, c. 31, s. 74(F)

• 25 (1) Subsection 25.1(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  Marginal note:Provincial child support service — recalculation of child support

  • 25.1 (1) With the approval of the Governor in Council, the Minister of Justice may, on behalf of the Government of Canada, enter into an agreement with a province authorizing a provincial child support service designated in the agreement to recalculate, in accordance with the applicable guidelines, the amount of child support orders on the basis of updated income information.

  • Marginal note:Application of law of province

    (1.1) To the extent that it is not inconsistent with this section, the law of the province applies to a provincial child support service in the performance of its functions under this section.

  • Marginal note:Deeming of income

    (1.2) For the purposes of subsection (1), if a spouse does not provide the income information, a provincial child support service may deem the income of that spouse to be the amount determined in accordance with the method of calculation set out in the law of the province or, if no such method is specified, in accordance with the method prescribed by the regulations.

• Marginal note:1997, c. 1, s. 10

  (2) Subsections 25.1(3) and (4) of the Act are replaced by the following:

  • Marginal note:Effect of deeming of income

    (2.1) Subject to subsection (5), the income determined under subsection (1.2) shall be deemed to be the spouse’s income for the purposes of the child support order.

  • Marginal note:Liability

    (3) The spouse against whom a child support order was made becomes liable to pay the recalculated amount on the day, or on the expiry of the period specified by the law of the province or, if no day or period is specified, on the expiry of the period prescribed by the regulations.

  • Marginal note:Disagreement with recalculation

    (4) If either or both spouses do not agree with the recalculated amount of the child support order, either or both of them may, before the day or within the period specified by the law of the province or, if no day or period is specified, within the period prescribed by the regulations, apply to a court of competent jurisdiction

    • (a) in the case of an interim order made under subsection 15.1(2), for an order under section 15.1;

    • (b) in the case of a provincial child support service decision made under section 25.01, for an order under section 15.1; or

    • (c) in any other case, if they are former spouses, for an order under paragraph 17(1)(a).

• Marginal note:1997, c. 1, s. 10

  (3) Subsection 25.1(6) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • Marginal note:Withdrawal of application

    (6) If an application made under subsection (4) is withdrawn before it is determined, the spouse against whom the child support order was made becomes liable to pay the recalculated amount on the day on which the spouse would have become liable had the application not been made.

  • Marginal note:Definition of child support order

    (7) In this section, child support order has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) and also means an interim order made under subsection 15.1(2), a provincial child support service decision made under section 25.01 and a variation order made under paragraph 17(1)(a).

26 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 25.1:

• 27 (1) The portion of subsection 26(1) of the French version of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

  Marginal note:Règlements

  • 26 (1) Le gouverneur en conseil peut prendre des règlements pour l’application de la présente loi, notamment des règlements :

• (2) Paragraphs 26(1)(a) and (b) of the Act are replaced by the following:

  • (a) respecting the establishment, mandate and operation of a central registry of divorce proceedings;

  • (b) providing for uniformity in the rules made under section 25;

  • (c) respecting the framework for the calculation or recalculation of the amount of child support by the provincial child support service under section 25.01 or 25.1; and

  • (d) prescribing any matter or thing that by this Act is to be or may be prescribed.

• (3) Subsection 26(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • Marginal note:Regulations prevail

    (2) Regulations made under paragraph (1)(b) prevail over rules made under section 25.

Marginal note:1997, c. 1, s. 11

• 28 (1) The portion of subsection 26.1(1) of the English version of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

  Marginal note:Guidelines

  • 26.1 (1) The Governor in Council may establish guidelines respecting orders for child support, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, guidelines

• Marginal note:1997, c. 1, s. 11

  (2) Paragraph 26.1(1)(h) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • (h) respecting the production of information relevant to an order for child support and providing for sanctions and other consequences when that information is not provided.

• Marginal note:1997, c. 1, s. 11

  (3) Paragraph 26.1(3)(c) of the Act is replaced by the following:

  • (c) an order made under subsection 18.1(15) or 19(13) in respect of a child support order.

• (4) Subsection 26.1(3) of the Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (b), by adding “or” at the end of paragraph (c) and by adding the following after paragraph (c):

  • (d) an order made under subsection 28.5(5) or 29.1(5).