In early 2020, we wrote about the upcoming changes to Canada’s Divorce Act. The revisions to the original 1986 Act was set to significantly update a number of areas with some of the most significant changes relating to parenting and relocations. The updated provisions were set to come into force on July 1, 2020.
In June, the Government of Canada announced that the coming into force date has been delayed to March 1, 2021 due to the extraordinary circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic. In their announcement, the Government notes that court systems are focused generally on urgent matters while the government addresses pandemic-related urgencies and priorities. As a result, there has not been time to undertake the steps necessary to implement the changes.
If you would like to read the Government of Canada announcement on this issue, you can do so here.
If you want to review our summary of the upcoming changes, please have a look at our January blog on the parenting provisions and our February blog on the changes to relocations.
If you have any questions on how this delay or the upcoming changes will impact your family, please contact us.
