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UPCOMING CHANGES TO FAMILY LAW IN ALBERTA

Some fairly significant changes to Alberta's Family Law legislation will be introduced on October 1, 2005 in the form of the new Family Law Act.  There are several reasons why these changes have been implemented.  Firstly, some of the family legislation currently in force in Alberta has been around for a long time, and as a result is rather outdated. 

In Alberta there are approximately seven or eight different pieces of family law legislation, such as the Domestic Relations Act, Parentage and Maintenance Act, and the Maintenance Order Act to name a few.  Under the current system, it can be very confusing when attempting to gain custody, access, child or spousal support in situations where the Divorce Act does not apply.  The new Family Law Act proposes to reduce this confusion, by consolidating several pieces of legislation into one. 

Changes to court forms and procedures in both the Provincial and Queen's Bench Courts are also expected, in an attempt to make the application process in both courts more similar than they have been in the past. 

Hopefully the introduction of this new Act will help lawyers and un-represented parties alike.  I am sure there will be many enlightening articles written on these changes in the months to come.

By Gina Toni
September 14, 2005