Amendments to Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act Introduced

Legislation introduced today, March 24, will make it easier for Nova Scotia families living in different parts of the country to collect court-ordered child and spousal support payments from their ex-partners and spouses.

Amendments to the Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act will simplify the process for establishing, varying and enforcing child and spousal support orders when one party lives in Nova Scotia and the other party lives in another province or territory.

“We want to make sure children and families get the court-ordered support payments they are entitled to,” said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Brad Johns. “Where you live in Canada should not limit your ability to receive maintenance payments. This legislation will help families get the support they need in an easier and faster way.”

The changes will reduce administrative burden on the courts and help minimize delays. The amendments include eliminating the requirement for certified copies of court orders and documents to be sworn. The legislation also improves the process for hearing evidence and permits the use of electronic documents, removing the requirement for paper copies.

Quick Facts:

• the Province’s Maintenance and Enforcement Program (MEP) assists families and children by administering child and spousal support orders
• the program supports more than 12,000 children and collects and pays out nearly $230,000 in child support and spousal support to recipients every day
• MEP has been working across jurisdictions for a number of years to improve the enforcement of support orders of payors who have moved out of the province
• almost 13,900 cases are enrolled in the program representing about 27,800 clients, including both recipients and payors
• there are about 2,200 Interjurisdictional Support Orders administered by the program and women represent about 96 per cent of all support order recipients

Additional Resources:

Bills tabled in the legislature this spring are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-64-session-1

Information on the Nova Scotia Maintenance Enforcement Program is available at: https://mep.novascotia.ca/