Reminder: Family Property Act Coming Into Force on January 1, 2020

cohabitation agreement

The Family Statutes Amendment Act, 2018 (Bill 28) received Royal Assent on December 11, 2018. Effective January 1, 2020, the Matrimonial Property Act will be renamed the Family Property Act; property distribution rules will be extended to adult interdependent partners; and the beginning of the relationship of interdependence will be established as the start date for property sharing for adult interdependent partners and spouses who were in a relationship of interdependence with each other before marrying. Further information can be found here.

Various regulations were consequentially amended as a result of these property division changes, including the Rules of Court and Family Law Forms:

·     Order in Council 250/2019 makes the Family Property (Various Regulations) Amendment Regulation

·     Order in Council 258/2019 makes the Pension Plans Regulations (Family Property) Amendment Regulation 

The Orders in Council can be found here