Family Law Notes Flashcards
(201 cards)
Who does the divorce/marital property act apply to?
Only legally married people
Definition of spouse under divorce act
Either of two persons who are married to each other
Definition of spouse under marital property act
Married person
Definition of cohabit under marital property act
Live together in a conjugal relationship
Marriage must be
Voluntary and lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others
Polygamous Marriage
- Indictable offence in the Criminal Code
- Still part of family law because Canada is so immigration heavy
What are the states a marriage can be?
Valid, void, voidable
NB Marriage Act on validity of marriage
Marriage only valid if parties were legally competent
Moss v Moss
Need voluntary consent of both parties and absence of legal incapacity to marry
Void
- Null and void from inception (as if it never took place)
- Parties in the marriage can have it void as well as third parties who have an interest
- Can be brought after death
Voidable
- Treated as valid unless and until it is annulled (not void on its face)
- Third party cannot get an order for this
- Cannot be brought after one party has died
Unsoundness of mind
- Alcohol/drug intoxication
- Voidable when to the point the person cannot understand what they are doing at the time of marriage
- Person who can do it: drunk one
Duress
- Fear for some other person
- Voidable
- Person who can do it: coerced person
Fraud
- Voidable if it is a misrepresentation as to what the ceremony is
- Not if you are misrepresented to as to character
- Person who can do it: person misrepresented to
Mistake
- Voidable
- 2 Kinds: 1) Mistake as to identity (who they are) 2) Mistake as to the ceremony
- If mistake about attributes not voidable
- Person who can do it: whoever was mistaken
Intention/Motives
- Marriage of convenience (ex: arranged marriage)
- Valid
- If have capacity to consent to marriage the courts will consider it valid
Age
- Depends on the age
- 7=void
- 7-12= voidable at option of underage party
- 12+ is okay depending on province and requires parental consent
Prohibited degrees
- Marrying close relative
- Void if linear relation
- Other lines are okay
Non-consummation of marriage
- Voidable if not able to consummate
- If you just don’t want to not voidable
- Person who can do it: either
What are the sources of family law?
1) Provincial (only applies to its specific province)
2) Federal (applies to marriages in any province)
3) Judge made law (case law)
Provincial Legislation
- Family Services Act
- Marital Property Act
Federal Legislation
- Divorce Act
- Federal Child support guidelines
Under Family Services Act what is a parent?
Mother and father and includes: a guardian and a person who the child ordinarily resides with who has demonstrated a settled intention to treat the child as family
Under Family Services Act Parent does not include
1) Foster parent
2) Prospective adopting parent
3) Natural parent/ adoptive parent whose rights to guardianship have been terminated
4) *natural father of child who is not married to the mother unless he signed birth registration or there has been statutory declaration or parent under ordinarily reside provision