19 (1) A former spouse who is resident in a designated jurisdiction may, without notice to the other former spouse,
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- (a) commence a proceeding to obtain, vary, rescind or suspend, retroactively or prospectively, a support order; or
- (b) request to have the amount of child support calculated or recalculated, if the provincial child support service in the province in which the other former spouse habitually resides provides such a service.
Procedure
(2) A proceeding referred to in paragraph (1)(a) shall be governed by this section and provincial law, with any necessary modifications, to the extent that the provincial law is not inconsistent with this Act.
Application
(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), a former spouse shall submit, through the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction, an application to the designated authority of the province in which the applicant believes the respondent is habitually resident.
Sending application to competent authority in respondent’s province
(4) After reviewing the application and ensuring that it is complete, the designated authority referred to in subsection (3) shall send it to the competent authority in its province.
Provincial child support service
(5) If the competent authority is a provincial child support service, the amount of child support shall be calculated or recalculated in accordance with section 25.01 or 25.1, as the case may be.
Service on respondent by court
(6) If the competent authority is a court, it or any other person who is authorized to serve documents under the law of the province shall, on receipt of the application, serve the respondent with a copy of the application and a notice setting out the manner in which the respondent shall respond to the application and the respondent’s obligation to provide documents or information as required by the applicable law.
Service not possible — returned application
(7) If the court or authorized person was unable to serve the documents under subsection (6), they shall return the application to the designated authority referred to in subsection (3).
Return of application to responsible authority
(8) The designated authority shall return the application to the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction.
Applicant need not be served
(9) Service of the notice and documents or information referred to in subsection (6) on the applicant is not required.
Adjournment of proceeding
(10) If the court requires further evidence, it shall adjourn the proceeding. Prior to adjourning, the court may make an interim order.
Request for further evidence
(11) If the court requires further evidence from the applicant, it shall request the designated authority of the province in which the court is located to communicate with the applicant or the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction in order to obtain the evidence.
Dismissal of application
(12) If the further evidence required under subsection (11) is not received by the court within 12 months after the day on which the court makes the request to the designated authority, the court may dismiss the application referred to in subsection (3) and terminate the interim order. The dismissal of the application does not preclude the applicant from making a new application.
Order
(13) The court may, on the basis of the evidence and the submissions of the former spouses, whether presented orally before the court or by affidavit or any means of telecommunication permitted by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, make a support order or an order varying, rescinding or suspending a support order, retroactively or prospectively.
Provisional order
(14) For greater certainty, if an application under paragraph (1)(a) contains a provisional order that was made in the designated jurisdiction and does not have legal effect in Canada, the court may take the provisional order into consideration but is not bound by it.
Application of certain provisions
(15) Subsections 15.1(3) to (8) and 15.2(3) to (6), section 15.3 and subsections 17(3) to (4.1), (6) to (7), (10) and (11) apply, with any necessary modifications, in respect of an order referred to in subsection (13).
Broad interpretation of documents
(16) For greater certainty, if a court receives a document under this section that is in a form that is different from that required by the rules regulating the practice and procedure in that court, or that contains terminology that is different from that used in this Act or the regulations, the court shall give a broad interpretation to the document for the purpose of giving effect to it.
Recognition of decision of designated jurisdiction varying support order
19.1 (1) A former spouse who is resident in a designated jurisdiction may, through the responsible authority in the designated jurisdiction, make an application to the designated authority of the province in which the respondent habitually resides for recognition and, if applicable, for enforcement, of a decision of the designated jurisdiction that has the effect of varying a support order.
Registration and recognition
(2) The decision of the designated jurisdiction shall be registered in accordance with the law of the province and that law, including the laws respecting reciprocal enforcement between the province and a jurisdiction outside Canada, applies in respect of the recognition of the decision.
Enforcement
(3) A decision that is recognized in accordance with the law of the province is deemed to be an order made under section 17, has legal effect throughout Canada and may be enforced in any manner provided for by the law of that province, including its laws respecting reciprocal enforcement between the province and a jurisdiction outside Canada.
AP Commentary: section 19.1 sets out the process for a spouse who lives in another jurisdiction to enforce an order obtained in that jurisdiction, against a spouse who lives in Canada.