Retroactive Child Support: Should you be Worried?

The recent Supreme Court of Canada decision, Michel v Graydon, 2020 SCC 24  is likely going to cause late night anxiety for some parents as the Court determined that, no matter how old the “children” are, parents may still collect unpaid child support from the other parent.  

In Michel v Graydon, the Court unanimously ruled that a British Columbia father must pay $23,000 in retroactive child support to his former common-law partner and child, even though the “child” is now 29 years old.

The Court held that child support is a right that belongs to the child, it is not something that parents can negotiate away. Child support should provide the child with the same standard of living they had prior to parental separation. Payments required of a parent must be reasonable when taking payor income into account. Back payment orders, or retroactive child support orders, hold parents accountable to responsibilities they may have neglected.

The judges in Michel v Graydon unanimously agreed that the prevention of retroactive child support places a disproportionate burden on women as caregivers. The Court further noted it would be wrong to create an incentive by granting payor parents immunity after the child ceases to be “a child of the marriage”.

“The courtroom doors should not be closed because certain categories of debt owed to children are classified as coming too late”.

The Supreme Court was clear in their message to parents who knowingly avoid or diminish their child support obligations, payor parents will no longer profit from bad behaviour.

Should you have any further question about collecting retroactive child support, or need advice on your family law matter, please contact Robertson Stromberg LLP.

 

Summary Judgment in Family Law Proceedings: Where Are We Now?

Summary Judgement in Family Law Proceedings: Where Are We Now? (CPD 259)

Join Sean Sinclair (Robertson Stromberg) for this informative discussion about summary judgment in family law proceedings. The “new Rules of Court” were introduced with considerable fanfare and with the potential to assist litigants seeking timely and cost-effective access to justice. Among the changes was the development of a summary judgment procedure to avoid the needless expense and time of a trial. In the family law realm, the summary judgment process was potentially a tool to allow families to obtain affordable judicial finality. At the now seven year mark of the introduction of the “new Rules”, this webinar will explore the reported cases and developments regarding summary judgment in family law proceedings with an eye on whether the summary judgment process has been successful in promoting timely and cost-effective access to justice.

September 15 (Online) | 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Qualifies for 1 CPD Hour

Am I in a Common-Law Relationship?

In Saskatchewan, The Family Property Act and The Family Maintenance Act defines “spouse” as either two persons who are legally married or have been cohabiting with the other person as spouses continuously for at least two years (often referred to as a “common-law relationship”). This means that once you have cohabitated with another person continuously for at least two years, the same rights arise under these acts as couples who are legally married. Meeting the above definition of spouse triggers certain rights and obligations with respect to property owned both together and individually as well as support.

Unlike legal marriage where you have a definite ‘start’ date, the date when people commence cohabitation is dependant on several factors and may not necessarily be when one or both persons think. There are also many misconceptions about preventing the ‘cohabitation clock’ from starting which includes: not changing your address, filing a tax return as single, keeping separate bank accounts, owing/maintaining separate homes or paying the other person rent.

There are several factors that the Court will consider when determining if two people are cohabitating as spouses and when it commenced. These include:

  • Do they live together?
  • What are the sleeping arrangements?
  • Do they have an exclusive relationship with one another?
  • Do they eat meals together?
  • What are their feelings toward one another?
  • What is the conduct between them about:

    • Preparation of meals;
    • Washing of clothes;
    • Shopping for groceries; and
    • Household upkeep and maintenance.
  • Do they participate together or separately in activities, including but not limited to, work functions, weddings, family gatherings, etc.
  • How do their neighbours, co-workers, friends, families view the couple?
  • What are their financial arrangements or attitudes?

The above list is not exhaustive and no factor is determinative. Courts will still examine the relationship as a whole to make their determination. It is also important to note that a temporary break-up or separation does not necessarily restart the ‘cohabitation clock’.

Couples can enter into a Cohabitation Agreement which is a contract made between them allowing them to protect their individual assets and set out what rights and responsibilities each person has should the relationship end in the future. A Cohabitation Agreement can be tailored to a couple’s specific needs and requires each person receives independent legal advice with respect to the Agreement.

If you have further questions about your rights and obligations under The Family Property Act and Family Maintenance Act, the definition of ‘spouse’, cohabitation, or Cohabitation Agreements, Robertson Stromberg’s team of Family Law lawyers would be happy to assist you.

COVID-19 and Parenting: How can I seek relief from the Court?

COVID-19 has presented many new challenges for parents to face.  You may find yourself in difficult situations.  What if the other parent is not physically distancing and continues to see relatives and friends and I feel their access should be limited to FaceTime only to protect the children?  What if I am not receiving the child or spousal support I should be?  Or what if I want to make an application for child or spousal support?  If you cannot reach an agreement with the other individual concerning these and other family law issues, you may want to seek relief from the Court.  However, the Court is only hearing matters on an emergency basis.

The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the threshold you must meet in order for your matter to be heard by the Court right now.  If your matter does not reach this urgent threshold, then you may wish to consider mediation, arbitration, collaborative law, or another form of negotiation.

The Court’s Directive:

 

There are essentially four ways that your family law matter will be heard by the Court right now:

  1. The safety of either the child or a parent is at risk. This includes things like restraining orders, non-contact orders, and orders for exclusive possession of the family home;
  2. An essential medical decision must be made regarding a child or if a child has been wrongfully removed from the jurisdiction or wrongfully retained by one party (such as if one party withholds the child from the other; more on this below);
  3. There are dire circumstances of financial need, including where one party may squander or dispose of property such that an order to preserve property is required; or
  4. Any other circumstance which the Court considers urgent.

There are few reported decisions in Saskatchewan and, therefore, much of the case law is from Ontario. These cases are certainly still relevant in Saskatchewan as the Court looks to cases outside of the province, especially when dealing with novel matters such as COVID-19. The following are examples of cases which were, or were not, considered urgent enough to be heard by the courts.

The benchmark case is Ribeiro v Wright, 2020 ONSC 1829. In this case, the Ontario Superior Court explained that the presumption in most cases is that orders or agreements for parenting time should remain in place during COVID-19, unless there is evidence that one parent has been exposed to COVID-19 through their employment or otherwise, or there are heightened risk factors given their employment or personal behaviours. In these circumstances, a matter will be considered urgent and adjustments to the parenting schedule required.

The courts in Ontario have been clear that there needs to be a real concern for the safety of a child or parent in order for a matter to be heard on this ground. One example would be an imminent risk of harm to a child or one of the parties involved. Cases on this topic are addressed below in the “any other circumstance” category.

Essential Medical Decisions or Wrongful Removal/Retention/Relocation:

 

In L-AF v KVS, 2020 ONSC 1914, the father brought an application to prevent the mother from relocating with the child to a different city. His evidence was that the mother had listed her home for sale. The father was also concerned with strangers coming to view the house during the current quarantine as it violated physical distancing protocols.  The matter was viewed as urgent and set to be heard at a later date.

Placha v Bennett, 2020 ONCJ 164, was a case where the father took the child, who normally resided with the mother, on a holiday to Newfoundland and Labrador from Ontario. In the midst of the trip, the COVID-19 pandemic became an emergency and he refused to return the child to the mother in Ontario, saying it would be unsafe for the child. This was deemed an urgent matter and the child was ordered returned to the mother.

In an unreported decision from the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench from March 24, 2020, Justice Brown considered a case where a father was withholding the child from the mother under the guise that, since schools were closed down, the summer break had started such that they shared parenting equally. The mother applied to have the child returned to her care. This was determined to be an urgent circumstance and the child was ordered returned to the mother.

Amirzada v Alemy, 2020 ONSC 1979, was a case where the mother applied to move from Toronto to Vancouver until the COVID-19 pandemic was over. The father had assaulted the mother recently and there was a restraining order in place. The court deemed this matter urgent, and ultimately ordered that the mother was not allowed to move due to the risks associated with travelling cross country, the unknown length of time the pandemic will last, and the father’s restricted access to the child.

Dire Financial Circumstances:

 

In Roberts v Roberts, 2020 ONSC 2341, an anaesthesiologist applied to reduce his spousal support payments to his ex-wife. In 2018, he earned $634,747, but he later suffered a heart attack and had to stop working. He was currently earning $104,400 per year on disability.  Given the extent of the drop in income, the Court concluded these were dire financial circumstances and scheduled the application to proceed.

An application for child support which had previously been deemed urgent and subsequently scheduled to be heard on an emergency basis was considered in Lafond v Blouin, 2020 ONSC 2396. While the decision did not indicate why the matter had previously been deemed urgent, the case involved a mother whose sole sources of income were social assistance and tax credits of around $12,000 per year.  There were two children involved.

In Mohamed v Osman, 2020 ONCJ 172, a woman from the United States brought an application for child support prior to COVID-19 shutting the courts down.  The Court made a temporary order providing that the father pay child support and adjourned the application until after the courts return to normal operation.  Of relevance here is that the father’s income was unknown, and the Court imputed it to $25,000, noting that it would have normally imputed income of $40,000 if we were not in the midst of COVID-19.  In making the temporary support order, the Court noted that the mother was supporting three children on her own without help from the father which was unacceptable.

In Scion v White, 2020 ONSC 1915, the father applied for relief regarding access, finances, and property. However, the Court determined that only the access issue was urgent and refused to hear the issues relating to finances and property.

Regarding family property, in order for a property issue to be urgent, there must be an imminent risk of irreparable harm, including unnecessary financial loss, if the application is not heard immediately (JW v CH, 2020 BCPC 52).

Any other Urgent Circumstances:

 

These cases have been described as “exigent” or “critical” in the case law. The Court will ask itself whether any harm or prejudice would result to one party if this matter is not heard immediately. In the vast majority of cases, the answer will be no.  Most matters will be able to wait until the Court is back in regular session.  The cases previously discussed, and those discussed below, provide an indication of what is urgent in the eyes of the Court.

In Thomas v Wohleber, 2020 ONSC 1965, the Ontario Superior Court laid out four factors which must be met in order for a matter to be considered urgent:

1. The concern must be immediate and cannot wait to be dealt with later;

2. The concern must significantly affect the health or safety or economic well-being of the parties or their children;

3. The concern must be tangible. It must be a real, proven concern, not something that is speculative; and

a) For example, you cannot simply say that you do not think the other parent will follow physical distancing protocols. Rather, you must have clear and specific evidence that they are not doing so.

b) In NJB v SF, 2020 BCPC 53, the B.C. Provincial Court dealt with a matter where the father had restricted all access to the mother. The father did not think the mother would take COVID-19 seriously, based largely on her history of mental health issues which lent themselves to conspiracy theories.  The Court found the father’s concern was only speculative and not born out by the evidence presented.

4. The concern must be clearly articulated and proven in the evidence put before the Court.

The case law shows there is a high standard to be met here. In KB v KK, 2020 SKQB 86, a father applied to the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench to place the children in his primary care, rather than the mother’s. The father had concerns with the mother’s parenting and that she was abusing drugs.  The Court determined that this was not an urgent matter and it was adjourned, largely because there was no evidence that the children were in any way at risk.

The KB v KK decision referenced an unreported Saskatchewan Queen’s Bench decision of March 25, 2020, in which Justice Brown explained that most matters will feel urgent to the parties involved, however, those matters which are currently being heard are those with importance in the context of the physical distancing and isolation reality we are presently living in. If the matter can wait until after the current pandemic is over, it is not urgent.

In a recent Saskatchewan decision, TDL v SDS, 2020 SKQB 97, the father, prior to COVID-19, applied to vary a judgment from 2014 regarding parenting of the children. The matter was adjourned after the Court largely restricted its services to emergencies only. The father then applied again for the matter to be heard on an urgent basis, part of which was that the mother was not obtaining and administering the requisite hormone therapies for their transgender child.  Since the child had not yet started hormone therapies for transition, the Court did not consider this to be urgent to the child’s health or wellbeing.

In Davis v Eby, 2020 ONSC 2011, an application was made by the mother to restrict the father’s access to supervised only due to safety concerns.  The child had been present in the father’s home when the father’s cousin overdosed on drugs.  There were also concerns that the father continued to have drug issues as he refused to submit to a drug sample per a court order.  This matter was deemed urgent and heard by the Court.

In Scion v White, 2020 ONSC 1915, the Ontario Superior Court noted that issues relating to access with children can only “potentially” be urgent if there is a complete denial of access. So, even if you are upset with a lack of access, the Court may only see it as urgent if there is a complete denial of access.

  • In Tessier v Rick, 2020 ONSC 1886, the father applied to enforce a court order for his access. The mother had been denying all access to the father, but her evidence was that the father was not observing COVID-19 safety protocols.  The Court saw this as an urgent matter, largely due to the apparent risks to the child and the child’s young age (3.5 years-old).
  • Likewise, in Le v Norris, 2020 ONSC 1932, the mother was withholding all access to the father for several reasons, one being COVID-19. The Court determined this matter was urgent and ordered that the father’s access be restored per the court order in place.  The Court noted that people should use basic common sense to follow court orders and respect physical distancing protocols at the same time.

For more information, please contact:

 Curtis P. Clavelle

306.933.1341

Email: [email protected]

COVID-19: Why now is not the time to put your life on hold

It feels as though life is on hold these days.  People’s careers have been paused.  Kids are home from school.  Our social lives have become considerably more restricted.  We have all been forced to become homebodies, even if we (secretly) don’t mind it. 

However, now is not the time to put your life on hold.  You may have heard that the courts in Saskatchewan have largely been shut down and are only proceeding with emergency situations. As an update, the courts will begin hearing non-urgent applications again in the beginning of June by telephone.  Those of you who are contemplating a separation or divorce may think you are out of luck until the courts begin hearing new matters.  I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. 

There are several process options available to you to deal with your separation or divorce outside of court.  In fact, with the extra time many of us have these days, it makes sense to deal with these matters now so that you can have a fresh start after the COVID-19 quarantine ends. It will soon become mandatory to engage in one of the processes described below before you can seek relief from the courts, so why not get ahead of the curve? 

Collaborative Law:

Through the collaborative law process, parties enter into an agreement right from the start stating that they will not proceed through the court to settle their issues, which saves the heightened animosity and tension court proceedings bring.  It also ensures that the parties are focusing on resolving their issues in a frank and forthcoming fashion, which can ultimately result in time and cost savings and more practical solutions which work best for the parties.  If the parties are ultimately unable to resolve their issues through this process, they can still seek relief of the courts afterward.

You and the other party would work closely with collaboratively-trained and certified lawyers to resolve the legal issues in the case, including property division, custody/decision making, parenting plans, child and spousal support, and divorce.  These lawyers have special training in negotiation, interest identification and option creating, and domestic violence.

Depending on the case and the needs of the parties, other professionals may also be brought into the process.  One such professional is a collaboratively-certified financial advisor, who works to gather property and income information from both parties and provides analysis. They can also be retained by the parties to help them develop a financial plan to move forward with their lives.

The other professional which can be brought in is a collaboratively-certified mental health professional to help the parties deal with issues between them and work together toward settlement.  This professional can also help the parties learn how to best co-parent with each other moving forward and ensure that the children’s needs are identified and incorporated into a final settlement.

In cases where intimate partner violence or control issues are present, the mental health professional can be a key part in helping the parties move forward.  Some people prefer this route as it enables them to face their abuser while helping them appropriately deal with trauma.  This can be particularly helpful in cases where the parties must still co-parent with each other moving forward.

Should you be interested in taking a collaborative approach to your separation or divorce, Curtis Clavelle, the writer of this article, is a collaboratively-certified lawyer and would be happy to discuss the process more: [email protected] or 306-933-1341.

Mediation:

This process is for those who would like a neutral third party to help them come to an agreement.  You may choose to also engage a lawyer to help you through the process.  The mediator is a trained professional whose role it is to help the parties communicate with each other more effectively, recognize what their needs are, and help them reach solutions that meet these needs, without taking sides.

This process generally saves time and money as compared to going through the traditional court approach and results in decisions that work well for the parties, since they are ultimately the ones making the decision rather than having a judge make it for them.  Just like the collaborative approach, mediation can also help parties learn how to work with one another post-separation, which can be especially helpful when they must co-parent moving forward. 

If you are interested in using a mediator to resolve your family law matters, Darlene Wingerak of Robertson Stromberg LLP is a mediator experienced in family mediations and she would be happy to discuss the process more: [email protected] or 306-933-1392.

Arbitration:

 

In this process, a family arbitrator essentially plays the role of a judge.  The arbitrator hears from both sides and makes a binding decision in order to resolve your family law matters outside of court.  Family arbitrators are lawyers with at least 10 years of experience in family law and have taken training in arbitration, decision-making, and family violence. 

The arbitration process offers quicker decisions than a court process and generally saves the parties money.  This process is well-suited to those who want a third party to make a decision for them, without the delays and formalities associated with the court process.

This is different than the collaborative process and mediation since you are asking another person to make a decision for you, rather than working with the other party to come to a resolution.  However, sometimes arbitrators use a combination of methods in reaching their decision, including negotiation and/or mediation.  You and the other party agree ahead of time how you want the arbitration to proceed.  For example, you could agree that lawyers will not be present, or that you will only submit written materials to the arbitrator rather than giving oral testimony. 

If you are interested in using a family arbitrator to resolve your family law matters, Tiffany Paulsen, Q.C., of Robertson Stromberg LLP is a certified family arbitrator and she would be happy to discuss the process more: [email protected] or 306-933-1317.

For more information, please contact:

 

Curtis P. Clavelle

306.933.1341

Email: [email protected]

 

Darlene N. Wingerak

306.933.1392

Email: [email protected]

 

Tiffany M. Paulsen, Q.C.

306.933.1317

Email: [email protected]

Tips on Collecting and Paying Child and Spousal Support Amid COVID-19

These are certainly unprecedented and challenging times.  COVID-19 has created and added stress in all areas of our lives, including incomes and finances.  For those who receive, or pay, monthly child or spousal support there is now an added level of risk.  Will the payor of support be laid off, meaning that the recipient may lose the support they rely on to support themselves or their children?  Will both the recipient and payor lose their jobs and, if so, will there be enough money to go around?  For those individuals facing such scenarios, this article aims to provide some practical tips on how to manage these issues during COVID-19. 

Please note: this article is not meant to provide legal advice and we recommend individuals seek out legal advice relevant to their particular circumstances. 

For the Recipients of Support:

For those individuals receiving support, outlined below are some steps to consider taking when the payor of support has been laid off, their wage has been cut, or there has been some other reduction in their income and they are unable to pay the full amount of support.

  1. Investigate

The first thing you may wish to do is ask some questions of the payor.  Some questions you may consider asking are:

  • Were they laid off or was their wage/salary reduced?
  • How much was their wage/salary reduced by?
  • If they’ve been laid off, are they eligible for Employment Insurance (“EI”) benefits?
    • If so, how much are they receiving?
    • Is their employer “topping up” their income so that, between EI and the “top up”, they are receiving about the same income as before?
  • If they are not eligible for EI, are they eligible for any of the new, government-created support programs?

The main thing here is to ensure that the payor has exhausted their options to maximize their income and to figure out what they are earning.  This allows you to better assess the amount of support they may be able to pay for the time being.

Regarding child support, once you have assessed what the payor’s level of income is, you may wish to determine a rough estimate of what their child support obligation is so that you can compare it to what they paid prior to COVID-19.  The following link provides a calculator which can be used: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fl-df/child-enfant/2017/look-rech.asp#Lookup

  1. Assess finances/needs

Once you have some idea of how much support can be paid for now, assess your needs and determine how you can best make this work for your budget and expenses.  How much has your own income decreased due to COVID-19?  Have any of your expenses changed because of COVID-19? 

While your needs are not relevant to the amount of child support, which is based on income alone, needs are considered in determining the amount of spousal support.  However, even if you only receive child support, from a practical standpoint, determining what your needs are is important in budgeting and managing expenses on a reduced income.    

Bear in mind the increased Canada Child Benefit payments and GST payments announced by the government as these could help bridge the gap.  Receiving less support, whether it be spousal or child support, will obviously result in some adjustment to your spending ability. However, it is important to be realistic and remember that money cannot be created from thin air; if the payor is receiving less income, you will have to be practical and accept that there is simply not as much money to go around at the moment.

Ultimately, the payor may not be able to pay the full amount of support you were receiving.  You should also bear in mind that the payor may later apply to the Court to reduce any arrears of support owing based on their reduced income.

If the payor asks you to sign an agreement accepting less support in the interim, we recommend that you seek the advice of a lawyer before agreeing to or signing anything.

  1. Keep communication open

It is a good idea to check in with the payor once in a while to determine if their situation has changed.  Perhaps they have been called back to work or are receiving another source of funds from which support can be paid.

For the Payor of Support:

For those individuals paying support, outlined below are some steps to consider taking when you have been laid off, your wage has been cut, or there has been some other reduction in your income:

  1. Investigate sources of income

If you have been laid off, determine if you are eligible for EI benefits.  If you are not eligible for EI, you may be eligible for the newly introduced Canada Emergency Response Benefit plan.  Investigate your sources of income fully to ensure you are taken care of and have some means of providing support.

  1. Assess finances/needs

Depending on your income level, it could be that you are receiving relatively the same amount of income on EI or the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.  If so, you can continue paying the full amount of spousal and/or child support. 

Even if your income has declined, if there is a court order or other agreement specifying the amount of child and/or spousal support to be paid, you do not want to find yourself in breach of that order or agreement.  Further, you still have a legal obligation to support your children.  Securing an agreement to a lesser amount of support will help you avoid being in breach of the court order or agreement. 

  1. Communicate with recipient to see what their needs are

Once you have assessed your own finances, needs, and ability to pay support, opening the lines of communication with the recipient is the next step.  Explaining your situation in a frank and honest manner will go a long way in building trust.  You should ask questions to understand what the needs of the recipient/children’s household are, whether there has been a shortfall in their income as well, etc.  Once the information is out in the open, you can hopefully work with the recipient to establish a level of support that works for both people during COVID-19. 

  1. Reaching an agreement on the amount of support to be paid

If you are able to reach an agreement with the recipient on a lesser amount of support while your income is reduced, it is a good idea to have the agreement in writing.  Regarding spousal support, parties are allowed to agree to a different amount of support than that specified in an order.  With respect to child support, parents are allowed to agree to different amounts of support, so long as the amount of support provides reasonable support for the children.  The Family Maintenance Act, 1997 (Saskatchewan) provides that a parent has an obligation to provide support for their children to the extent they are capable of doing so.  If your income decreases, the extent to which you are capable of providing support has decreased.  

Before entering into any agreement for support, even a temporary agreement, we recommend seeking the help and advice of a lawyer.

For more information, please contact:

 

Curtis P. Clavelle

306.933.1341

Email: [email protected]

Area of ExpertiseFamily Law