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Northwest TerritoriesBill 23Royal Assent

Bill 23: An Act to Amend the Children’s Law Act

Introduced March 12, 2025Checked October 20, 2026
Read the official textOfficial version — Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories

Latest development

Received royal assent on .

Now law — comes into force on proclamation, date not yet fixed

What this bill does

This bill modernizes the Northwest Territories' Children's Law Act by replacing outdated terms like 'custody' and 'access' with 'decision-making responsibility' and 'parenting time,' updating parentage definitions to be gender-neutral, and introducing new rules around relocation, child support recalculation, and court file confidentiality.

Plain-language summary by Legisail — not legal advice.

Business impact

Compliance
This bill primarily affects family law practitioners — lawyers and mediators operating in the Northwest Territories who advise separating or divorcing parents on custody arrangements, child support, and parenting plans. Day-to-day work like drafting parenting agreements, filing court applications, and advising clients on relocation rules will need to reflect the new terminology and procedural requirements. Legal advisors now have explicit duties to discuss alternative dispute resolution and inform clients of family justice services before proceeding to court. The Recalculation Service changes will also affect anyone involved in administering or enforcing child support orders, including support enforcement administrators.

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Where this bill is

First ReadingMarch 12, 2025
Second ReadingMarch 13, 2025
CommitteeOctober 23, 2025
Third ReadingOctober 28, 2025
Royal AssentOctober 31, 2025
Now law — comes into force on proclamation, date not yet fixed

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At a glance

Bill number
23
Type
Government
Jurisdiction
Northwest Territories
Session
20-1
Takes effect
On proclamation — date not yet fixed
Official record