Bill 24: An Act to Amend the Family Law Act

This bill primarily affects family law practitioners, mediators, and arbitrators operating in the Northwest Territories who draft or administer domestic contracts, separation agreements, and parenting arrangements. Legal professionals will need to update their standard contract templates and advice to reflect the new terminology and the new rules around family arbitrations, including the requirement that arbitrations occur after a dispute has arisen. Family mediators and arbitrators should note that any process not conducted exclusively under Canadian law has no legal effect. The child support recalculation provision will affect anyone who drafts child support agreements on behalf of separating or separated parents, as new contracts will automatically be deemed to include recalculation service provisions unless explicitly excluded.