Ontario's interjurisdictional support law now recognises family arbitration awards as support orders — amendment takes effect

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted

An amendment to Ontario's Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act has been brought into force, formally adding family arbitration awards to the definition of "support order." This means that an arbitration award requiring support payments — if it is enforceable in the jurisdiction where it was made as though it were a court order — can now be treated as a support order under the Act. Practically, this allows such awards to be registered and enforced across jurisdictions using the Act's interjurisdictional processes. The change affects parties who have resolved support obligations through family arbitration rather than court litigation. Anyone relying on a family arbitration award for cross-border support enforcement should confirm whether the award meets the enforceability test in the originating jurisdiction.

Who this affects
parties to family arbitration awards involving support payments · family law arbitrators · support recipients seeking interjurisdictional enforcement · support payors subject to arbitration awards · family law counsel and enforcement agencies