A.A. v. B.B.,

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Judge: Tuck, J.
• Neutral Citation: 2005 NBQB 286
• Citation: (2005), 289 N.B.R.(2d) 109 (FD),2005 NBQB 286,289 NBR(2d) 109,(2005), 289 NBR(2d) 109 (FD),289 N.B.R.(2d) 109
• Date: 09 June 2005
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)

A.A. v. B.B. (2005), 289 N.B.R.(2d) 109 (FD);

    289 R.N.-B.(2e) 109; 753 A.P.R. 109

MLB headnote and full text

Sommaire et texte intégral

[English language version only]

[Version en langue anglaise seulement]

Temp. Cite: [2005] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. SE.009

Renvoi temp.: [2005] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. SE.009

A.A. (petitioner) v. B.B. (respondent)

(FDSJ-646-04; 2005 NBQB 286; 2005 NBBR 286)

Indexed As: A.A. v. B.B.

Répertorié: A.A. v. B.B.

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Family Division

Judicial District of Saint John

Tuck, J.

August 20, 2005.

Summary:

Résumé:

The parties married in 1975 and separated in 1998. They had two children. The husband petitioned for divorce. The issues were spousal and child support for one child (still in university) and whether such orders should be made retroactively.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, granted the divorce and ordered the husband/father to pay spousal and child support retroactive to the date of the divorce petition (September 2003).

Editor's note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Family Law - Topic 4006

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance and awards - Awards - Effect of agreements - The parties separated in 1998 after 23 years of marriage - The parties had two children - The husband petitioned for divorce in September 2003 - The wife sought increased spousal support - Under a 1998 separation agreement, the husband had agreed to pay the wife monthly spousal support of $210 for an undefined period based on his income of $48,100 in 1997 - This was to increase to $600 when his child support obligations ended - The husband's income from 1997 to 2004 was $64,176 - The wife had been disabled through much of the marriage and received monthly disability benefits of $1,237 - The husband sought to enforce the separation agreement - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, ordered the husband to pay monthly spousal support of $1,200 retroactive to the date of the divorce petition - The court noted that the separation agreement provided that it was to be final respecting, inter alia, spousal support "except for variation because of a material change in circumstances" - The substantial increase in the husband's income was a material change in the circumstances - See paragraphs 102 to 147.

Family Law - Topic 4014

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance and awards - Awards - To children and children defined - The parties separated - The father petitioned for divorce - The mother sought child support for their 22 year old daughter who was attending university in Halifax - The daughter was employed during her university years and contributed towards the costs of her education - The daughter commenced an eight month co-op work term through university in Alberta in January 2005 and was earning $4,000 monthly - She had worked for the same employer the previous summer in Alberta - She would return to university in September and should finish her degree by December 2005 - The parties contemplated that the daughter would attend university - The daughter had a student loan of $37,287 - The daughter was away from the mother's home even when university was out - The mother argued that her home was still the daughter's home base - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, held that the daughter maintained her status as a child of the marriage until January 2005 - Therefore, she no longer required support - In the circumstances, the court determined child support for the period up to January 2005 by applying the Guidelines as if the child were under the age of majority - The order was made retroactive to the date of the divorce petition (September 2003) - See paragraphs 22 to 72.

Family Law - Topic 4017

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance and awards - Awards - Variation of periodic payments - [See Family Law - Topic 4006 ].

Family Law - Topic 4045.11

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance - Support guidelines (incl. non divorce cases) - Children over the age of majority -[See Family Law - Topic 4014 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 4006

Divorce - Mesures accessoires - Ordonnances alimentaires - Prestations - Effet d'une entente - [Voir Family Law - Topic 4014 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 4014

Divorce - Mesures accessoires - Ordonnances alimentaires - Ordonnances en faveur des enfants et définition du mot "enfants" - [Voir Family Law - Topic 4014 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 4017

Divorce - Mesures accessoires - Ordonnances alimentaires - Modification d'une pension alimentaire - [Voir Family Law - Topic 4017 ].

Droit de la famille - Cote 4045.11

Divorce - Mesures accessoires - Aliments - Lignes directrices sur les pensions alimentaires (y compris les cas hors-divorce) - Enfants majeurs - [Voir Family Law - Topic 4045.11 ].

Cases Noticed:

Darlington v. Darlington (1997), 99 B.C.A.C. 134; 162 W.A.C. 134; 32 R.F.L.(4th) 406 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 25].

Farden v. Farden (1993), 48 R.F.L.(3d) 60 (B.C.S.C. Master), refd to. [para. 25].

Coakwell v. Baker (1994), 4 R.F.L.(4th) 345 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 35].

Keen v. Keen (1990), 89 Sask.R. 114; 30 R.F.L.(3d) 172 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 38].

Gray v. Gray (1992), 80 Man.R.(2d) 161; 39 R.F.L.(3d) 127 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 38].

Moore v. Moore (1994), 121 Sask.R. 42 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 38].

Sweeney v. Sweeney, [2004] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 99; 8 R.F.L.(6th) 424 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 38].

Wesemann v. Wesemann (1999), 13 B.C.T.C. 233 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 41].

Francis v. Baker, [1999] 3 S.C.R. 250; 246 N.R. 45; 125 O.A.C. 201, refd to. [para. 46].

McConnell v. McConnell (2002), 215 Sask.R. 195 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 46].

J.P. v. R.R. (2004), 278 N.B.R.(2d) 351; 728 A.P.R. 351 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 47].

Chuckry v. Chuckry (2004), 364 A.R. 211 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 62].

Walsh v. Walsh (2004), 183 O.A.C. 179; 46 R.F.L.(5th) 455 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

Marinangeli v. Marinangeli (2003), 174 O.A.C. 76; 38 R.F.L.(5th) 307 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

Horner v. Horner (2004), 191 O.A.C. 28 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

D.B.S. v. S.R.G. (2005), 361 A.R. 60; 339 W.A.C. 60 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

L.J.W. v. T.A.R., [2005] A.R. Uned. 002; 2005 ABCA 3, refd to. [para. 62].

Hiemstra v. Hiemstra (2005), 363 A.R. 281; 343 W.A.C. 281 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

Henry v. Henry (2005), 357 A.R. 388; 334 W.A.C. 388; 7 R.F.L.(6th) 275 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

Park v. Thompson (2005), 197 O.A.C. 158 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 62].

Elliot v. Elliot (1993), 65 O.A.C. 241; 15 O.R.(3d) 265 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70].

Donald v. Donald (1991), 103 N.S.R.(2d) 322; 282 A.P.R. 322; 33 R.F.L.(3d) 196 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70].

Young v. Young (2000), 225 N.B.R.(2d) 272; 578 A.P.R. 272 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 71].

Crase v. Crase (2003), 263 N.B.R.(2d) 361; 689 A.P.R. 361 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 80].

P.D.R. v. J.E.R. (2005), 284 N.B.R.(2d) 321; 742 A.P.R. 321 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 96].

Hickey v. Hickey, [1999] 2 S.C.R. 518; 240 N.R. 312; 138 Man.R.(2d) 40; 202 W.A.C. 40, refd to. [para. 103].

Moge v. Moge, [1992] 3 S.C.R. 813; 145 N.R. 1; 81 Man.R.(2d) 161; 30 W.A.C. 161; 43 R.F.L.(3d) 345, refd to. [para. 104].

Ross v. Ross (1995), 168 N.B.R.(2d) 147; 430 A.P.R. 147 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 105].

Bracklow v. Bracklow, [1999] 1 S.C.R. 420; 236 N.R. 79; 120 B.C.A.C. 211; 196 W.A.C. 211, refd to. [para. 109].

Hersey v. Hersey (1993), 135 N.B.R.(2d) 67; 344 A.P.R. 67 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 115].

Watmore v. Watmore, [2003] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 62 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 115].

Chamberlain v. Chamberlain (2003), 259 N.B.R.(2d) 309; 681 A.P.R. 309 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 115].

Legere v. Legere (2002), 246 N.B.R.(2d) 387; 638 A.P.R. 387 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 117].

Quinn-Eusanio v. Eusanio (2003), 255 N.B.R.(2d) 70; 668 A.P.R. 70 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 126].

Hyman v. Hyman, [1929] A.C. 601 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 137].

Miglin v. Miglin, [2003] 1 S.C.R. 303; 302 N.R. 201; 171 O.A.C. 201, refd to. [para. 138].

Rademaker v. Rademaker (2002), 251 N.B.R.(2d) 177; 654 A.P.R. 177 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 157].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Payne, Julien D., and Payne, Marilyn A., Canadian Family Law (2001), c. 7, Part F [paras. 46, 54, 59].

Payne, Julien D., and Payne, Marilyn A., Child Support in Canada (4th Ed. 2003), Part 4-5 [para. 98].

Payne, Julien D., Federal Child Support Guidelines - Some Recent Developments and Useful Building Blocks (2002), generally [para. 46].

Counsel:

David M. Lutz, Q.C., for the petitioner;

Brenda Noble, Q.C., for the respondent.

This matter was heard on June 9, 2005, by Tuck, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Family Division, Judicial District of Saint John, who delivered the following judgment on August 20, 2005.