Barrett v. Henneberry, (1984) 62 N.S.R.(2d) 436 (CoCt)

• Case Date: February 22, 1984
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1984), 62 N.S.R.(2d) 436 (CoCt)

Barrett v. Henneberry (1984), 62 N.S.R.(2d) 436 (CoCt);

    136 A.P.R. 436

MLB headnote and full text

Barrett v. Henneberry

(C.H. 42549)

Indexed As: Barrett v. Henneberry

Nova Scotia County Court

District Number One

O'Hearn, J.C.C.

February 22, 1984.

Summary:

Common law spouses separated after 19 years of living together as husband and wife. The woman applied for, and was awarded, maintenance for herself and two children under the Family Maintenance Act. The woman applied for an order to fix maintenance arrears owing by the man. The man applied to reduce the amount of maintenance.

The Nova Scotia Family Court, in a judgment not reported in this series of reports, inter alia, ordered that the woman was no longer entitled to maintenance where she, "persistently engages in a course of conduct which, if the spouses were married and living together, would constitute a repudiation of their marriage relationship" under s. 6 (2)(b) of the Family Maintenance Act. The woman appealed.

The Nova Scotia County Court dismissed the appeal and affirmed that the woman's conduct disentitled her to maintenance under s. 6(2)(b).

Family Law - Topic 2370

Maintenance of wives and children - Defences or bars - Disentitlement by conduct - A woman received maintenance from her common law husband after separation after a 19 year common law marriage - The woman admitted a close and sexual relationship with another man, but denied that they were living together, even though he did occasionally spend the night with her and she was a foster mother to his child - The Nova Scotia County Court affirmed that the woman's conduct disentitled her to maintenance from her common law husband under s. 6(2)(b) of the Family Maintenance Act.

Cases Noticed:

Wachtel v. Wachtel, [1973] 1 O.E.R. 831, refd to. [para. 9].

Wilson v. Wilson (1976), 4 F.L.D. 221, refd to. [para. 10].

Gallagher v. Stark (1983), 59 N.S.R.(2d) 376; 125 A.P.R. 376, refd to. [para. 11].

Connelly v. Connelly (1974), 9 N.S.R.(2d) 48; 16 R.F.L. 171 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 11].

Omelance v. Omelance, [1971] 3 W.W.R. 601; 4 R.F.L. 298; 20 D.L.R.(3d) 425 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 11].

Cooper v. Cooper (1977), 22 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 489; 58 A.P.R. 489, refd to. [para. 16].

Tidd v. Tidd, [1950] 1 D.L.R. 74 (N.S.S.C.), refd to. [para. 16].

Handley v. Creemer (1977), 24 N.S.R.(2d) 40; 35 A.P.R. 40 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

Sampson v. Sampson (1978), 32 N.S.R.(2d) 376; 54 A.P.R. 376 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 17].

MacDonald v. Lee (1970), 2 N.S.R.(2d) 301; 2 R.F.L. 360 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

Curtin v. Curtin (1975), 20 R.F.L. 140 (Ont. S.C.), refd to. [para. 18].

Ewart v. Ewart (1979), 10 R.F.L.(2d) 73 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

Groom v. Groom and Monty (1979), 10 R.F.L.(2d) 257 (P.E.I.S.C.), refd to. [para. 18].

Hall v. Hall (1979), 13 R.F.L.(2d) 77 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 18].

Nielsen v. Nielsen (1980), 16 R.F.L. (2d) 203 (Ont.), refd to. [para. 19].

Wiebe v. Wiebe (1980), 16 R.F.L.(2d) 286 (Ont.), refd to. [para. 19].

Morrow v. Morrow (1980), 18 R.F.L.(2d) 374 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 20].

Bjornson v. Bjornson (1970), 2 R.F.L. 414 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 23].

Dailey v. McCabe (1981), 22 R.F.L.(2d) 211 (P.E.I.S.C.), refd to. [para. 24].

Phillips v. Phillips (1981), 24 R.F.L. (2d) 139 (Ont.), refd to. [para. 25].

Tatton v. Hubbard (1981), 47 N.S.R.(2d) 537; 90 A.P R. 537; 24 R.F.L.(2d) 146, folld. [para. 26].

Statutes Noticed:

Family Maintenance Act, S.N.S. 1980, c. 6, sect. 6 [para. 1].

Divorce Act, R.S.C. 1970, c. D-8, sect. 11(2) [para. 12].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Johnson, E.L., Family law (1958), pp. 197-200 [para. 15].

Browne and Watt, Divorce & Matrimonial Causes (9th Ed.), c. 3,4 [para. 15].

Halsbury's Laws of England (3rd Ed.), vol. 12, pp. 256-257,285 [para. 15].

Counsel:

Gregory S. Hildebrand, for the appellant;

Janet Morris, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard before 0 Hearn, J.C.C., of the Nova Scotia County Court of District Number One, who delivered the following judgment on February 22, 1984.