C.P. v. L.H., 2006 SKCA 61

• Judge: Cameron, Vancise and Gerwing, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Saskatchewan)
• Case Date: June 16, 2005
• Jurisdiction: Saskatchewan
• Citations: 2006 SKCA 61;(2006), 279 Sask.R. 94 (CA)

C.P. v. L.H. (2006), 279 Sask.R. 94 (CA);

    372 W.A.C. 94

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2006] Sask.R. TBEd. JN.055

C.P. (appellant/petitioner) v. L.H. (respondent/respondent)

(No. 1048; 2006 SKCA 61)

Indexed As: C.P. v. L.H.

Saskatchewan Court of Appeal

Cameron, Vancise and Gerwing, JJ.A.

May 30, 2006.

Summary:

Unmarried spouses separated. They had a two year old daughter. The wife applied for spousal and child support under the Family Maintenance Act. Also at issue was the amount of access time that the father would have.

The Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench in a decision reported at 255 Sask.R. 302, determined the issues accordingly. The father appealed.

The Saskatachewan Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

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 2355

Maintenance of wives and children - Maintenance of children - Effect of benefits from third parties - [See Family Law - Topic 4045.6 ].

Family Law - Topic 4045.5

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance - Support guidelines (incl. nondivorce cases) - Calculation or attribution of income - The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal held that s. 19(1)(b) of the Federal Child Support Guidelines empowered a judge to gross up a parent's annual income consisting in part of Workers' Compensation benefits to account for the fact that such benefits were non-taxable - See paragraphs 5 to 15 and 77.

Family Law - Topic 4045.6

Divorce - Corollary relief - Maintenance - Support guidelines (incl. nondivorce cases) - Exceptions and exemptions (incl. undue hardship) - Section 3(4) of the Family Maintenance Act provided that "... the court may order maintenance for a child in an amount that differs from the amount that would be in accordance with the guidelines if the court is satisfied that: (a) special provisions in an order, judgment or written agreement respecting the financial obligations of the parents, or respecting the division or transfer of their property, directly or indirectly benefit a child or that special provisions have otherwise been made for the benefit a child; and (b) the application of the guidelines would result in an amount of maintenance that is inequitable given those special provisions." - The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal held that the child benefits payable under the Canada Pension Plan to a child of a disabled contributor were not a "special provision" as contemplated by s. 3(4) of the Act and ought not to be taken into account when determining the amount of maintenance payable by a disabled parent - See paragraphs 78 to 99.

Cases Noticed:

Malbeuf v. Malbeuf (1999), 185 Sask.R. 267 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [paras. 4, 89].

Hodgson v. Hodgson, [1997] 7 W.W.R. 114; 155 Sask.R. 181 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 6].

Dyck v. Highton, [2004] 8 W.W.R. 265; 239 Sask.R. 38 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 6].

Dahlgren v. Hodgson (1998), 228 A.R. 332; 188 W.A.C. 332; 43 R.F.L.(4th) 176 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Merasty v. Merasty (2000), 194 Sask.R. 91 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 13].

Walgren v. Walgren, [2002] B.C.T.C. 432; 26 R.F.L.(5th) 226 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 14].

Mills v. Mills (2000), 265 A.R. 37; 9 R.F.L.(5th) 186 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 14].

Walker v. Rutledge, [2002] O.T.C. 925 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 14].

Norrad v. Norrad (1998), 201 N.B.R.(2d) 76; 514 A.P.R. 76 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 14].

Callahan v. Brett (2000), 197 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 29; 591 A.P.R. 29 (Nfld. T.D.), refd to. [para. 14].

Bort v. Derworiz (1998), 166 Sask.R. 35; 37 R.F.L.(4th) 220 (Q.B. Fam. Div.), refd to. [para. 17].

Rizzo & Rizzo Shoes Ltd. (Bankrupt), Re, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 27; 221 N.R. 241; 106 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 22].

Wright v. Zaver (2002), 158 O.A.C. 146; 211 D.L.R.(4th) 260 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 38, 95].

Hall v. Hall, [1997] B.C.T.C. Uned. 770; 30 R.F.L.(4th) 333 (S.C. Master), refd to. [para. 38].

MacKay v. Bucher (2001), 196 N.S.R.(2d) 293; 613 A.P.R. 293; 208 D.L.R.(4th) 472 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 38].

Griffiths v. Griffiths (1999), 242 A.R. 186; 45 R.F.L.(4th) 353 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 56].

Robertson v. Robertson (1974), 47 D.L.R.(3d) 159; 15 R.F.L. 379 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 85].

Beaudoin v. Beaudoin (1993), 45 R.F.L.(3d) 412 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 85].

Vickers v. Vickers (2001), 194 N.S.R.(2d) 268; 606 A.P.R. 268 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 86].

Corkum v. Corkum (1998), 166 N.S.R.(2d) 329; 498 A.P.R. 329 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 88].

Statutes Noticed:

Divorce Act Regulations (Can.), Federal Child Support Guidelines, SOR/97-175, sect. 19(1)(b) [para. 10].

Family Maintenance Act, S.S. 1997, c. F-6.2, sect. 3(4)(a) [para. 19].

Federal Child Support Guidelines - see Divorce Act Regulations (Can.).

Authors and Works Noticed:

Driedger, Elmer A., Construction of Statutes (2nd Ed. 1983), p. 87 [para. 22].

McLeod, James G., Annotation to Blain-Hughes v. Blain (1998), 39 R.F.L.(4th) 327, generally [para. 30].

Payne, Julien D., and Payne, Marilyn A., Child Support Guidelines in Canada 2004 (2004), generally [para. 8].

Counsel:

Ajit Kapoor and Tyla Vodon, for the appellant, C.P.;

Marilyn L. Elliott, for the respondent, L.H.

This appeal was heard on June 16, 2005, by Cameron, Vancise and Gerwing, JJ.A., of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. The court delivered the following decision on May 30, 2006, including the following opinions:

Cameron, J.A. - see paragraphs 1 to 76;

Vancise, J.A. (Gerwing, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 77 to 100.