The Change of Name Act (the “Act”) will be amended by Bill 133 (Family Law Statute Amendment Act, 2009) as a consequence to changes in the Children’s Law Reform Act (wherein section 6.1 is being added) that enable a court to change a child’s last name where a declaration of maternity or paternity is made. Section 5 of the Act is changed so that an application for a further surname change requires the consent of the person declared by the court to be the child’s mother or father. However, the amendment also states that the requirement for this consent may be waived by the court on application, which is similar to other consents contemplated in the Act. One result of this change is that a parent may apply to the court to have his or her surname added to the child’s name if the other parent refuses to consent.
As we continue to monitor the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we are taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of our staff and clients. While our office continues to remain open, we may be working remotely at times and/or have varied hours of operation. We do encourage meetings by phone or video conferencing where possible. However, for those who prefer, we are accepting in-person appointments at our office again, but using strict safety protocols.
If you have been exposed to a person who has been positively identified as having – or is suspected to have COVID-19, if you or a member of your household have been travelling in the last 14 days anywhere outside of the Province of Ontario or, if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, we would ask that you not attend our office and instead contact us to make alternative arrangements.
We continue to do our part to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
For more information contact us today at 905-669-7577.