Family law: how will new legislation affect your family?

The new Family Law Act will come into effect on July 1, 2016, bringing with it a number of changes that will affect how families in Canada are governed. The biggest change under the new Act is the introduction of the concept of “legal parentage.” This will allow children to have more than two legal parents in certain circumstances, such as when they are born to unmarried parents or when they are conceived through assisted reproduction.

The new Act will also give grandparents the right to seek custody or access to their grandchildren in some circumstances, and it will make it easier for people to change their legal gender.

Here’s a look at how the new Family Law Act will affect families in Singapore:

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  1. Unmarried Parents

Under the new Act, children born to unmarried parents will automatically have two legal parents. Previously, children born outside of marriage were only considered to have a legal parent if their father was listed on the birth certificate.

This change will affect both mothers and fathers who are not married to each other. Both parents will now have an equal right to seek custody or access to their child, and they will both be responsible for child support. Looking for lawyers in Singapore? Click here.

  1. Assisted Reproduction

The new Family Law Act will also change the way children conceived through assisted reproduction are considered. Under the old law, children conceived through artificial insemination were considered to be the children of the woman who gave birth to them.

Now, children conceived through assisted reproduction will be considered to be the children of the woman who gave birth to them, and the man who is married to her, unless it can be proven that the child is not genetically related to either parent.

This change will affect couples who use assisted reproduction to conceive their children, as well as same-sex couples who use a surrogate.

  1. Grandparents’ Rights

The new Family Law Act will give grandparents the right to seek custody or access to their grandchildren in some circumstances. This right will only be available in cases where it is in the best interests of the child, and where the child’s parents are unable or unwilling to care for the child.

  1. Gender Change

The new Family Law Act will make it easier for people to change their legal gender. Under the old law, people had to go through a lengthy and cumbersome process to change their gender on their birth certificate.

Now, people will only need to provide a doctor’s letter confirming that they have undergone gender-confirmation surgery in order to change their gender on their birth certificate.