Goldwater, Dube

On January 23 2004, the Court of Appeal will hear the Minister of Revenue of Quebec’s appeal of our successful damage award on behalf of a wife and children who did not receive their alimentary pension because of the Minister’s fault and negligence in collecting the money from the husband’s employer. Under the Act to Facilitate the Payment of Support, the Minister of Revenue is supposed to collect alimony and child support awards. This system has been a godsend for many women and children who were unable to collect their support in the past. But unfortunately, for many women, the nightmare continues, when the civil servants in charge of collection simply do not do the job right. The Court of Appeal will have to determine under what circumstances a woman or child may sue the government for damages for failure to exercise care and diligence in collecting support.