Miscellaneous Amendments, New Part 5 of Family Division Practice Memorandum 

The Judges of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia have approved miscellaneous amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules of Nova Scotia. 

These amendments include a new Part 5 of the Family Division Practice Memorandum dealing with guardian ad litems. The Court appoints a guardian ad litem to communicate a child’s views and preferences and to offer recommendations in family law matters. The role of the guardian ad litem is to advocate for the child’s best interest. 

Among other things, this new section of the Practice Memorandum introduces the new Guardian Ad Litem Roster, which is a list of individuals who have been approved to act as guardian ad litem for a child, as well as the process to apply to have your name listed on the Guardian Ad Litem Roster.   

These Rule amendments were approved on October 2, 2026, and went into effect upon publication in the November 4, 2026, edition of the Royal Gazette. The full summary of the amendments is also available on the Courts of Nova Scotia website at https://www.courts.ns.ca/operations/rules/civil-procedure-rule-amendments. 

Staff are in the process of incorporating the Rule amendments into the official consolidated Rules. A notice will go out to the Bar when the updated official version is available online. The updated version of the Family Division Practice Memorandum is available now at https://www.courts.ns.ca/courts/supreme-court/supreme-court-practice-memorandums. 

The Civil Procedure Rules of Nova Scotia govern proceedings in the province's Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. They are made and amended by the Judges under the authority of the Judicature Act. For more information on the Rules, Practice Directives and Practice Memorandums, please visit https://www.courts.ns.ca/operations/rules.