Yes. In determining if there is an entitlement to spousal support, the court will consider (among other factors) the apportioning between spouses of the financial consequences which have arisen in consequence of the way in which they divided the childcare responsibility, pursuant to section 15.2(6) of the Divorce Act.
If one spouse sacrificed his or her place in the working world (and, in turn, own economic self sufficiency) in order to allow the other spouse to pursue professional opportunities (i.e. assuming responsibility for all chores within the domestic sphere, including raising of the children), then that spouse would have a compensatory entitlement to spousal support.
The Divorce Act and the Family Law Act both look at the recipient spouse’s contribution to the relationship and the economic consequences that evolve from the relationship. Here, “contribution” includes the labour put into the domestic side of the relationship.
