Understanding Best Interests of the Child
The Legal Definition

The Best Interests of the Child (BIC) is a primary factor by which living conditions and custody arrangements are determined in cases of familial breakdown. If you know someone who has experienced family law proceedings, it is likely that they will have heard the phrase a multitude of times prior to the stamping of a divorce decree.

While the phrase has made its way into colloquial terminology and is often mentioned loosely with regards to the creating of parenting plans, the actual definition of the term is lesser known.Read more »

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Post Title: A Year of Conquering Fear, overlayed upon sparkler.

There’s something invigorating about the year’s beginning. Everywhere we glance there is another article about new year’s resolutions or reflections on the past year’s accomplishments. Mid-way into January, the daylight hours are incrementally beginning to lengthen. Despite the frosty cold outside, we begin to think of the warmer days to come, not too far off; subconsciously we begin mapping out the months ahead.

Recently I heard the ideaRead more »

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A separation agreement is a vital document within the divorce process. The separation agreement details the terms a couple has agreed upon in relation to their divorce. While the document 

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Lighthouse over water and blue sky - How a divorce coach can help you find direction

Before getting married you had dreams of a future with your loved one standing by your side. Together, you excitedly set the date, picking out the hall, colours, flowers and band. Every last detail was picked over, considered and finally decided upon.

Then life happened. The wedding celebrations came and went. Day by day your future brought triumphs and struggles. Children came, bringing with them joy, laughter and sleepless nights. Careers evolved, accompanied by accomplishments and occasional pivots. Difficulties arose, grew, and then the came most difficult challenge of all – separation and divorce.

Sometimes separations are planned; a mutually felt and agreed upon next step as a relationship dissolves. At others a spouse is sideswiped, the recipient of unwanted information and unforeseen circumstances.

How do you plan for a divorce?

I can help.

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What is alternative dispute resolution ADR displayed over picture of wedding bands on a table

What if there was a different way of resolving post-marital conflict? One that instead of tearing people apart helped them to come together, see eye to eye and work on finding solutions that benefited everyone? Marital breakdown is most often predicated by some level of conflict. Disagreements and destructive communication wear away at a couple’s relationship until their union has crumbled – and it’s precisely at this point that these two individuals are expected to sit down and establish the terms of their divorce, including parenting plans, property division and support.

Couples often assume that drawing a case through the court system is the only way to come to a divorce settlement. This is, after all, the illustration that the media has given us for years now. However in recent decades forms of alternative dispute resolution have gained popularity as more cost effective, efficient and solution oriented avenues for negotiating divorce settlements. Professionals are now assisting their clients in building cohesive co-parenting relationships, rather than engaging in an all-out courtroom battle.

Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR, refers to alternative methods used to keep legal conflicts out of court. There are a number of primary forms of ADR that are available to those navigating the divorce process, ranging from those where decisions rest in the hands of the parties themselves, to those where decision making authority is given over entirely to a third party.Read more »

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