Equipping you to make sound decisions during your divorce.
Heading into a consultation with a family law lawyer is a crucial step in initiating divorce proceedings. In Finding the Right Lawyer for You and Finding a Family Law Lawyer – Breaking Down the Process we’ve taken a look at how to narrow down your search for a lawyer. A legal consultation is a means ofRead more »
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 »
Spring is a time for renewal. It’s a time when we throw the windows open, welcoming in the fresh air and the long awaited warmer weather (ok, perhaps still waiting for the warmer weather this year). We clear out the old to make space for the new. For some, the idea of a spring cleaning and a fresh start carries with it a poignant significance.
If you’ve been through a separation or divorce over the course of the last few months, you might welcome this opportunity to begin anew. While acknowledgingRead more »
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 »
Change is in the air, floating in on the late summer breeze. Another year of school is upon us. You’ve been gathering supplies and getting back to routines – and if you and your spouse have recently been through a divorce, there are additional preparations that you’ll want to ensure are completed before the start of the new school year. Both emotionally and logistically there are a number of areas to which it’s important to give attention if your family structure has recently undergone such a major change as divorce.
School can often provide an oasis for children who have seen significant changes at home. The comfort of friends and consistent routines, coupled with academic and extracurricular engagements during the school day offer solace. By being proactive and taking the following steps, you canRead more »
Decades ago, getting divorced meant navigating a life event that was the exception from the norm. The divorcing individual was seen as traversing a unique path and breaking new ground. In contrast, today we are fortunate that when someone is going through the process there are others who have come before who have turned their experiences into resources for those who would come next. There are now social services, government supported resources, advocacy groups and educational initiatives dedicated to families in transition.
That said, each experience of divorce is unique and for most, the experience can feel akin to one who is walking into the darkness without a road-map or a light. The road is vast and intimidating. As with the fresh diagnosis of an illness, someone who is experiencing divorce is looking for answers, resources and information in an arena where they have no experience until they’re thrown head-first into crisis control.
Once a marriage has reached its functional end, there are questions that arise:
Before plunging into the process, there are a number of recommended steps to take. Jot down all the concerns and questions you have. Clarify your starting point so that you can move forward strategically in your divorce. What questions do you need answered? What are your priorities? Mapping out your concerns will show you what information you need to find and from which various professionals you will need to seek expert opinions and advice.Read more »
“Where does your dad live?”
This is the question that greeted my son as he and I walked into a friend’s house a short while ago. The question was posed by a friend with whom he has grown up; a girl who knows our family well. Ours being a single parent home is a norm that has always been quietly present, an unspoken fact in the background of our get-togethers, quietly contrasting with this girl’s family dynamics. She was, for the first time, coming to the realization that our two families bear somewhat different structures and was curious enough to ask about the apparent discrepancy.
As children reach kindergarten age they begin to comprehend nuances of the world around themRead more »
I remember the first time I walked out of a training course in domestic abuse. Having lasted several days, the course left me sobered. It left me reeling. Do millions of individuals across Canada and the United States alone live out this nightmare daily as we go about our lives?
I went on to complete my training and began applying these teachings in my work with mediation clients. TheRead more »
I remember the look on my dear friend’s face as though it were yesterday. It was one of shock, of pain, of utter loss. She sat there still and speechless, unsure of quite what to say. A hug, more tears, a few whispered words and the promise that she was but a call away if I needed anything at all. She had been the first stop after separating from my now ex-husband, all those years ago. Though I didn’t know at the time how I would get through tomorrow, I knew that I would need to call upon those closest to me for support in traversing the road ahead.
Since that time I have found myself looking on from a different vantage point, fielding calls from friends seeking advice on how to support another going through the process. Some of us are natural fixers, jumping in to pick up the slack and get the job done. Others are empaths. Still others simply find themselves at a loss and in the overwhelm turn the other way, hoping someone else will step in to take their place. Divorce is difficult to bear. It affects not only the nuclear family unit but oh so many hearts with whom that unit has become knitted. As with every challenge that befalls a loved one, divorce brings with it the opportunity to come together and offer the simplicity of love and support.
The difficult part is often knowing how.Read more »
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
