Mothers and fathers enjoy equal parental rights across Canada, regardless of whether they are married, separated or divorced. Every parent has the right to spend time with his/her child and contribute to the decisions made about the child’s upbringing — unless these rights are removed by the family law [...]

If you and your spouse have decided to separate, you’ll need to settle important issues, such as property and asset division, child custody and access, spousal support and so on. These decisions usually form part of an agreement that sets out the terms of the separation. A judge will [...]

Automatic divorce refers to the process of terminating a marriage without a court hearing or the input of spouses. If you’ve heard that divorce is automatic after a long separation period, you’ve likely been wrongly informed. There is no such thing in Canada. Divorce is a legal process that [...]

Child support is frequently a contentious point in divorce cases in Ontario. Where children are involved, emotions run high and this may lead to disputes. When the family court orders child support payments to be made, they are enforceable by the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) until such time as [...]

Spousal support (or “alimony”) calculations are often one of the most keenly contested elements of a divorce settlement. This type of support is not an automatic right and needs to be ordered by the court to come into effect. Most of the discussions between couples beforehand centre around whether [...]

Spousal support arrangements are often a source of conflict during divorces and separations, and, unfortunately, sometimes the conflict does not end with the separation agreement. When couples go separate, many individuals are fortunate enough to meet new partners, enter new cohabitation arrangements, and/or remarry. Such changes of circumstances can [...]

In Canada, there is a set of spousal support advisory guidelines that are relied upon by lawyers and judges to calculate how much spousal support is payable (and for how long) when a couple separates or divorces. You can use these guidelines to help you and your spouse reach [...]

One of the prerequisites of divorce proceedings in Canada is providing full and frank financial disclosure. While, for most couples, this will not pose too many difficulties in concept, it can sometimes be challenging to capture all of the information that divorce lawyers and the family court system require.  [...]

It is always difficult to be practical and pragmatic during an inherently emotional time. However, during separation and divorce, there is a great deal at stake, especially if you have children. It is important to be as prepared as possible for what is inevitably around the corner. By gathering [...]