For parents, divorce or separation can be especially challenging. Along with other things, you will have to work out custody and visitation. You may be wondering: Can you get sole custody of your children? The short answer is “yes”—but shared custody is presumed to be in the best interests of the child so you must be prepared to prove that sole custody is warranted. Within this blog post, our Ottawa child custody lawyer provides a comprehensive overview of the key points that you should understand about seeking sole custody of a child in Ontario.  What is Sole Custody? Under Ontario law ..read more

Marriages end for many different reasons. Adultery (marital infidelity) is cited as at least a partial factor in a significant share of divorce cases in Canada. This raises an important question: Does adultery have any impact on a divorce case? In Ottawa, the short answer is “no”—or at least there is no little practical effect from a legal perspective. In this article, our Ottawa divorce lawyer explains how adultery does—or, more accurately, does not—have an impact on a divorce in Ontario.  Canada has No-Fault Divorce: The Only Ground is a Breakdown of the Marriage Fault is not an issue i ..read more

Parents play a vital role in helping their kids adjust to and excel in their new surroundings when the family makes a move. This blog post will provide tips on how best to support children throughout this process, making it fun for everyone involved while ensuring that all members of the family transition smoothly. Key Takeaways Understand your rights as a parent and explore mobility options in family law Create positive expectations by introducing kids to their new surroundings & involve them in the moving process Seek legal help for an informed decision that is best for your child’s int ..read more

Obtaining Authorization for Marriage from the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services To obtain authorization for marriage from the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services you must provide them with a foreign divorce opinion letter. A foreign divorce opinion letter is a legal document provided by a licensed Ontario Lawyer validating a Divorce Order/Decree issued outside of Canada. To demonstrate that you have the capacity to remarry in Canada, you must prove that you are not married to another individual inside or outside of Canada. Polygamous marriages are not considered legal in Ca ..read more

Are you preparing for a divorce? If so, it is normal to have a lot of financial questions. A divorce can put your assets at risk. The good news is that there are proactive measures that you can take to protect your financial interests and set yourself up for a better future. Here, our Ottawa divorce lawyer highlights the key things to know about asset protection and divorce in Canada.  Background: Know the Law for Property Division in Divorce in Canada To start, it is important to understand how property is split in a divorce. As explained by the Government of Ontario “property acquired d ..read more

Divorce is part of life. According to Statistics Canada, 42,933 couples got divorced nationwide in 2020. While it is never easy, a divorce does not have to become a nasty dispute. Indeed, most people desire a low-conflict divorce. Mediation offers a potential solution. As defined by the Government of Ontario, mediation is an alternative to going to court that involves “negotiation between two individuals, with someone’s help.” In this article, our Ottawa divorce lawyers offer five tips to help you prepare for the mediation process.  1. Be Ready to Get Into a Collaborative Frame of Mind Th ..read more

When a couple gets divorced, there are a lot of elements to deal with. Property division and child custody are the biggest ones. But what happens to pets in an Ontario divorce? Who gets to keep the dog? The law is not cut and dry in this regard. With more and more couples opting out of human children and focusing on furry and feathered ones instead, new laws arguably need to be created or updated when it comes to pet custody.  In recent years, there has been an uptick in divorces as COVID lockdowns created quarantines and work from home policies, forcing couples to spend more time togethe ..read more

High Conflict Separation Going through a divorce or separation is never an effortless process for parties involved. Although most of us aim for an amicable separation, it is not always possible. The judicial system in Ontario has evolved to encourage parties to choose Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) forums such as Mediation, Arbitration, and Collaborative Law. ADR forums have given numerous couples the chance to resolve the issues that arose from their separation in a more peaceful manner. Despite the availability and the popularity of these alternative dispute mechanisms, man ..read more

Canada has various divorce laws, and occasionally those laws vary from one province to another. Divorce in Ontario differs from divorce in Quebec, for instance. I you are looking to obtain a divorce in Ontario, our skilled Ottawa divorce lawyers can provide you all the support you need throughout the divorce process. Most couples who file for divorce want it to be over as soon as possible. However, in many cases speeding up the process may not be beneficial to both parties. In most cases, you must wait for events to unfold naturally. When there is ineffective communication between spouses, get ..read more

Child support remains one of the more confusing aspects of any divorce. This is somewhat surprising, since Ontario, like other provinces, follows federal guidelines which attempt to standardize the process. These guidelines determine child support in most cases, absent extraordinary and special expenses. As experienced Ottawa child support lawyers, we continue to hear many myths about child support from members of the public. Often, they contact us certain they can stop paying child support or reduce it when the opposite is true. To help improve public knowledge on this topic, we address five ..read more