When your relationship ends, it can be difficult to navigate your legal entitlements especially if a co-habitation agreement was not in place. Although common-law relationships are treated differently than marriages under Ontario law, property division is still a possibility. Although it’s not automatically guaranteed, there are legal steps a common-law partner can take to divide …
Read MoreWhen children are involved in your separation, it can be complicated to figure out how parenting will work going forward. Once decision-making responsibility and parenting time for your child have been finalized, your next steps may involve determining what child support will look like. This process can be confusing, considering payments are subject to change …
Read MoreThe Importance of Keeping Gifts and Inheritances Separate From Joint Assets When you and your partner decide to separate or divorce, the assets you accumulated throughout your marriage form your net family property and are be subject to equalization, with a few notable exceptions. However, assets deemed gifts or inheritances may be excluded from net …
Read MoreAs actor Kevin Costner approaches 70, he finds himself facing a major life change: navigating a grey divorce. After nearly 19 years of marriage, the actor and his wife have decided to part ways, drawing attention to an increasingly popular trend among older adults. A grey divorce refers to the breakdown of marriage between older …
Read MoreThe Family Law Act provides a framework for how assets and debt can get divided during a separation and/or divorce and is intended to make way for an equitable division of assets as well as providing financial security following the end of a relationship. This becomes especially important if there’s no marriage or cohabitation agreement …
Read MoreToday more than ever, couples are choosing to cohabitate before getting married or opting not to marry at all. What is cohabitation? Cohabitation is when two unmarried individuals are living together. Cohabitation offers a number of benefits: financial benefits, shared responsibilities, partnership, and more. In addition to some of the benefits, it also brings legal …
Read MoreEstablishing a parenting plan can help you avoid conflict and go the extra mile for your child after a separation or divorce. You and your partner may use a parenting plan to determine more exact details regarding timing, location, and contact than a typical decision-making responsibility or parenting time agreement may provide. We spoke with …
Read MorePrivate pensions are a valuable component of retirement planning for many Canadians as they offer predictable income and financial security beyond the Canada Pension Plan CPP. In Ontario, private pensions hold significant value, making them complex assets to handle during divorce or separation proceedings. Here are some commonly asked questions from our clients during separation …
Read MoreThe well-being of a child can be as important to a grandparent as it is to a mother or father. Although most cases dealing with access and decision-making responsibility (formerly custody) are brought by parents, a grandparent may also seek a parenting order. While Canadian law does acknowledge a grandparent’s right to request access to …
Read MoreIn Ontario, parental alienation is recognized as a serious concern that can negatively impact the parent-child relationship as well as the wellbeing of the child. Alienating actions may be subject to legal consequences in Ontario, whether they have occurred deliberately or unintentionally in family law proceedings. Speaking to a family lawyer can help clarify what …
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