Posted April 4, 2018 | by Lorisa Stein |in Child Support, Collaborative Approach, Collaborative Divorce & Toronto Family Law, Family Business, Separation Agreements

A Lawyer is Drafting Your Separation Agreement?

Online kits to help you complete your separation agreement with checkboxes may look like they solve all your problems: they are readily available, fully customizable, and easy to skip over language you don’t understand.  The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ aptly applies.   You won’t recognize conflicting provisions or out of date

Posted March 27, 2018 | by Lorisa Stein |in Collaborative Approach, Collaborative Divorce & Toronto Family Law, Divorce, Domestic Contracts, FAQ, Legal Advice, Mediation, Negotiation, Separation Agreements

Collaborative Separation Agreements: Pros + Cons

How you proceed forward once the decision to separate has been taken by one spouse requires some consideration. The values, work ethics, and best practices of the lawyer you retain are just as important as the forum in which you proceed. It is also important that you and your lawyer see eye to eye on

Posted February 15, 2018 | by Lorisa Stein |in Client Confidentially & Privacy, Collaborative Approach, Collaborative Divorce & Toronto Family Law, Legal Advice, Separation Agreements

Separation Agreements: Choosing your Lawyer and Your Approach 

Being ready to decide and choosing to separate is difficult and emotional. Readiness means you have accepted that your relationship is no longer viable and can’t be ‘fixed’. You are self-aware how that emotional roller-coaster can hijack logical thinking and you’ve taken steps to manage your grief and start the process of addressing your future.

Posted February 7, 2018 | by Lorisa Stein |in Arbitration, Child Support, Cohabitation Agreements, Collaborative Approach, Collaborative Divorce & Toronto Family Law, Divorce, Family Business, Marriage Contracts, Mediation, Negotiation

Why Ask a Family Law Lawyer for Advice?

Transitions in our personal lives signal a new journey tumbling with emotion, stress, and at times overwhelming our daily lives. Families aren’t predictable. Alliances are dynamic and change over time. Emotional responses interrupt our brain’s natural ability to think clearly, analyze data, and make plans appropriate to the situation. Some of that emotional stress interrupts

Posted January 29, 2018 | by Lorisa Stein |in Collaborative Divorce & Toronto Family Law, FAQ, Legal Advice, Property Division for Married Couples, Property Sharing for Common Law Partners

Is My Professional Degree a Marital Asset?

During separation negotiations, the value of your advanced or professional degree may come into question. If you attained the degree during the marriage, your spouse may argue that it is considered property, and therefore subject to an equal division of its value. It is important that you understand the worth of the degree and its

Posted January 18, 2018 | by Lorisa Stein |in Cohabitation Agreements, Domestic Contracts, Family Business, Marriage Contracts, Prenups

Why Should I Get a Prenup?

If you recently celebrated your engagement over the holidays, the topic of finances may have quickly surfaced in discussions with your partner, from paying for the wedding to the price of real estate to whether a prenuptial agreement should be in place before the wedding day. The conversation about an orderly distribution of assets and

Posted December 18, 2017 | by Lorisa Stein |in Child Support, Co-Parenting, Collaborative Approach, Collaborative Divorce & Toronto Family Law, Custody & Access, Divorce, Family Dispute Resolution, Family Issue Resolution, Mediation, Post Separation Changes, Seasonal, Separation Agreements, Shared Parenting

Holiday Separations:  7 Critical Considerations

Separating during the holiday season can be complicated, balancing your own needs with the needs of your children and family expectations. Keep these considerations in mind as you transition into a separated family this season. Your children always come first Regardless of how you feel about your spouse, the key to good co-parenting is making

Posted December 11, 2017 | by Lorisa Stein |in Domestic Contracts, Financial, Legal Advice, Marriage Contracts, Mediation, Negotiation, Prenups, Property Division for Married Couples, Property Sharing for Common Law Partners

5 Basic Legal Rights When Given a Family Law Contract to Sign

Independent Legal Advice: You have an inalienable legal right to seek to independent legal advice from a lawyer of your choice before you sign a prenup, marriage contract or separation agreement. If the person telling you that you don’t need a lawyer, don’t sign the document. Free will and the ability to understand the proceeding:

Posted November 14, 2017 | by Lorisa Stein |in Divorce

Hurdles to Overcome as a Divorce Client

Martial partners who have decided that their troubled relationship is beyond reconciliation may face several roadblocks before their separation is complete. To manage expectations from start to finish, and to allow for more productive and efficient conversations with their family law lawyer, divorce clients should be mindful of the following items. Lack of financial disclosure: