Divorce Fact or Fiction: Part 1

Divorce Fact or Fiction: Part 1

“If I own property in another country it’s clearly not marital property.” Bottom line: Depending on the circumstances, it may be true or false. Ask: In whose name and how was ownership taken? When was the property acquired? Was there a formal domestic agreement executed pursuant to the Ontario Family Law Act and is this
Resolving Parenting Disputes: Different Forums, Different Results

Resolving Parenting Disputes: Different Forums, Different Results

Litigation: In the Ontario family courts provide a stepped process that is neither cost nor time effective. Mediation programs offer litigating parents an attempt to find common ground before a judge determines the parenting arrangement for them.  Some mediation programs are geared to income making them accessible to all parents. Other tools available to the
Top 10 Tips to Transition Back to School

Top 10 Tips to Transition Back to School

Sharing the setting of school routines: delegating incremental responsibility as your child grows by working together to set house rules and standards of acceptable behaviour. By enjoining each child, they learn about decision making, family values, and accountability to themselves and to each person in the family. Blended and stepfamilies may have different schools or
10 Best Steps for Co-Parents to ‘Clear the Air’

10 Best Steps for Co-Parents to ‘Clear the Air’

Understand the value to you and your family’s wellness to manage this conflict to a peaceful resolution Deescalate the tension by offering an invitation to talk in a private setting Keep interference from extended family and friends at bay to ensure privacy and focused communication between the co-parents Initiate the conversation to limit the negative
Top 10 Tips to Transitioning to a Blended Family / Domestic Mergers

Top 10 Tips to Transitioning to a Blended Family / Domestic Mergers

Build new personal relationships slowly. When I graduated from law school a few decades ago, it was ‘common knowledge’ that a person leaving a significant relationship will be ‘healed in about 6 months’. The new guideline is two years. It’s a more realistic fencepost and if you’re not feeling like yourself by that time, consult