The first question should focus on how you want to proceed. Here’s an example: Do you want to be heard about what matters to you? If this is an important issue for you, then consider staying away from choosing an approach like court where your ‘hired gun’ does all the talking. What does being heard
Going to court means giving permission to a complete stranger to make long term decisions about you and your family. The decision, including details of the family’s financial circumstances, may be published and accessible online. Separating from a spouse or partner may well be one of the most difficult traumatic, fearful experiences we go through.
If the invitations are being printed and table seating arrangements are being finalized, you would have already taken steps securing your personal and corporate wealth prior to your wedding. Not yet? It’s not too late if you start the process right now. Structure and Function Presenting a completed agreement at the height of wedding preparations
The welfare of the family may be financially dependent upon the health of the family business. In most cases, the collective goal of the family is to keep that enterprise thriving, growing, and profitable. When a family is going through a tough separation or divorce transition, there will be parallel and often intersecting interests: family
Imputing Income: 3 Responses to 3 Risky Scenarios Canadian child support legislation reiterates society’s desire to hold children’s welfare as the first financial priority for families upon separation. A tenant of that principle is the consistent treatment objective of the Child Support Guidelines (CSG). Both spouses earning the same income yet applying different tax treatments
Many former spouses signalled the end of their relationship with a negotiated separation agreement. The journey from date of separation to the signed agreement may have spawned a few months to a couple of years. Whether they were wise to retain legal counsel or perhaps we're not able to do so, each would have been
When entrepreneurs and small business owners are transitioning their personal relationships such as cohabiting or separating is to learn about their right to secure their wealth and prepare for an orderly distribution if that relationship doesn’t succeed. Another time of transition requiring a good look at securing wealth is upon the transfer of inheritance. Domestic
Tips for Business Owners Contracting Into, During, and Out of a Relationship Developing your business is a life long adventure. You consult with a professional team to support its growth, strengths and overcome its weaknesses. Your spouse or partner may be working alongside you or managing the family giving you space and time to focus
For more than two decades Lorisa Stein, an experienced family law lawyer practicing in Ontario, has listened to her clients to express their needs and wishes as they journey through life. Embarking on a new relationship, taking their marriage vows of facing the sometimes challenging path of separation and divorce her clients have appreciated Lorisa’s
MAXIMS and MUSINGS WHICH MATTER: PART 1 Lorisa Stein is a senior Ontario family law lawyer who, after more than a decade in the courts, moved to a settlement-focused collaborative family law practice. Through this lens and her interests in sports, design, mentoring, and ethics, she has developed some favourite truisms for her clients. Some
A new client sought to explore the impact of a spouse’s decision to divorce after 28 years of marriage. They had married young with their large families enjoying the occasion with them. He had diligently saved gifts of money, annual bonuses, and tax refunds over the years to own a small house and summer cabin
Essential Notes to the Collaborative Approach for Resolving Family Differences What is it? For families, the collaborative approach is different. It’s a private and effective issue resolution process. It’s for those who want to help each other find the best solutions for their family problems. For the immediate concerns and for the long term. Couples
