Clients may convince themselves of the accuracy of the information they receive from a friend at the gym or an erstwhile cousin who has already taken the emotional journey of separation and divorce. Their pronouncements about how child support is calculated or the entitlement thresholds for spousal support may be well-intentioned yet perhaps not exactly
My earlier blog on Designing a Parenting Plan addressed the nuts and bolts of developing a child-focussed, viable, and flexible family plan. Typically there will be a provision in the event a dispute arises and cannot be resolved between the parents. Before reaching the point of turning to a stranger to find a solution, here
Parents are familiar with the different categories of costs their children incur at an early age, as a teenager, and as an adult child entering a post-secondary educational program. When the family is intact, the expenses are often paid from a joint account. When a couple separates, who pays the child support, how much, and
The conversation has turned to cohabiting together or at the other end, to separating. How do you decide which way of processing all the family legal issues will work best for both of you? Alone or with your lawyer present? Do you want to participate or remain in the shadows? The bottom line: Both processes
Reading about the latest health news, I was struck by the glut of headline themes pointing out the collective poor behavioural choices we make on a daily basis: The Truth about Sugar! The Overemphasis on Protein Consumption! In a Bad Mood? Your social networks might be to blame! Fighting Obesity Yes, we need to look
In the family law field, clients are asked and expected to produce documents demonstrating their income from all sources, the property of all sorts and debts and liabilities. The probable value and currency, accuracy and completeness of the disclosure are paramount. Why? For a family law lawyer to be able to provide comprehensive legal advice
I recall a client telling me that we didn’t have to discuss the needs of his eldest son because he would be spending most of his time with his friends and often sleeps over with one of them. The father felt disappointed but he confessed that his son will soon move away so the family
By Referral Resource Julie Brough, CFA, CFP Strangely enough, few people know very much about the person they entrust with their financial security. It continues to surprise me how little the financial services industry has done to educate their clients to the different skill sets and services available within the industry. As a result, investors
Sam was angry. He and his spouse were separating over the refusal by Ali to become fully employed. Sam’s years of gentle encouragement that his spouse gets a full-time job quickly morphed to strong demands to downright yelling matches. Nothing changed. No job hunting. No interviews. No work. Sam didn’t want to break up over
In Ontario, the default position on the division of marital property is the equal division of the difference in value of each spouse’s property. Property is valued on both the date of marriage and the date of valuation. The date of separation may be a different date than the valuation date. The definition of property
Whether clients are married or cohabiting, separation is an emotional and often stressful time. Once the terms of an agreement have been reached on how the negotiations will proceed -collaborative approach, mediation, or traditional negotiations - from there it’s a matter of gathering all the relevant documentation to prove ownership and value. What happens when
Belinda would boast to her colleagues how proud she was that her spouse didn’t have to work. She earned enough for the family and they lived well. Once the children were in full-day school, that song changed. Her family company was bought out and staff redundancy planning was well underway. Belinda’s encouragement of her husband
