This past year has brought notable changes to the Divorce Act. Specific changes came into force on March 1, 2021 and additional federal support enforcement laws will come into force
Family violence can include a range of behaviours such as harassment, threats, financial or physical abuse to name a few. None of which are easy to cope with, especially when
This post was originally published on August 21, 2019, and has been updated as of January 3rd, 2023. Adultery can complicate a divorce case and may affect how decisions are
Ontario recognizes common law relationships as a valid form of union between two people. Common law relationships are legally recognized in Ontario and can bring many of the same rights
If you are considering a divorce, you may be wondering whether or not you need a lawyer. The answer to this question depends on the specific circumstances of your situation.
We often get asked whether divorce law is federal or provincial. The answer may surprise you – it’s actually both! While the Divorce Act is a federal law, each province
Getting a divorce is an emotionally challenging experience and is often accompanied by financial strain. In Ontario, the cost of getting divorced can vary significantly depending on a number of
Original Publish Date: April 5, 2016 Revised October 27th, 2022 If you have decided to divorce or separate from your partner, you will need to find a family lawyer who
Original Publish Date: November 10, 2017 Revised October 20th, 2022 Getting a divorce means a lot of things will change. It could mean that you have new financial obligations, or
Original Publish Date: October 28, 2019 Revised October 12th, 2022 Deciding to divorce or separate from your partner is often not an easy thing to do. As hard as the
Original Publish Date: November 29, 2017 Revised: September 28th, 2022 Making the decision to end a marriage or break off an engagement will inevitably lead to a number of personal,
Original Publish Date: June 26, 2019 Revised: September 21st, 2022 When marriages break down, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the next steps. The only legal reason you
Original Publish Date: July 15, 2019 Revised: September 15th, 2022 Unfortunately, marriages break down, and in some cases, one spouse may refuse to agree to a divorce. They may not
Children are typically not the ones asking their parents to split up, so divorce can be a scary and very unsettling situation for them if not handled carefully. Parental Alienation;
Social media has become a part of our everyday lives, posting our days, dinners, and even vacations. But as we all know social media can be a dangerous tool as
Wondering how your pension and retirement will be split when you get divorced? Since pensions are property under the Family Law Act, they are included in each partner’s net total
According to Bloomberg, there were an estimated three million new pets who joined Canadian homes over the pandemic. As much as we love our pets, you may be currently faced
For many spouses, the thought of a divorce is a very unsettling experience. In many cases, it may be difficult to get that spouse’s consent to a divorce. So is
Have you heard the term “Grey Divorce” buzzing around lately? There’s a reason for that. The pandemic has been hard on everyone, including those who have been married for a
To put it simply, when it comes to child access, custody or support, according to the laws in Ontario, it does not matter what the sexual orientation is of the
Just got divorced and now you want to change your name? It is actually a lot easier than you think and takes only a couple of steps to complete. We’ve
Thinking about getting a divorce, but unsure of what is legally included as marital property? Learn what happens to your property when you divorce or separate, what you might owe
Have you ever wondered why more couples are opting for divorce as the pandemic continues on? From our experience, there are multiple, complex reasons why the pandemic has caused an
Thinking of relocating for work, but unsure of the impact it would have on your children? We have outlined the steps you are legally required to take to ensure that
Thinking about getting a divorce? Don’t want to lose the business you worked so tirelessly to create? No, we’re not advocating for either spouse to deny the other her or
During the divorce process, many assets will be split evenly among each party – as long as they were acquired during the marriage. However, where does that leave a cottage
One of the biggest and sometimes toughest discussions when going through a separation is what is the best route to take to finalize things. Many choose mediation; some because it
Trigger Warning: This case refers to sexual assault and psychological/emotional manipulation. Background Information After the couple moved to Canada in 2002, the man “preyed” on his wife’s vulnerability as a
By law, you aren’t required to hire a divorce lawyer in either contested or uncontested divorces. However, there are certain instances where having professional assistance can be beneficial. A good
Bringing a Motion Forward As all lawyers can attest, taking steps in court takes time. Therefore, if you’re going through a divorce, you may want to ask a judge for
Each person has a unique way of viewing the world, so conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, differences of opinion in relationships often foster open communication and change.
Issues related to the Omicron variant are already making their way into Canada’s family courts, where a judge last week blocked a separated father from taking his daughter overseas for
Effective January 1st, Ontario is enacting new laws which are focused on the validity of wills when it comes to re-married/divorced couples. When someone remarries after a divorce, their Last
The lawyers at Epstein & Associates can provide efficient and result-oriented solutions with respect to resolving the unique issues arising from the cottage and recreational property disputes. Types of Disputes
Ending a marriage is never easy. While your heart may be checked out and ready, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to planning how and when you
In some instances of separation, the couple detaches and goes their separate ways immediately — they divvy up the house, the funds and even their pets. However, in other cases,
Ontario is planning to introduce a digital court system that will allow people to access court information from anywhere, and file documents and pay fees online. Attorney General Doug Downey
In a recent court case, an Ontario woman claims her husband said his net worth was zero, while he told the bank it was $21 million. For separated spouses, being
Generally, a child cannot decide which parent they want to live with. But as a child gets closer to the age of majority, which is 18 years old in Ontario,
A restraining order is a civil court order to help protect your health and safety and it can secured in Family Court as well. It can limit: what someone can
Divorce is a hard thing for two people to go through and it is further complicated when there are children involved. A turbulent family unit is something many adopted children
Although Halloween is not considered a “major” holiday, many young children get quite excited to go trick-or-treating with mom and dad. If you share custody of your children, holidays can
If you die without a Will, the law states that you have technically died “intestate,” meaning that you have left no instructions as to how you would like your property
There is a lot of disagreement about vaccination for children and the argument between the parents with differing views is not new. Saskatoon Court has recently ruled that the 13-year-old
“Access” is the legal term for the right of the child and parent to spend time together. Although they may not have a role in making decisions, a parent with
When it comes to divorce records, Ontario presumes that all civil and family litigation matters are public. The only way to seal a court file and take it out of
Irrespective of how a marriage/relationship ends there can be some mental health issues that may stem from its dissolution. The most important thing to know is that mental health affects
In most circumstances division of family assets in a divorce is split evenly between both parties, but there are some case scenarios that this might not be the case. We
Spousal support is the money paid by one spouse to the other after they separate or divorce. The purpose of spousal support is to: help a spouse become financially stable
When going through a divorce, does it feel like people are talking around you and not with you? Going through a divorce can be stressful. At Epstein & Associates, we
Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, Family Law is an umbrella term covering a broad range of legal topics that stem from family relationships. This includes spousal (i.e.
With the stress of the pandemic and homeschooling children rising, many couples are finding it difficult to work on their marriage with calm heads. Living in lockdown for a year
Summer vacation in separated families can be difficult. It is an opportunity to have quality time with your children, without the pressures of a school schedule. However, decisions about how
A British Columbia Court recently ordered a paternity test to determine a child’s parentage, despite the mother’s contention that DNA testing was not in the best interests of the child.
Pregnancy is supposed to be a very exciting and beautiful time for you and your partner. But what if instead of painting your baby’s room and buying baby clothes, you’re
The Supreme Court of British Columbia recently ruled that all three parents in a polyamorous relationship were legal parents of an infant child they had been raising together. This case
How Separation Is Different From Divorce? If someone is considering divorce, it is important to fully understand the different situations and terms that are involved. One question that comes up
If divorce is on your horizon, you do not want to be ill-prepared. There will be a lot of important life decisions that you will need to make, but we
In some divorces, emotions can run very high and this can lead to unfortunate consequences. A 2017 divorce and custody case between Andrew Berry and Sarah Cotton-Elliot is causing the
0589Divorce is not an easy process to go through. Though it can seem like a large and scary mountain you do not want to climb, here are a couple of
Separation agreements and court orders provide the opportunity to resolve family matters, but they do not legally end your marriage. The only way to do that is by getting a
Although the divorce process can be messy when determining the parenting agreement between you and your child’s parent you want that to go as smoothly as possible for the sake
Thinking of getting a divorce but are scared of the implications that follow? If you are thinking about divorce it is most likely because the negatives about your marriage outweigh
When it comes to divorce there are many ins and outs, government rules and regulations, as well as, overall procedures that are a part of the process. We have put
The unfortunate circumstance of ending a marriage because your spouse is an adulterer can be a painful reality for many people. Whether it ended because of a single affair, multiple
At Epstein and Associates, we know that during a divorce case, one of the main concerns will be protecting your assets. Our goal is to ensure that you leave the
This article is a complete guide to child support laws in Ontario. It covers everything from how child support is calculated to how the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) enforces payments.
A recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision, Sussman v. Fabrega 2020 ONSC 5162, highlighted the importance of both parents being involved in a child’s education, even when this objective
A Nova Scotia man who owes a minimum of $250,000 in court-ordered child support has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Joseph Power is being heavily
Coordinating Child Custody During Holidays Co-parenting during the holidays can be difficult as holiday celebrations produce some of the most treasured memories your child can have. For this reason, we
Background Parents are typically expected to support their children until the completion of at least one post-secondary degree. However, when a child defers post-secondary school or takes a “gap year”,
A family lawyer can assist in any legal issues between members of the same family. They represent clients in court for cases involving divorce, guardianship, adoption, domestic violence or almost
We will address the top ten questions that come across your mind, but we have put together a list of a couple of questions that might be beneficial to you
Family mediation is very beneficial in legal situations involving parenting, support and property division whether in a separation or divorce matter. What is Family Mediation? Family mediation works in
The recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision, M.A.A. v. D.E.M.E. highlighted the importance of the voice of the child when deciding family law matters. The appellant in the case was
If you are in the midst of a child support case it is beneficial to hire a lawyer to assist with court proceedings and provide an overall knowledge of family
The first meeting with a divorce lawyer is to get more information about you, your family and soon to be ex-spouse. It can also be used as a touchpoint to
Thinking of divorce but unsure of where to start or what information you might need? Throughout this decision, wavering between living a single life and staying married can be a
With school beginning now the question of if children will be returning to school online or in-person is a question on many parents’ minds. Chase v Chase, 2020 ONSC 5083,
Child Custody and COVID-19 Vaccine Being subjected to working from home for the last five months or more may be leading some people to wonder if this is the “new
Expert Advice An experienced lawyer can assist an individual in making sure they get everything that they entitled to during a separation. Provincial laws don’t necessarily always promote an even
In today’s society recognizing that while technology and social media are powerful tools that can help in the divorce process, they can also interfere with it. The pervasiveness of technology
If you get divorced in Ontario, the answer can be confusing. Divorce law in Ontario falls under the Family Law Act and it focuses on ensuring couples leave the marriage
At the point when you lose your employment, you likely will need to shift child support. The measure of child support should change dependent on your salary. You will need
There are many different issues that come into play with a common-law separation. The main thing to note is that you do not need to get a “divorce” if you
For all divorced families it should be your responsibility and priority to make sure your children are being cared for in the best way possible. This may include limiting and/or
Why failing to take COVID-19 precautions seriously can lead to possible expulsion from the family household. We know we should be integrating social distancing, face masks and gloves into our
COVID-19 has been a devastating time for many. The economy is crashing, millions have lost their jobs, and too many are losing their lives. Though the virus does not discriminate,
After tobacco, alcohol and drug addiction are the two most common substance addictions in Canada, with alcohol abuse significantly outweighing all other forms. Most adults with dependency are able to
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a useful level of protection for information or intellectual property (IP) that is confidential and sensitive to an organization. An NDA can prevent important information
A child that doesn’t get the support they need through their parents’ divorce will almost certainly have to deal with some issues that may appear in later life, such as
An Ottawa businessman’s plans to outsmart his ex-wife and the court went up in flames, as the man admitted to burning over $1 million dollars in an attempt to circumvent
A Brief Analysis of Rook v. Halcrow 2019 BCSC 2253 In a recent B.C. Supreme Court case (Rook v Halcrow 2019 BCSC 2253), with its ruling published Tuesday, November 26th,
Recent updates to Canadian Federal Tax Laws have been amended to allow a separating spouse the ability to withdraw funds from their RRSP without incurring a tax penalty, so long
The way in which a divorce progresses is broadly dependent on the way in which the couple approaches it. In other words, the divorce process can be as easy or
For centuries, religious differences have brought people together and also divided them. In some families across the globe, when it comes to marrying outside of your religion, there can be
Feelings of failure, guilt, and loneliness can arise in adulthood due to childhood trauma, loss, work, life, and relationship pressures. When untreated, these negative feelings can lead to mental illnesses
Divorce is final once the appropriate paperwork is signed, right? Not exactly. In some cases, there may be some room for you and your partner to change your minds, reversing
Just like when they were little, when your child goes through something difficult or emotional, they may look to you for advice, guidance, and help. While frequent calls and check-ins
Divorce doesn’t discriminate. Just because someone is famous, has lots of money and fans across the globe, doesn’t guarantee they’re going to have a perfectly happy, fulfilling, or flawless relationship.
