Family Law

Our experienced family law lawyers can provide a wide range of legal services.  We recognize that family breakdown is difficult and requires expert legal support delivered in a thoughtful and compassionate way.

There are numerous issues that can arise for families experiencing breakdown, or formation of new relationships. Some of the issues our lawyers can help with include:

Parenting Time and Decision Making

If you have children with your former partner, you will continue to parent your children, including sharing time and making decisions.

Child Support and Spousal Support

If you have children with your former partner, child support will have to be determined based on each parent’s income and how much time the children spend in each home.
If you or your former partner has been disadvantaged as a result of the marriage or its breakdown, you may need to determine have an issue regarding whether spousal support is payable, by whom, for how much, and for how long.

Property Division

If you have acquired assets and debts since your first entered into your relationship with your former partner, you may have to inventory and value those to determine who keeps what and whether one owes money to the other in order to equalize the assets acquired.

Divorce

A divorce is only available through the Courts and is the only way in which a marriage can be dissolved.

Separation Agreement and Minutes of Settlement

Separating partners are well advised to document their agreement in a comprehensive way to ensure that both parties’ rights and obligations are addressed.  This will require independent legal advice for each signing party to ensure fairness and transparency.

Cohabitation and Pre-Nuptial Agreements

If you are in a long-term committed relationship or contemplating a long-term committed relationship, you may wish to have a Cohabitation or Pre-Nuptial Agreement prepared that will identify what will happen if the relationship breaks down.  You can deal with property division, support, and parenting rights and obligations.

Adoption

A court process is required to adopt a child. We can assist you through the process, including the preparation of necessary forms and other information.

PROCESSES FOR RESOLUTION

There are many options people may choose for resolving family law issues.  Whichever method you choose, our goal is to assist you with timely, cost effective resolution by providing thoughtful, competent and practical advice. Our team of lawyers have the skills to assist you regardless of which option is best for you.  Some of the possible methods for resolution can include:

Collaboration

This process allows you and your former partner to participate fully in the resolution of legal issues created by your relationship breakdown through four way meetings with two collaboratively trained lawyers.  You have face to face meetings during which you and your former partner engage in discussions, interact with your lawyer and your former partner’s lawyer, and  hear and see how both lawyers view the areas of law that are under discussion. For more information about our collaborative services, click here.

Mediation

We have lawyers available who are also trained as mediators and can assist you and your former partner in identifying the issues that need to be resolved, the information that should be shared to assist in the resolution, and to facilitate the discussions necessary to achieve resolution.  Once mediation is complete, each party would require an independent lawyer to assist in the review and execution of the final Agreement reached. For more information about mediation, click here.

Lawyer/Lawyer Negotiation

This process allows you to have a lawyer represent you, provide you legal advice and “take the lead” in the information gathering and settlement negotiations.  You communicate primarily with your lawyer, leaving the lawyers to communicate with each other.

You might also opt to participate directly in face to face meetings involving your lawyer, your former partner’s lawyer and your former partner to discuss issues and work toward resolution, without the need for both parties to engage collaboratively trained lawyers.

Court

If settlement negotiations are not possible, or are unsuccessful, our lawyers  can assist you in getting your dispute heard by the appropriate court, allowing a Judge to impose resolution.  Our lawyers practice before all levels of Court in Alberta.
As an alternative to Court, some parties may choose Arbitration, in which a privately appointed arbitrator is empowered to impose an outcome.  Our lawyers can also represent you in this type of process.

HELPFUL LINKS:

For more information about the following issues, we have provided links to other websites.

Child Support
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fl-df/child-enfant/index.html

Spousal Support
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fl-df/spousal-epoux/ssag-ldfpae.html

Maintenance Enforcement
https://www.alberta.ca/maintenance-enforcement-in-alberta.aspx

Property Division
https://www.cplea.ca/wp-content/uploads/PropertyDivision.pdf

Alberta Courts
https://www.albertacourts.ca/pc/areas-of-law/family/areas-of-family-law

If you require a consultation with a family law lawyer or are ready to retain a family law lawyer, please complete our intake form by clicking here. A staff member will contact you within one or two days.