There are many different types of families in Alberta, but unmarried or “common-law” couples seems to particularly be on the rise. Recently, Statistics Canada verified this trend. According to the General Social Survey (GSS), three-quarters of Canadian adults 25 to 64 cohabit with a partner but that a decreasing number of …
Understanding the basics of divorce mediation
When Alberta couples decide to end their marriages, there are often many issues to resolve. This can include custody, spousal support and asset distribution. For many families, divorce mediation is the most constructive and cost-effective option. But how does this really work in practice? Typically, divorce mediators are lawyers who also …
Family law: Protecting assets going into a serious relationship
When a relationship gets serious a couple — who are very often in a honeymoon phase — might decide to take things to the next level. That may mean living together. There are family law rules in Alberta that can assist each individual in making decisions when it comes to …
Family law: When a spousal support payor’s income increases
Individuals receiving spousal support may be cheering when their former spouses get substantial pay raises. Increasing the amount of spousal support after a payor gets a raise is one of the most contentious, litigated issues in family law in Canada. Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines are used in Canada to determine the …
Family law: When one parent takes the children without consent
Compromising over child visitation is something many divorced or separated parents often find difficult. Family law in Alberta stipulates that children do better when they can have both parents in their lives, but when one parent leaves the country with his or her children without the permission of the other, …
Family law dispute: Domestic violence in Alberta
Divorce can bring out the worst in couples. Many a family law dispute in Alberta has centred around domestic violence, which increases not only the stress level in the partner on the receiving end of such violence, but of any children involved. In its 2013 report Statistics Canada (StatsCan) said that …
The importance of positive co-parenting in the family law process
The mental health of children going through divorce often hinges on how well their parents are co-parenting them. The family law process in Canada looks at what is in the best interests of children and that includes supporting their children through difficult times. Parenting in two individual homes might not be …
Honouring family law orders from other areas
When people get divorced, they no longer have to answer to each other and can live anywhere they please. However, if they share children and one parent lives out of province, they should know that they’re not off the hook when it comes to child support and other issues. Alberta …
Family law: Staying together while miles apart
There is no one way to describe a family in the 21st century. The family dynamic can be as individual as the people making up the family unit. Legally, the family dynamic in Alberta is governed by family law, and there are certain criteria that need to be upheld like …
Child Support Guidelines for the Self-Employed
Divorced entrepreneurs who are on the line for paying child support need to know how that support should be calculated. Family law rules in Alberta say child support payments should be determined on the payor’s income, but that’s not always so easy to calculate for those who own businesses. A parent …