How a Parenting Coordinator Can Help You

How a Parenting Coordinator Can Help You

If you are struggling to agree on co-parenting issues with your former spouse or your child’s other parent, there are other options besides going to court over every issue. One way to reach an agreement or receive a legally binding ruling without seeing a judge is through hiring a parenting coordinator. Parenting coordinators can save you money, reduce stress and help you to keep your...

Normal Child Behavior Is Often Misconstrued

Sigmund Freud, who is considered one of the pioneers of modern psychology, once stated that “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Far too many child incidents and behaviors are labeled as odd, and they are simply within the range of normal childhood development. However, when a child’s parents are going through a high conflict divorce, this explanation can be transplanted with...

What Should a Child Call a Stepparent?

Separated parents face a number of challenges when they decide to start another relationship. One of those challenges is deciding what the child should call the stepparent. The name that a child calls his or her stepparent can set the stage for either a loving relationship or endless battle. The relationship between the natural parents is one of the factors that should determine what the child...

How long does support continue? How many degrees?

Just because a child is a full time student does not necessarily mean that he/she is a “child of the marriage” and is entitled to support.  However, the courts are reluctant to terminate support prior to a child obtaining at least one post-secondary education degree. The courts seem to be willing to give children extra time to finish their first post-secondary education degree,...

Adult Child Support under the Child Support Guidelines

Section 3(2) of the Federal Child Support Guidelines provides that the amount of child support for a child over the age of majority is the amount as determined by the Guidelines unless the court considers that “approach to be inappropriate, in which case the amount of support will be based on the condition, means, needs and other circumstances of the child and the financial ability of...

Child Support under the Family Law Act

Section 31 of the Family Law Act provides that “every parent has an obligation to provide support for his/her unmarried child who is a minor or is enrolled in a full time program of education…the obligation does not extend to a child who is 16 years of age and older and has withdrawn from parental control”. Although the Act states that a child must be enrolled in a...

Adult Child Support

s. 2(1) of the Divorce Act provides that a “Child of the Marriage” includes a child of two spouses (or former spouses) who is the age of majority or over and “under their charge but unable, by reason of illness, disability or other cause, to withdraw from their charge or to obtain the necessities of life”.   If the child has an illness or disability, you must provide...

Social Media and Family Law

It important to recognize that online information can greatly assist your matter (gathering evidence etc.), but it can also be used against you. You must remember the following **:   1. Although there are privacy settings on social media sites, there are no real secrets on these sites.  It is important to limit the information on the site and to increase your privacy settings; 2. Some...