Protecting Your Children When There’s Family Violence
If you’re a parent who has separated (or is in the process of separating), then your children’s well-being will be your top priority. Discover how courts respond to family violence concerns and the measures used to safeguard children during separation and divorce. In Ontario, it will be the courts’ priority, too – especially if there has been violence in your family. Both federal divorce law...
Protecting Your Child from Family Violence
If you’re a parent whose current relationship situation involves family violence (also referred to as “domestic violence”) then your focus will likely be on your child’s safety and well-being. But even as a concerned parent, you might be unsure as to how Ontario Family Courts respond when violence is alleged. You may have questions like, “What protections are available?” and “Will it change...
What New Canadians Need to Know About Divorce – A Practical Guide for Immigrant Families in Ontario
Are you a newcomer to Canada? If so, the decision to separate or divorce in this country can feel overwhelming – what new Canadians need to know about divorce, especially if you are still just getting used to unfamiliar laws, cultural expectations, and immigration and relocation concerns. Adding a divorce or separation to the mix will no doubt add financial pressures and worries about your...
Handling Holiday Parenting Time Disputes with Care
Ahh, the holidays. A time of joy, family traditions, and meaningful celebrations. But if you’re a separated or divorced parent, the holiday parenting can be a flashpoint. There may be disagreements over where the children will spend Christmas morning or Hannukah. Disputes over how the children’s time will be divided during their winter break from school. Conflict over who will arrange and...
Planning a Divorce? Why Year-End is a Strategic Time
As the 2025 calendar year winds down, many people naturally reflect on their goals, finances, and relationships. For some, this period of reflection may include considering a year-end divorce or separation. While there is no “perfect” time to end a relationship, the final months of the year can offer unique advantages. These can be financial, emotional, and practical – and they will vary...
How Narcissistic Behaviour Affects Parenting Time and Decision-Making in Ontario
Narcissistic behaviour affects parenting decisions and learn strategies to safeguard your child’s best interests today. Co-parenting after separation is rarely easy. But if your child’s other parent consistently displays narcissistic traits, it can be exponentially worse than a typical break-up. Of course “narcissism” is not a legal term – but it’s used to refer to one category of parent who...
Creating a Parenting Plan After Separation
If you and your partner have separated but share a child together, one of the most important things you can jointly do is to create a clear, well-though-out “parenting plan”. Understand the principles of Ontario parenting plan after separation and how to create a clear agreement that supports your child’s stability and routine. When done right, the plan: Provides structure for your children...
Dealing with a Narcissistic Ex During Battles Over Your Child
Are you separated from or divorcing a narcissistic Ex? If so, you’ll likely know the entire process has been complicated by their manipulation, grandiosity, need for control and lack of empathy. And when you have a child together, the process can be especially toxic and emotionally draining. Under Ontario law, any decisions about your child are governed by one foundational principle: The...
Understanding Financial Disclosure Obligations in Your Divorce
For nearly all separated couples, the divorce process is filled with conflict. But in Ontario, there’s one part of that process where cooperation between spouses is strictly mandated by law: Financial disclosure. It plays a central role in ensuring fair outcomes on virtually every aspect of a divorce, including property division, spousal support and child support. If you’re at the stage of...