Does a Common Law Marriage Require a Divorce?
Some Canadian residents may be confused about the rights of parties who have a common law relationship or a common law marriage. The idea of possibly having to file for divorce might be lingering within some common law married people’s minds. A certified, respectable divorce lawyer can answer any questions a person may have about the process of separating. This person would also be able...Everything You Need To Know About Marriage Annulment Ontario
In contrast to a divorce, which means termination of a marriage, a marriage annulment means that a marriage never legally happened. It is important to note that the court does not recognize religious annulments, which state that something was lacking in order to validate the relationship as a marriage. Canadian law limits the grounds for seeking an annulment. Guidance from a family law expert...How to Cope With Marital Separation
Marital separation can be many things. It can be a cooling off period, a time to get some space or even a precursor to divorce. Above all else, though, it is a confusing and often frightening time during which many are left at wit’s end. If you want to make it through a separation, you need to find a way to cope. If you want to keep yourself centered, try following the three pieces of...Podcast: Prenuptial Agreements and Marriage Contracts in Ontario
document.createElement('audio'); http://zml-s3.zoomerradio.s3.amazonaws.com/podcasts/goldhawk/2013-02-21-1-Goldhawk-Podcast.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSIn this transcribed interview with Dale Goldhawk of Zoomer Radio (AM740) in Toronto, family and divorce lawyer Lorne Fine (of Fine & Associates Professional Corporation) offers advice on prenuptial agreements and...A Collaborative Divorce Process
In family law, couples undergoing the divorce process can sign an agreement not to go to court. Known as Collaborative Family Law (CFL), the agreement not to go to court is binding upon the attorneys and not the couple. If one or both clients are unsatisfied, either may still take the dispute to court. However, they will have to find new lawyers. At its core, the CFL process is meant to...Role for Social Workers in Collaborative Family Law
During the last decade, an innovative approach to divorce, which avoids court proceedings altogether, has been providing a new kind of role for social workers. Instead of the traditional adversarial system, in which each side either wins or loses, Collaborative Family Law, or CFL, focuses on a teamwork approach, in which the parties have legal support, but settle between themselves. Additional...How to Ensure a Successful Marriage
Did you get married as a teenager? Are you finding that you and your spouse have been arguing more than usual? We’ve compiled some statistics about reasons for failed marriages, and provided you with suggestions on how to improve your marital circumstances. It’s presented in this beautiful infographic below: Your family law needs require more than just an off the shelf solution....What should I do if I am thinking about separating from my spouse?
The first thing that should be done is become informed. It is incredible how many people have no idea about the financial situation of their family or their spouses. Gather as many documents as possible to substantiate your respective assets and liabilities as of the date of marriage and the date of separation (ie. bank statements, financial statements etc.). You should also make all...Property Division: Dividing Matrimonial Household Contents
It is frequently necessary to divide the contents of the Matrimonial Home. You do not want to pay a divorce lawyer to argue over contents, the cost will likely exceed the amount at issue. As a result, there are several methods one can use in amicably dividing the contents of the Matrimonial Home, namely as follows: (more…)How to Prepare for your Separation/Divorce
In some of our cases, the parties separation has been “brewing” for quite some time. One or both parties may think about separating from their spouse, but they do not approach a lawyer. He/she may be preparing emotionally and financially to separate from his/her spouse. In other cases, a spouse may be surprised to learn that his/her spouse wants to separate. It comes as a...by Fine & Associates Common Law Spouses, Divorce, Marriage, Property Division, Spousal SupportOctober 5, 2011