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The Divorce Process: How Are Matters Resolved?
How are family matters resolved? Family matters are resolved in two ways – (1) by agreement between you and your spouse preferably with professional assistance, or failing which, (2) by a third party. In other words, you and your spouse negotiate a resolution with professional help or, a third party, such as a judge or an arbitrator, who will decide for you and dictate the terms of any resolution.

1. By Agreement
More often then not, the resolution of the issues arising from the breakdown of a relationship is contained in a domestic contract. Typically, you will negotiate the terms of such an agreement through counsel, with or without the assistance of a neutral third party mediator. Often, one spouse hires a lawyer and instructs the lawyer to send a letter to his/her spouse. The letter typically asks the spouse to hire a lawyer to negotiate the issues and, with the assistance of his/her lawyer, prepare a Financial Statement.

Financial Statements are then exchanged and the parties, through counsel, attempt to resolve the issues either through further correspondence and/or a four-way meeting. Sometimes parties agree to involve a neutral third party mediator to assist as well. Once resolved, the agreement is reduced to writing in the form of a domestic contract, known as a Separation Agreement.

Another process option is known as collaborative family law or collaborative divorce. In this process, parties hire specially trained family law lawyers and sometimes other family professionals, such as financial specialists and parenting specialists, and the parties and professionals work as a team to help the parties reach a resolution and reduce it to writing in a Separation Agreement.

2. By Litigation / Arbitration
If you and your spouse reach an impasse and cannot agree or when something is urgent (i.e. a child has been taken without consent), a lawsuit is usually commenced. As well, a lawsuit is sometimes commenced on the belief that the threat of going to court will result in an immediate settlement.

A lawsuit is commenced by the issuance of an Application. In an Application one spouse states what he or she wants and on what basis. The lawsuit is “defended” by the delivery an Answer.

A lawsuit can be commenced in one of two Courts in Ontario: the “Ontario Superior Court of Justice” or the “Ontario Court of Justice.” If property is in issue or if you or your spouse seeks exclusive possession of the matrimonial home, among other things, a lawsuit must take place in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Alternatively, if property is not in issue, a lawsuit may take place in the Ontario Court of Justice.

Don’t be surprised if the claims of your spouse seem totally unreasonable. Claims are often inflated on the theory that “the more you ask for, the more you get.”

You will usually be required to obtain a Case Conference before any other steps are taken in a lawsuit. A Case Conference is a meeting between lawyers and a Judge to narrow the issues and explore settlement, among other things.

If claims are made for support, exclusive possession of a matrimonial home, or custody of children, and a Case Conference did not resolve the issue, a “Motion” will usually be brought shortly after the Case Conference. In other words, you or your spouse goes to Court and asks for something on a temporary basis, until the case is settled or otherwise decided by a Judge at a trial.

Note that if a motion is brought, significant time and effort is required to prepare the appropriate materials, including a Notice of Motion, Affidavits in support thereof, a Financial Statement, a Statement of Prior Legal Proceedings and a Confirmation Form. As well, you may be questioned on any Affidavits or Financial Statements filed in support of the motion.

Following the filing of an Application and Answer and a Case Conference, documents may be exchanged if there is no settlement.

If your matter does not settle by this stage, questioning may take place. Questioning is an informal hearing where one or both parties get an opportunity to discover the facts relied upon in support of the respective claims. A representative from our firm, the opposing counsel and you or your spouse will meet in an office.

If you are questioned, your spouse’s lawyer will ask you questions and you will give answers recorded by a reporter. A representative of our firm will be there to ensure that the questions you are asked are proper questions. The questions and answers may be used at trial or to settle the case.If there is still no settlement, a case is set down for trial. A “pre-trial” conference may take place and then ultimately a trial may occur. Note that it may take a few years for a case to reach the trial stage because the courts have hundreds of cases pending.

Another adversarial process becoming more and more popular, for reasons of expediency and privacy, is arbitration. This is a process where a third party, privately retained family law expert, acts a the decision-maker in lieu of a Judge in the litigation process. As well, a hybrid process involving the possibility of an arbitration is becoming more and more popular in the Toronto Region, which is called mediation / arbitration. This is a process where the same family law expert acts as a mediator and if a resolution is not reached in the mediation phase, the same family law expert acts a privately retained Judge and renders an Award which can be enforced in the Court system.

A Divorce in the Process
A divorce is simply that – a divorce. It means that you are free to marry another individual. It typically does not have anything to do with the other issues, such as support, custody or a division of property, and it is most often processed through the Court system on a “paper record” once a resolution is documented in the form of a Separation Agreement. In situations where an impasse is reached or an emergency exists and litigation is commenced, parties will often claim a divorce along with the other issues and the divorce is most often again processed when all of the other issues are resolved, on a consensual basis.

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“Mr. Parker was always the professional; he kept me calm under pressure and was an amazing litigator. I learned many things, while listening and watching him put his tremendous knowledge base and skills to use. He possesses excellent communication skills, both written and oral, a great work ethic, remains positive and always made me feel that he was trustworthy.

[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark”]

“Most important, were the times that Mr. Parker’s interpersonal skills came into play; offering me compassion, guidance and a very kind act that I will never forget, during a troubling time in my life. Acts of kindness are immeasurable and he always made me believe in his confidence to obtain what was best for me. I still continue to use him in other areas of expertise.”

[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark”]

“Words, somehow, do not seem adequate to express my sincere thanks for representing me during the past 10 months of this horrific year of my life. One of the most fortunate things I chose to do was to make that apprehensive phone call to Mr. Parker late last November”

JF

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For more information or to book a consultation, please contact us:

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Custody

When parents separate, one parent or the other will usually be the “custodial parent.” By definition, the custodial parent has day-to-day care and control of the child(ren) and makes all of the decisions about the welfare of the child(ren). In contrast, the access parent is entitled to information about the child(ren) and generally frequent visits with the child(ren) (i.e. alternate weekends).

Other arrangements are possible. “Joint custody” is where one parent has day-to-day care and control of the child(ren), but both parents together make decisions about the child(ren)’s welfare. Joint custody with shared day-to-day care and control is also possible.

Another alternative might be custody to one parent with the other parent having supervised or no access altogether. If you or your spouse cannot agree on parenting arrangements, a Court must decide “what is in the best interests of your child(ren).”

If you anticipate that custody might be in issue, it is important that you continue to reside with your child(ren) until custody has been resolved or until temporary arrangements have been agreed upon and documented. Such arrangements can have significant legal implications and consequences and should be made with the assistance of lawyers.

Support
Government Child Support Guidelines usually dictate the appropriate amount of child support that you or your spouse must pay. However, it is not always that simple. “Add-ons” such as, day-care, educational or health related expenses may dictate higher child support payments. As well, the Child Support Guidelines may not always apply in certain circumstances (i.e. shared custody of children or children over the age of sixteen).

Whether a spouse will be entitled to spousal support depends upon a number of factors. These factors include the ability to pay, the needs of the dependent spouse, the assets and means of each of the spouses, the standard of living during the relationship, the possibility of self-sufficiency, the efforts made to become self-sufficient, the length of the relationship and, among other things, the roles adopted by the parties during the relationship.

Child support payments following from Orders or Agreements made after May 1, 1997 are net of tax. Spousal support payments, however, receive different tax treatment. If paid following from an Agreement or Order, spousal support is generally tax deductible for payors and includable in the income of recipients for tax purposes.

Division of Property
Subject to some exceptions, each spouse’s net accumulation of wealth during a marriage is to be “equalized.” The growth in the net wealth of each spouse will be calculated upon the breakdown of the relationship. The spouse with the higher increase in net wealth may be required to make a payment to the other spouse such that the economic growth accumulated during the marriage is equally divided between both spouses.

Specific rules may impact the determination of net wealth. For example, the value of gifts received from third parties or inheritances (save those put into the matrimonial home) are not to be included in the determination of a spouse’s net wealth.

In rare circumstances, spouses could unequally divide or be forced to unequally divide family property. Generally, before a spouse would be forced to unequally divide family property, a Judge must determine that otherwise equal division of family property would ” shock the conscience of the reasonable person.”

There is a time limit on the ability of a spouse to seek an “equalization payment.” Specifically, spouses cannot sue for an “equalization payment” two years after the marriage is terminated by a Divorce Judgment or six years after the date of separation, whichever is earlier.

For those spouses that are not married, how property will be divided depends upon a number of factors. Such factors include the assets in issue, the roles played by each “common-law spouse,” and each of such spouse’s contributions to the acquisition, preservation or improvement of any of the assets in issue.

Matrimonial Home
To decide who is going to live in the matrimonial home until things are resolved, a Judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice is to considers factors, such as, the best interests of the child(ren), the presence of any violence or abuse and the availability and affordability of alternative accommodation.

Helpful Things to Remember
Try to approach your case objectively and think before you do anything that may influence your situation.

Consider closing joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, making a Will and changing any beneficiary designations in assets, such as, an RRSP or life insurance.

Remember that family law is complex and each situation is different. Disregard what you have heard from friends and get proper advice – the earlier the better.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ background_color=”#062438″ _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_module=”145″][et_pb_row global_parent=”145″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_slider global_parent=”145″ show_inner_shadow=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ background_color=”#062438″ auto=”on” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” custom_button=”off” button_icon_placement=”right” show_content_on_mobile=”on” show_cta_on_mobile=”on” show_image_video_mobile=”off”][et_pb_slide use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark”]

“Mr. Parker was always the professional; he kept me calm under pressure and was an amazing litigator. I learned many things, while listening and watching him put his tremendous knowledge base and skills to use. He possesses excellent communication skills, both written and oral, a great work ethic, remains positive and always made me feel that he was trustworthy.

[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark”]

“Most important, were the times that Mr. Parker’s interpersonal skills came into play; offering me compassion, guidance and a very kind act that I will never forget, during a troubling time in my life. Acts of kindness are immeasurable and he always made me believe in his confidence to obtain what was best for me. I still continue to use him in other areas of expertise.”

[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark”]

“Words, somehow, do not seem adequate to express my sincere thanks for representing me during the past 10 months of this horrific year of my life. One of the most fortunate things I chose to do was to make that apprehensive phone call to Mr. Parker late last November”

JF

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For more information or to book a consultation, please contact us:

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