Tag Archives: family court

How to Spot Signs of Parental Alienation in Your Family

By Lynn Kirwin on
Parental Alienation is harmful to children. The negative impact of alienation may include depression, substance abuse, low self-esteem, self-hatred, guilt, poor interpersonal relationships, distorted view of reality, and self-doubt. Most of my clients don’t realize how harmful it is to the child’s development to try to separate the child from the other parent during your … Continue Reading

My Ex is Sneaky about Finances – What Should I Do?

By Toni Nieuwhof on
I’m surprised at the number of married clients who tell me they either haven’t been involved in the family finances, or they don’t know what their spouse owns.  In many of these cases, their partner was secretive, or dismissive or evasive when faced with questions about the family, the business or their own finances. Money … Continue Reading

Discussing Your Divorce: Avoiding Dangerous Advice

By Brian Galbraith on
  There comes a time in our life when you must make decisions based on what lies ahead in your future. The decision could be to pack up and move to another country for a promotion, go back to school, get married, start a family, even file for divorce or separation. These choices are determined … Continue Reading

Limited Scope Retainers and Self-Reps

By Lynn Kirwin on
                        Are Limited Scope Retainers Right for Everyone? You may feel that you have a strong case. Feeling that you have a good case is different than proving that you have a good one. Remember you need to be realistic. I can provide you with a professional … Continue Reading

Equalization and Date of Marriage Deductions.

By Karman Lock on
Are you curious what will happen to your wealth when your marriage comes to an end? In Ontario, you must share the equity that you and your spouse collected during your marriage upon separation. Simply put, each of you adds up the total value of all your assets, less your debt, on the date of … Continue Reading

What’s Trending in Divorce?

By Brian Galbraith on
Avvo recently did a survey of 890 consumers and 447 lawyers. Their results are in the infographic below. The number one concern for consumers going through a divorce is cost. Not surprising. Yet so many people end up in Family Court. Here is a good comparison of the costs of Ontario Family Court proceedings versus Collaborative … Continue Reading

Children and Divorce – How You Can Help Your Child Adjust

By Brian Galbraith on
A child of divorce writes on how to help your child during divorce. What better source? Thanks to Melissa Farrell a freelance writer who lives in Kansas for her insights. Speaking as a child of divorce, every situation is different. My parents were high school sweethearts and were together for over 10  years before they decided to … Continue Reading

5 Mistakes Made in Divorce Proceedings

By Brian Galbraith on
Today’s guest blogger is writing about the 5 mistakes made by people who are in family court. While the advice is sound, it reinforces to me how undesirable it is to be in Family Court. It really is an awful experience. But, alas, if you are in Family Court, heed the following good advice… or … Continue Reading

Build Trust in Divorce and Avoid Family Court

By Brian Galbraith on
Trust is essential for every relationship and is often damaged when people are getting divorced. It can be damaged many different ways. An affair, a lie or a betrayal can damage trust. Trust may also be broken when people change and no longer understand each other. They just grow apart.  In my life, I know … Continue Reading

Separation Agreements: The Devil in the Details

By Brian Galbraith on
There is a saying… "the Devil is in the Details"…. meaning details that are overlooked can cause problems later. No doubt this is true when drafting a separation agreement. Attention to detail is essential.  The top ten big issues that need to be resolved are:  Where will the children live?  How much time with the … Continue Reading

Handling the Holidays after Divorce

By Brian Galbraith on
Christmas is for children but when Mom and Dad have separated or divorced, it can be a difficult time. I remember how difficult it was my first year after separation. I was devastated. Now, many years later, we schedule our “Christmas” any time between December 22nd and December 28th. The actual date does not matter… … Continue Reading

Helping Children Deal with Divorce

By Brian Galbraith on
I have four children and my wife is pregnant. Children are the focus of our lives. The first three are from my first marriage. I remember feeling very worried about how they would do when we separated. I did some research at the time and did my best to make it work for them. I can … Continue Reading

Divorce – What is the First Step?

By Brian Galbraith on
Separation and Divorce: These are ugly words. They conjure up feelings of pain, disappointment, fear, and uncertainty. What is the first step? How do I get through this?  I remember when I went through my own divorce (yes, divorce lawyers sometimes get divorced too) how stressful it was for me. I feared the impact it … Continue Reading

Divorce and Financial Planning

By Brian Galbraith on
Sandra Ramos is a financial planner who has helped many clients who are going through a divorce make good financial decisions about their future. Sandra graciously agreed to offer a guest blog with her insights. Here it is.  Following any marriage breakdown there is a time of emotional healing, but there is also a need for … Continue Reading

Protecting the Children of “Baby Mommas”

By Brian Galbraith on
Brenda Shapiro, a lawyer in Florida, submitted the following article to me about how in the USA there are provisions for wealthy parents to pay money into trust funds for their child as child support. We don’t have such statutory provisions in  Ontario, Canada but I really like the idea. In Brenda’s example, a young … Continue Reading

Four Steps to Take with Your Child After Divorce

By Brian Galbraith on
Helping your children adjust after your divorce is essential. Heather Smith offers excellent advice on what you should do to help you child after the dust settles.   Here is Heather’s blog:     4 Steps to Take with Your Child After Divorce You have sat your child down and given the dreaded speech that you … Continue Reading

Forensic Accounting and Divorce

By Brian Galbraith on
The role of a Forensic Accountant in a divorce is not well known. Erin Palmer offers great insights into this valuable professional who can help uncover hidden assets or income of a deceptive spouse. Here is Erin’s blog:  All’s Fair in Love and War, Except in Divorce – That’s What Forensic Accountants Are For You … Continue Reading

Determining Income for Support Purposes

By Brian Galbraith on
Determining income is the first step toward determining the proper level of child support and spousal support. This is easy to do for employees. We just look at line 150 of their personal income tax return. The challenge is determining the proper level of income for those people who are self-employed or are employed by … Continue Reading

“Mandatory Information Program” Comes Too Late

By Brian Galbraith on
The Attorney General Chris Bentley, pictured on the left, announced that effective July 18, 2011, all new applicants to Family Court in Ontario must attend the Mandatory Information Program. This is a 2 hour program held at courthouses across the province explaining the Family Court process and alternatives. The intention of the program is to … Continue Reading

Why Do I Need To Do A Sworn Financial Statement?

By Brian Galbraith on
Everyone hates having to do a sworn financial statement. This is a court form used in Ontario to list your assets, debts, income and expenses.  It is long, cumbersome and, frankly, a pain to complete. If your case is in Court in Ontario, you must complete the form. The Rules require you to complete it … Continue Reading
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