A parent’s decision to relocate with a child following separation can give rise to complex legal issues. The law recognizes that such a move may significantly affect a child’s relationship with the other parent. Understanding the legal framework governing relocations can help parents make informed and thoughtful decisions. What is …
A Solid Start: Why a Marriage Contract Should Be on Your Wedding Checklist
There are often negative connotations associated with marriage contracts. Many people have the preconceived notion that parties who enter into a marriage contract will ultimately end up divorced. Marriage contracts are often associated with mistrust, greed, and lack of commitment. In reality, they are important tools that provide couples with …
Untangling Finances: Managing Debt After a Common-Law Relationship Ends
When common-law couples separate, they may be surprised to discover there is no legislative formula for dividing or distributing their debt. Creditors are not obliged to release debtors after separation, so it is not uncommon for one spouse, perhaps the one with better credit, to bear the burden of the …
Paws and Reflect – Navigating Pet Ownership in Ontario Separations
Separation and divorce are never easy. Disputes regarding ownership (or care of) of the family pets may add additional emotion to an already difficult separation. In Ontario, the question of who retains possession of the family pets during a separation or divorce has been a topic of evolving legal discourse. …
Common-Law Separation and the Family Home
In Ontario, two people are considered common-law partners if they have been continuously living together in a conjugal relationship for at least three years or living together in a relationship of some permanence if they share a child together by birth or adoption. Common-law spouses have fewer legal rights compared …