 Family Lawyer in Vancouver

 Marriage Agreements

A marriage agreement can be helpful in defining how the financial affairs will be handled during the marriage and also property division if the couple divorces. Having a lawyer present while negotiating, drafting, and signing the agreement can help it to stand stronger in court.

 Prenuptial Agreements

You can enter into a prenuptial agreement before you are married to protect the assets that you bring into the marriage. Defining individual assets and safeguarding them with a prenuptial agreement can help to avoid conflict in the event of a separation or divorce.

 Divorce

Divorces can be simple, or very complex. It is important to find the right lawyer to ensure that your best interests are protected during this difficult and emotional time.

 Separation Agreements

If you and your partner plan to separate before you file for divorce, a separation agreement can be helpful. It can form the basis of a smoother transition to divorce when it comes to important matters such as custody and access to the children, child support, alimony, and the division of property.

 Cohabitation Agreements

When you decide to live with your partner without getting married, a cohabitation agreement can help you to protect your rights. Since the couple might one day split up, defining individual interests and assets and safeguarding them is important to avoid conflict in the future.

 Property Division

Divorcing from your spouse can cause friction in property ownership. Without a proper prenuptial agreement or other document to support your ownership of the property that you brought into the relationship, you will have to take legal action to safeguard your rights.

 Child Support

In a divorce, the child’s best interests are of the utmost importance. Child support is paid to maintain the standard of living that the child enjoyed when the marriage was intact. Whether or not the parent sees or takes care of the child, he/she has a legal duty to provide financial support.

Divorced couples may have disagreements over custody and access to their children. When deciding these important issues, the Court will always have the best interests of the children in mind.

 Alimony

When a couple gets divorced, the spouse who is the higher income earner will likely have to pay alimony to the ex-spouse in order to keep the net incomes of both equal. A few factors play an important role in establishing the value of the alimony payments.

 Common-Law Spousal Support

The laws governing unmarried relationships vary from province to province. In British Columbia, the Family Law Act defines the rights and obligations of people living in a marriage-like relationship. Even though splitting up will not require a divorce, it might get as complicated and difficult to navigate through legal obligations.

 Annulment

Sometimes marriages are considered invalid. The laws of annulment are very strict and the marriage has to adhere to specific conditions if it has a chance to be considered null and void.