Am I separated from my spouse?
One question that often arises is “am I separated?” On the face of it, this seems like a simple issue, but if you are living in the same home as your former spouse things can get confusing.
The family lawyers from Crossroads Law located in Vancouver BC and Calgary AB have a client centred approach to help you successfully navigate the family law system. Our experienced family and divorce lawyers author these blogs to provide you insight and to help you through this challenging time.
Don’t have a lawyer and facing an examination for discovery?
Examination for discovery in a family law case can be intimidating, especially if you don’t qualify for Legal Aid and have to represent yourself. However, with the right preparation
Parents’ Down Payment Gifts and Divorcing Children
The gifting of down-payments by parents to their children is on the rise as home ownership becomes increasingly unattainable in many Canadian cities.
Pay-as-you-go legal coaching
A disproportionate percentage of people appearing before a family court judge do so without legal representation, and legal coaching can help fill the void, Calgary and Vancouver family lawyer Marcus Sixta tells AdvocateDaily.com.
Client-Centred Approach to Family Law Sets Sixta Apart
Calgary and Vancouver family lawyer Marcus Sixta brings a unique insight to his work with clients who are dealing with the challenges of a divorce or separation.
Who’s Your Daddy? DNA Paternity Tests in Alberta
DNA paternity tests now provide the answer to this puzzle fairly quickly and with only a little inconvenience. They have also become relatively inexpensive and the divorce courts have found that the new tests involve little intrusion upon privacy interests.
Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Us!
We started in July 2017 with the goal of providing family law services that truly meet the needs of our clients. This strategy has been a success. One year in we are expanding by adding new family lawyers to our Calgary and Vancouver locations and we are looking to grow more in the next year.
Spousal Support / Alimony: What is it and How Do I Get it?
Spousal support is an amount of money paid by one spouse to support the other spouse after the separation. However, it is not payable in every relationship. This is a common misconception.
Don’t Have a Lawyer and Facing an Examination for Discovery: Here is What You Need to Know
Facing an examination for discovery or deposition in a family law case can be intimidating. The thought of sitting in a board room while an over zealous lawyer peppers you with questions and a stenographer looks on with cruel indifference can be the cause of many sleepless nights.
Manipulating Income to Reduce Child or Spousal Support
People hide or manipulate their income for all sorts of reasons. As long as taxes have been around there have been those seeking ways of hiding income. In family law this can be a common issue when calculating the amount of child support or spousal support payable after separation.
Can my Child Decide Which Parent They Want to Live With?
When parents are in the process of divorce or separation, sometimes children may express a desire to live with one parent over another. If this occurs in a family law case, the court may take a child’s wishes about parenting time into consideration.
Hearing the Views of a Child in Family Law
While it is generally best to prevent children from having to give evidence in court after separation and divorce, there must be a way to properly hear the voice of a child. Here are 8 ways to enter the evidence of a child in family court.
The Maintenance Enforcement Program: 7 Things You Should Know
If you have a child support or spousal support order and want to avoid having to deal with your former spouse, the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) can be used to collect support from the paying spouse and distribute it to the recipient spouse.
Explaining the Prenup: What it is, and why Kanye told you to get one
Our founder, Marcus Sixta, was recently interviewed by the Daily Hive to explain to people the importance of creating a prenuptial agreement, not only when you are getting married, but also for couples who have lived together for two years.
Represent Yourself Better in Family Law with Legal Coaching
The cost of legal services has been driving many people to represent themselves in family court in increasing numbers. Legal coaching can provide a more affordable alternative for those who wish to represent themselves in court or fail to qualify for Legal Aid.
What Is Parenting Coordination?
Parenting Coordination is most helpful for parties who have reached a general parenting agreement, but who have ongoing communication issues that impede their ability to co-parent effectively after separation.
Why Choose Mediation in a Divorce?
Separation and divorce can create a situation where neither party wants to work with the other in order to resolve their family law issues. However, in our experience family law mediation is a much better way to resolve a family law case
Using Parenting Experts After Separation
Divorce and separation can be a stressful, and emotional time for everyone involved; particularly when there are children and the family is changing structurally, functionally and emotionally. From living arrangements, parenting time, and new partners.
A Special Kind of Restraining Order: Emergency Protection Orders (EPO)
An Emergency Protection Order (“EPO”) can be granted by a Alberta Provincial Court Judge or a Justice of the Peace on short notice. EPO Orders are put in place to deal with incidents of family violence. Family violence includes the following
How Can I Challenge a Prenuptial Agreement in BC?
Occasionally, after a separation, one spouse may be less than happy with an existing prenuptial agreement or cohabitation agreement. Maybe because it severely limits their spousal support or leaves them with little property. So, what are the steps needed in British Columbia to challenge a prenuptial agreement?