Family Law

We help to transfer rights and responsibilities from biological parents to legal parents through our adoption process without future complications. Making the role of “step-parent” into legal permanent parent is a fulfilling part of our practice.

Access is also the right of the child. We advocate for the best interests of the child when assisting to ensure that positive relationships continue between parents and their children after separation.

When divorce does not address your needs, an annulment may be required. This can be for religious reasons, but often arises from other contexts as well.

Child Support is a basic right of the child. There are clear factors to determine the proper amount and there are systems in place to ensure that it gets paid. Our firm deals with Child Support collections through non-adversarial means if possible and through the court when necessary.

One of the best ways to avoid future misunderstandings in a common-law relationship is to have the necessary information written on paper. A professionally drawn cohabitation agreement will address all issues in a clear easy to read format and a professional can uncover additional areas that you may not have thought of.

When two or more people who are not married buy property, a co-ownership agreement is a good idea. It determines how things are conducted while the property is shared and how to deal with things when it is time to buy out or sell.

We have adjunct professionals who can assist with the emotional component of marriage breakdown or other stressful situations.

Child custody is one of the most important aspects of family law because it addresses the needs of the future generations. The best interests of the child are the primary factor when considering any custody agreement. Clearly, in order to determine the best interests of the child, many indicators must be considered such as housing, schooling, financial resources, family support systems, stability, etc.

Divorce is needed in order to remarry. Before dealing with the divorce, a separation agreement should be negotiated and signed.

These general contracts are used to ensure that parties are clear with their intentions. Various domestic contracts are available to keep life situations in order without any surprises.

Sometimes a court order needs to be enforced. Whether it’s a Family Court order or an order arising from a civil litigation matter, we will proceed through the proper channels to enforce any obligations that must be dealt with on legal terms.

To secure future ownership of assets, obligations for debts and support in case of a marriage breakdown, a Marriage Contract (often called a Prenuptial Agreement or Pre-nup) will legally protect our clients from surprises later on.

Darryl Glover is a trained mediator who assists with the mediation of separating couples as well as the ongoing arrangements of parenting. We also consult with clients participating in mediation so we can be a safe “sounding board” during the process. We believe that mediation is one of the most positive methods of settling family matters.

When a marriage or other spousal relationship breaks down, a separation agreement is necessary to establish the rights and obligations of both parties upon leaving the relationship or marriage. Separation agreements are documents that allow people to be “legally separated”. They clarify asset and debt sharing, what happens to the house, the kids and the personal belongings as well as pensions, estates, and anything else that needs to be addressed as his, hers or theirs. Spousal Support and Child Support are also dealt with during this process.

When a lengthy relationship or marriage ends, it is important to consider the resources of each party and their ability to support themselves.  Spousal Support can help to equalize the lifestyles of people who worked together as partners in life to build a future together when things change.

When assistance is needed from a friend or family member to acquire an asset such as a house or condo, a trust agreement can keep things clear for all involved.