The Divorce Process

Should you determine that your relationship is over and that you wish to get divorced, you will need to follow the process outlined below in order to officially terminate your marriage.  If you are unsure about the nature of your relationship, take a look at our previous blog posts regarding Common law vs. Marriage and Separation […]

Canada's legalization of Cannabis Use: How will it affect family law?

Canada’s Legalization of Cannabis Use: How Will it Affect Family Law?

Canada’s new Cannabis laws came into force October 17th, 2018, and it is important that persons who choose to consume the drug be aware of what the new laws allow (for a summary of some of the new laws see http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/). Failure to properly understand the laws and what is permitted regarding possession, distribution, and […]

Rabideau Law Food Drive 2018

We are proud to announce that we will be holding a Food Drive from November 1st-27th in support of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, and in the spirit of GivingTuesday. What is GivingTuesday? As stated on the GivingTuesday website: “It is a global movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Black […]

Consumer Proposal versus Division 1 Proposal

What Are The Differences Between a Consumer Proposal and a Division 1 Proposal? Many people are surprised to discover that Insolvency Trustees are able to offer two different types of proposals through the Bankruptcy Insolvency Act. The first of these is the commonly-known Consumer Proposal, and the second is called a Division 1 Proposal.   What are […]

Separation and the Matrimonial Home

Separation and the Matrimonial Home

On separation, parties often have to make hard decisions regarding how they will split assets, who will pay support, and how they will move on from the relationship.  At this time, one of the most contentious and difficult items to deal with is the Matrimonial Home.  Who gets to keep it? Will the kids remain […]

Working with an Estate Planning Lawyer

You’ve finally decided that you are ready to put together an estate plan (preparation of wills, trusts, and power of attorneys etc.) but are not sure about what the process will involve. Here’s a quick list of some items that you should be prepared for: Get specific about your assets There’s no estate plan without […]

Net Family Property and Equalization: An Introduction

Equalization is a payment from one spouse to the other at the end of a marriage.  This equalization payment ONLY applies to married spouses, not to common law spouses.  S. 5(1) of the Family Law Act (“FLA“) provides for Equalization when: A divorce is granted; Marriage is declared a nullity; When (married) spouses are separated and there is […]

Child Custody and Access Introduction

One of the most significant concerns for parents, if not THE most significant concern, on separation is what will happen with the children.  Where will the child live? Who is going to make decisions for the child regarding their education, religion, or medical care? How much time will each partner spend with the children? These […]

A Taste of the Estate Administration Process

What is the Estate? When a person passes away, all assets that the individual leaves behind may be referred to as that person’s “estate”. Generally, this could include bank accounts, investments, cash, jewelry, cars, business interests and the like. Sometimes the deceased owns a fractional interest in the asset (such as a part of a […]

Spousal Support: The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines

Spousal Support: The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines

Spousal support is often a very contentious issue on separation as it has a much more subjective approach than child support.  A lot more factors go into determining a spousal support amount and there is no hard and fast rule on how it is to be calculated.  The government has provided a set of guidelines […]