Things My Ex Told Me #1: Child Support

One phrase I hear regularly from clients is “My ex told me that…”. So, I thought it might be helpful to start blogging about some of the “ex misconceptions” that are circulating out there. In my first post, I tackle the topic of child support.

What's Up With That? Episode IV: Risky Business

Alex Boland and Simon Kent are back at it with another installment of “What’s Up With That?”. In Episode IV, Alex and Simon discuss how to calculate child support if you’re a business owner. Take a look!

Deducting Legal Fees

As we head into tax season, we thought it was a good time to share some information about when legal fees may be tax deductible.

Child Support When Parenting is Shared: Who Pays What?

Shared parenting by separated spouses is becoming more and more common. Despite this increased prevalence, many ex-spouses are still confused about their child support obligations when parenting is shared.

Imputing Income to the Payor Spouse

The first step in calculating how much child or spousal support one ex-spouse must pay the other is to determine the paying spouse’s income. The starting point for this is the amount reported on line 150 of the payor’s most recent tax return.

Early Retirement, Interrupted (by Divorce)

Retirement. Long golden days stretching late into the evening. Time to focus on golf, painting, crossword puzzles and connecting with friends and family. Unfortunately, divorce can derail these plans, particularly when it comes to spousal support.

Family Law Fraud: The Truth Will Out

Last week, CBC Web Writer Bethany Lindsay highlighted a real-life example of how the "truth will out" in family law disputes.

Distributing Family Assets to Pay for Litigation

Inspired by a recent Financial Post article about the court’s ability to require one spouse to pay the other’s legal expenses, Louise discusses another way that BC family law levels the playing field between spouses to increase access to justice.

Spousal Support: Three Common Misassumptions

Last month, my colleague F. Scott Murray debunked four myths about divorce. Continuing that theme, this month I clear up some confusion surrounding spousal support.

Spousal Support Reviews

Whether a spousal support “review” is warranted depends on the nature of the existing agreement or court order dealing with spousal support.

The Cancer Of Family Law: Non-Disclosure Of Financial Assets

Non-disclosure of assets is the cancer of matrimonial property litigation -Cunha v. Cunha (1994), 99 B.C.L.R. (2d) 93 (S.C.) Non-disclosure of financial information, whether real or imagined, is almost invariably claimed by one spouse...

“Divorce Lenders”: A Solution To The High Cost Of Divorce?

We wanted to share this interesting piece we found in The Guardian on “divorce lenders” in the US and UK. These financiers are capitalizing on the high US divorce rate by lending money to the “non-monied spouse”, at a high interest...

How Divorce Can Affect Your Credit

We recently read another great article online dealing with the financial aspects of divorce. This one, by freelance writer Paul Sisolak, explains some of the ways a divorce can impact your credit indirectly and how to prepare yourself to recover...

Tax Treatment Of Legal Fees Related To Support Payments

(Originally posted April 4, 2012. Updated April 2016.) As we are in the heart of tax season, I thought it timely to offer some information about how Canadian tax laws treat legal fees relating to a family proceeding. Keep in mind that I am not,...

Early Retirement And The Implications For Spousal Support

This blog post addresses the issue of voluntary early retirement and how this may affect spousal support orders. Voluntary early retirement is defined as someone who could continue to work, but chooses, ...

How To Avoid Losing Your Shirt (Or Shell) On Separation Or Divorce

(Originally posted July 2012. Updated May 2016.) While many people feel like a snail without a shell after a divorce, the reality is Canadian family law dictates that family assets are divided equally between spouses...

4 Things Newly Single Women Should Do With Their Finances

We wanted to share this terrific article from the Money section of US News & World Report by Masood Vojdani on how to prepare financially for a spouse's death since the suggestions apply equally in the context of divorce‬.

The "Divorce Mortgage"

A recent Forbes article (read it here) considered the "divorce mortgage" concept being floated by some UK lenders due to “a flood of older people being forced to sell their homes after they split in later life".

Divorcing Dinks (Double Income, No Kids)

"The Lifestyle to Which You’ve Become Accustomed" No matter their age or how long they’ve been married, all Canadians who decide to divorce are subject to the same laws regarding spousal and child support.

Back to School: Who Pays for What?

For parents of school-aged children, September can herald a (sometimes welcome) return to routine. However, fall can also bring with it added financial and logistical stresses, as parents adjust to new money and time demands.