The complexity of Divorce and Family Law matters can be an overwhelming challenge for any spouse.
When lawyers and courts get involved, divorce is a complicated and draining process. As you plan for your future, figure out your finances, and possibly understand how your co-parenting will work, you are likely to learn many things. During this new phase in your life, you might not even have considered your own emotions by the time it’s all over.
What You Should Know About Family Law in Ontario
When you separate, you can resolve family matters through agreements and court orders, but your marriage does not end legally as a result. It can only be terminated through a divorce proceeding. Divorce can only be granted by the court.
You can ask the court to decide the terms of your divorce if you and your spouse cannot agree. Alternatively, you can submit your agreement to the court, if you and your spouse agree. If that’s the case, a judge will probably not be involved. Once your divorce is finalized, you can start dating again.
Listed below are some tips for dealing with divorce and family law matters:
1) Get Organized In Divorce and Family Law Matters
During a divorce, spouses need to appear transparent when dealing with money matters, especially support and property division.
This means sharing financial information with your spouse, including income tax returns and bank account statements. In divorces, honesty and accuracy in financial disclosure are crucial, no matter how reasonable money issues are between the spouses. Thus, you should start gathering your financial documents as soon as possible.
2) Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
It is likely that you’ll hear from relatives, friends, co-workers, and fictional TV and literary characters. Reduce that “legal advice” to writing and shred it. You should not take the result as a prediction. Divorced or separated people tend to have unrealistic expectations about their legal rights or obligations, leaving you open to disappointment.
It is important to keep in mind every case must be evaluated within the context of its own unique set of circumstances: the income of the particular couple, the assets/liabilities of the particular couple, and the perceived best interests of the particular couple’s children.
3) Ensure That You Have a Reliable Support Network
As part of the divorce process, you will need support: both emotionally and financially. You may receive emotional support from professional counseling, an online support group, or even from your core of family and friends. It is likely that you will have some moments in which you feel like the walls are closing in on you. People who are willing to listen on those bad days will be a great asset to you. It is advisable to seek out other healthy ways of treating your emotions in order to avoid the temptation to continually compartmentalize and “find your happy place”.
Additionally, managing legal fees in contested Divorce & Family Law matters can be challenging. Choosing a lawyer within your means is only half the battle. You should also come up with a concrete plan for financing their fees, upfront and as cases progress.
4) Social Media During Divorce and Family Law Matters
The expertise of divorce and family lawyers can cite no shortage of examples of spouses undermining their own positions on social media and in written communication with their spouses.
In social media and divorce, the best rule is to never post anything when in doubt. Things you see and read online can be taken out of context and taken out of context by people. It is easy for the reader to interpret something you post online, which can cause problems in a divorce case. It is much more challenging to achieve favorable outcomes in divorce and family law matters when you are the author of your own misfortune.
The sensible spouse uses social media and telecommunications with discipline and restraint throughout the divorce process. Use your best judgment.
5) Consider the Need for Experts
Divorce & Family matters move forward toward resolution when a lawyer-client relationship is healthy. Consider your spouse and the issues, and choose your lawyer accordingly if you can anticipate the complexity, style, pace, and tone of your divorce or family law matter. The types of divorce lawyers and their areas of practice vary, as well as their levels of experience.
The constant exchange of legal advice and instructions from clients has its limits, however. It may become necessary to delegate outside professional opinions and advice at some point if that is the case. There may be times when it is necessary to consult with a Counselor/Parenting Expert.
At Hussain Law, we focus on helping our clients navigate the emotional and financial challenges of separation and divorce. Our office remains fully operational, and we have implemented various new procedures that allow us to continue to advise clients seamlessly during this time. If you have a family law issue that you need assistance with, please contact Ayesha Hussain at 647-428-3919.
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