Collaborative Divorce Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Collaborative Divorce Alberta

06/08/19

Are you a divorce “DIYer”?

When it comes to taking care of your finances, are you a Do-It-Yourself-er? Do you like to buy/sell your own investments, search for the lowest insurance rates, complete your own tax return? There are many people who feel they can save money by overseeing their own finances. And if they are considering a divorce or separation, they may feel they can handle that on their own, too. There are rules and laws in place when it come to dividing marital property in Alberta. Trying to figure this out is not something you should do on your own. You will need...

05/15/19

Three Ways to Keep Your Divorce Out of Court

Divorces in Alberta often end in court applications and trials. Contrary to popular belief, there are alternatives out there. Unfortunately, in other jurisdictions different terms are used so there is a lot of confusion about processes that are available in Alberta. Below I will define three processes for you because these are often confused or misunderstood by the clients I see. The only step of the divorce process where a court is actually required is the signing of the divorce judgment and divorce certificate. This is a simple matter that can be taken care of at the end of any...

12/17/18

Finding your best self in moving forward from a divorce or separation

Dorothy, in the movie “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” befriends three new companions on her journey to the Emerald City. To her dismay, she found that each new friend lacked the qualities needed to continue through the hardships and complete the excursion. Likewise, on this journey of divorce, and our quest to move forward through the pain, hurt, and grief; we must also embrace the deepest and best parts of ourselves. We need to find our courage, use our brains, and have a heart of compassion if we want to heal and transition well. As you know, on this painful...

12/06/18

How Alberta Business Owners Calculate Child Support

Divorce can be a complicated and confusing process. Between the lawyers, the paperwork, the financial strain, tracking household information, and the potential emotional distress and strain, spousal separation can be very difficult indeed. When your children or family business are entangled in the divorce proceedings, this is doubly true. If you own a business and have to calculate child support, you may be confused as to how this should be done. Below, we will outline how child support is calculated for Alberta business owners. How is Child Support Calculated and What Are the Rules? The Federal and Alberta Child Support Guidelines...

11/27/18

How to overcome the overwhelming feelings of divorce

If you’re as old as I am, you can remember well the 1991 movie, ‘What about Bob?’ Psychologist Leo Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss, gave the perfect advice to client Bob, played by Bill Murray. “Baby steps!” The same can be said with divorce. If we look at the big picture and see the mountain before us, one can get stuck in “the overwhelm.” Similar to the old joke, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!” If we’re going to scale the mountain, it’s best we spend time at base camp gathering our supplies and preparing...

11/20/18

Separation & Divorce Can Be Tricky for Your Finances

There’s nothing enjoyable about a separation/divorce, regardless of who initiated the action. But life happens, and people need to move on. I began specializing my mortgage brokering business on servicing the needs of those going through separation/divorce after personally having to navigate the processes alone. It was a very humbling experience having to ask my parents to co-sign my mortgage in my 30’s. That was my driver to find another way, so nobody else had to go thru what I did. I help homeowners split their marital home and educate my clients so they can create financial independence and own...

11/12/18

Why hire a divorce coach for your divorce?

Like happiness, a divorce coach is different things to different people. There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach. The beauty of partnering with a divorce coach is that they can take on a variety of roles depending upon where you are in the separation process, and what is needed at the time. First, a divorce coach is like a concierge; the go-to-person when you first realize you are about to embark upon the biggest change of your life. During your initial consultation, a divorce coach listens genuinely to your story and tries to unpackage where you are in the...

11/05/18

Promptly exchanging all financial disclosure is key to a quick resolution

If your goal is to avoid court and come to a quick resolution about the division of the matrimonial property between you and your spouse, then it is important to know that you and your spouse must exchange a list of all your assets and debts, as well as any supporting documentation that either one of you would like to see. Under the Matrimonial Property Act (“MPA”) of Alberta you and your spouse can divide your property in any manner you agree, provided that: You understand the agreement that you have reached; and You follow the formal requirement of the...

10/24/18

CBC Radio: “Breakup – We’re done. Now, what about the kids?”

In early October 2018, CBC radio broadcast a one hour show about the effect of divorce on children. The broadcast is called “Breakup,” and you can listen to it on the CBC website. The show covered many deep concepts of what is involved in a healthy divorce, and I will blog about each of them later. The lawyer in me needs to stress that we all use the word “divorce” regardless of whether the couple was married. The most important message of “Breakup” is that there can be healthy divorces with parenting plans that eliminate or minimize harm to children....

10/05/18

Collaborative Divorce? Divorce Lawyers Collaborating? What is Collaborative Divorce?

I was at a social event the other night when someone overheard me say Collaborative Divorce. I was met with inquisitive facial expressions. Divorce lawyers? Collaborating? What is this Collaborative Divorce stuff? It seems the idea of divorce lawyers working together was quite amusing to them. The Collaborative Divorce process began in the United States by a lawyer by the name of Stuart Webb that was burned out and tired of fighting the fight. He and many others had long recognized that courtrooms were not the best place for families to resolve their disputes. The long,...

Collaborative Divorce Alberta

Collaborative Divorce Alberta Blog