Blog - Divorce, Custody, Estate Lawyers & Best Law Firm in Calgary

Proceeding with a guardianship or trusteeship application?

When an individual lacks the mental or physical capacity to care for themselves it can be extremely difficult for those close to that person, including friends and family members already engaged in a caring role. It is a very difficult circumstance as those tasked with caring for individuals that do no have capacity likely do not have authority to make the decisions that need to be made for this person. Further, individuals may find themselves being told they have made decisions that ...

Frustrated with trying to have your legal matter heard?

Family legal cases are rarely well served in extensive litigation. In family law, litigation often creates further barriers to move matters to resolution, by taking months and years to resolve. Litigation also takes on a winner and loser mentality which even more problematically often results in a loser and loser situation for both parties. Nothing is more frustrating to individuals to see their matter fractured with no potential resolution on the horizon as they are entrenche...

Legal Coaching

Here at Family Central Law we understand that you may need assistance on a limited scope basis where you are provided with tools and skills to manage your legal matter. Clients regularly seek guidance when they are navigating complicated legal matters and wish to have the support and insight of a lawyer in a format that works for them. This could mean meeting in person where we can provide legal information and case specific insights or providing these services by way of video/telephone...

Mandatory Filing Requirements - Court of Kings Bench and Alberta Court of Justice

As of December 18, 2023, the Court of King’s Bench has established the requirement that four mandatory pre-court requirements are met prior to a person bringing forward an application, which also includes filing of a family docket court notice to attend. These requirements apply to court cases in Edmonton Calgary. What are the Requirements? These are required for people who are both self-representing or have counsel. Completion of the online Parenting After Separation Course (PAS) (i...

High Income Spousal Support and Factors Included in Spousal Support Calculations

When calculating spousal support in family law cases, calculating the amount of spousal support will depend on specific factors. As a starting point when entitlement has been confirmed or assumed, family lawyers rely upon the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (“the Guidelines”) to calculate spousal support. These Guidelines were provided by a Government of Canada working group back in 2005 and have been updated annually. The Guidelines provide calculations based on the base factors of...

Child and Spousal Support and Imputation of Income

“ I’ll quit my job and flip burgers for a living!” -- it is one of the biggest cliches family lawyers regularly hear from a parent or spouse who earns a high income. Until recently, the law may not have penalized the party who went through on their threat. The Court of Appeal in Alberta over twenty-one years ago rendered a decision in the case Hunt v Smolis-Hunt, 2001 ABCA 229, which held that the payor needed to have a specific intent to show that they quit a more lucrative job specif...

Revenge Porn – Have you been a target of it?

The courts in Alberta, and in provinces across Canada have acknowledged and built upon the civil tort for a breach of privacy which can be found to occur when a person publicly exposes another person’s private images and videos. The most common cases of this is when a former partner/spouse uses privately held images and/or videos of their former partner/spouse that they were given. Where tort cases have found fault hinges on possession and use of these images and/or videos, as the expectat...

What is the Child Support Resolution Program?

Along with the encouragement of the Court to try settlement or resolution outside of a courtroom, there are upcoming changes to the previous DRO program at the Court of King’s Bench with an emphasis on parties to the litigation having quality settlement discussions before appearing before a Justice for a decision. The new program requires that the parties to a child support matter have provided and have received disclosure, in order to successfully make offers and review recommendations for...

Being told to avoid court? What's the alternatives?

The family court system is under strain with litigants that seek assistance in resolving matters, however, being in court very often does not lead to the resolution of these matters. Court applications are extremely time consuming, decisions, if made, are piecemeal leaving many outstanding issues without fulsome resolution, and the experience is often highly adversarial. It can often be heard a Judge telling a self-represented litigant in family court that they should seek legal advic...

Reasons to Not Self-Represent in Family Law Matters

For a myriad of reasons, many people believe that they are better off handling their divorce or other family law matters on their own, without the assistance of a lawyer. Some people are put-off by lawyers having intimate details regarding their family and separation, while others are concerned that involving lawyers could jeopardize the amicable nature of their separation. In addition, many people are unable or unwilling, or concerned about paying the costs associated with hiring a family l...

Reported Decisions

Proceeding with a guardianship or trusteeship application?

Frustrated with trying to have your legal matter heard?

Legal Coaching

Mandatory Filing Requirements - Court of Kings Bench and Alberta Court of Justice

High Income Spousal Support and Factors Included in Spousal Support Calculations

Child and Spousal Support and Imputation of Income

Revenge Porn – Have you been a target of it?

What is the Child Support Resolution Program?

Being told to avoid court? What's the alternatives?

Reasons to Not Self-Represent in Family Law Matters

Trusted Counsel for Calgary Family Law Matters