If you’re considering separation or divorce, you have two options: you can address the matter with the court system, or you can opt for an out-of-court approach with collaborative family law. Rahul is trained and experienced helping families come to agreements for all important matters of separation/divorce out of court.
Not living in the same home is only a first, physical step toward separation or divorce, if you are married or in a common law relationship. Now, it’s time to call a lawyer who can help you work through the many legal issues that need to be settled. Finances, property, and, if children are part of the immediate family, parenting time and support will be important considerations in your separation, and your divorce now or in the future. Rahul, a Collaborative Divorce lawyer in Vancouver, can help you settle these issues out of court, either with a series of kitchen table meetings between you, your spouse, his/her lawyer, and Rahul, or via mediation, in which Rahul will act as an unbiased party to facilitate discussions that lead to agreements for your separation or divorce.
Every case is different and there is no fixed way to judge how much your divorce may cost. A general way to gauge cost is this: litigation costs the most, and depending on your particular case, the cost could be in tens of thousands of dollars. A mediation or collaborative settlement will cost much, much less and save you from emotional and financial hardships that often occur during traditional divorce.
The shortest route to divorce is usually mediation, which can take a few months. With Collaborative Divorce, more parties are involved to help the spouses and children in the family cope well with the situation. Collaborative Divorce generally takes longer than mediation. In court, a divorce can take one to three years to reach full resolution; one of the reasons for this is because the court systems are backlogged. To apply for divorce in court, parties must be living separate and apart for 12 months.
If your child’s safety is compromised by being with the other parent, you can seek legal intervention. Keeping your child away from his or her other parent without legal rights to do so can harm your parenting rights and your relationship with your child now and in the future.
If you have no separation agreement with your spouse, and you have no legal right to keep your children from their other parent, you need to seek legal advice prior to moving. If you do not, you could compromise your parental rights long term, as well as your relationship with your children now and in the future.