The most obvious reason to hire family law lawyers in Toronto is if you are contemplating a separation or a divorce. Divorce proceedings can be extremely stressful and full of uncertainties. Experienced divorce lawyers in Toronto can help to alleviate your stress by providing you with advice, having honest discussions with you about potential outcomes, and ensuring that your interests are protected throughout the entire process.
When people who have children are contemplating separation or divorce, issues surrounding their children are often their primary concern. A qualified and experienced family law lawyer can help you to navigate these concerns.
If you have a minor child, regardless of whether you and the other parent have been married, lived together, or not, both parents have specific rights. In recent years, involvement by both parents is highly regarded by the courts, so long as it is in the child’s best interests. If you have concerns about the custody of your child and your legal rights, obtaining help from a family lawyer is beneficial, and at the same time, helps protect your rights as the child’s parent. Child custody determines who will make the major decisions regarding education, healthcare etc. In the case of sole custody, one parent has the ability to make these decisions, without requiring agreement or permission from the other parent; in the case of joint custody, important decisions are made by both parents together.
Access
People often assume that custody and access are the same things. However, though they are interrelated they mean different things. Access deals with the amount of time each parent spends with the child; this is sometimes a decision made and agreed upon by the parents, or a decision imposed on parents by the courts if they cannot agree. In many cases, this can be an ongoing issue and point of contention for the separating parties. In any case, the bottom line for determining access deals with what is in the child’s best interests, sometimes that requires the assistance of legal counsel. Family lawyers can help parents attempting to reach amicable access schedules by offering a fresh perspective and a practical approach. If there is a current visitation schedule that the other parent is not adhering to, or a parent feels the schedule should be reviewed for potential changes, these are two more areas lawyers can lend their expertise and guidance.
The courts expect both parents, regardless of whether they were legally married, to contribute towards their child’s financial needs for food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and education. Even in instances when parents are not involved in their child’s life, they are expected to meet their financial obligations to that child. In addition, people’s financial situations do change, where they might find themselves unemployed, face a reduced income, or receive a promotion with a higher salary. Any substantial changes in circumstance should be reported to your lawyer to ensure that the amount of child support being paid is reflective of your current circumstances.
This blog post is not legal advice and was written for general information purposes only. Consult with a legal professional at Kain & Ball to find out about your rights and responsibilities specific to your circumstances.
The above information is NOT legal advice of any kind, and you should be sure to speak to a qualified family law lawyer about your specific situation. For more information, call us at 905-273-4588 or email us at contact@kainfamilylaw.com to book a free 30-minute consultation with one of our experienced family law lawyers at Kain & Ball Family Law.