Family Law
Divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and domestic violence protections in Canada.
Divorce
In Canada there is only one legal ground for divorce: breakdown of the marriage. The most common way to prove this is living separate and apart for one year — about 95% of divorces use this route. You...
Child Custody (Parenting Orders)
Since March 1, 2021, the terms "custody" and "access" have been replaced with "decision-making responsibility" and "parenting time" under the updated Divorce Ac...
Child Support
Both parents are financially responsible for their children. The Federal Child Support Guidelines set standard amounts based on the paying parent's income and the number of children.The child support...
Spousal Support
Spousal support is not automatic — the person asking for it must first establish entitlement. There are three main bases: compensatory (you gave up career opportunities for the family), needs-based (y...
Division of Property
Property division in Canada is governed by provincial law, not federal. The general principle is that property acquired during the marriage should be divided fairly — usually equally. Most provinces u...
Domestic Violence Protections
Canada has three legal systems that address domestic violence: criminal law (federal), family law (provincial), and domestic violence legislation (provincial).The Criminal Code covers assault, crimina...