Divorce
Divorce lawyers specialize in family law matters pertaining to the legal cessation of a marriage between spouses. These lawyers draft divorce agreements, which authorize the court to legally end a marriage at common law. Lawyers at De Bousquet PC specialize in the two main types of divorce agreements recognized in Ontario:
- Uncontested Divorce: where both parties agree to all the terms and conditions of their divorce. While an uncontested divorce is something parties can independently file divorce applications to the family court, lawyers at De Bousquet PC can assist with reviewing the terms of your agreement to ensure discrepancies are avoided and facilitate the filing process.
- Contested Divorce: where both parties cannot agree to all the terms and conditions of their divorce, such as finances, child and spousal support, division of assets, and more. Contested divorces are settled with the assistance of counsel, and family courts may handle some matters. A party may also file for a contested divorce where the other party refuses to sign the divorce agreement.
Separation Agreements
Some couples may legally end their relationship through a separation agreement rather than divorce. A separation agreement legally permits spouses to live separately without legally ending their marriage. At De Bousquet PC, our lawyers are skilled in drafting separation agreements to allow you and your spouse to handle various aspects of your marriage, including child support, spousal support, parenting time, division of property, living situation, etc.
Child Support
Child support is a monthly-calculated fee owed from one parent to another to support their child’s day-to-day expenses, pursuant to federal or provincial Child Support Guidelines (CSG). Our lawyers are well-informed about Ontario’s CSG to help attain the best possible resources for our client’s children.
Spousal Support
Spousal support is money paid from one spouse to the other following separation or divorce, with respect to the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAGs). Our lawyers can determine how the SSAGs apply to your situation in order to estimate how much judges will calculate in spousal support and for how long.
Cohabitation Agreements & Marriage Contracts (aka Pre-Nups)
The Ontario Common Law protects the financial interests of couples who choose to live together unmarried. Accordingly, cohabitation agreements (colloquially called pre-nuptial agreements or pre-nups) legally become marriage contracts if a common law couple marries. Our lawyers draft and review such agreements to protect each spouse’s rights pertaining to the division of property, support obligations, etc.