Guiding Clients Through Sensitive Family Law Matters

If your marriage is headed for divorce, you’ll benefit from hiring a skilled Vancouver family lawyer to help you navigate the next steps. When you contact Lam Legal Trial Lawyers, we’ll provide clarity on the divorce process so you can focus on moving forward.

We understand this type of legal issue is difficult to go through since no one plans for divorce when they get married, but sometimes it is the best option in the long run. If you’ve recently come to this conclusion, you have many important decisions to make before you can proceed with the divorce. These include asset and property distribution, child custody, spousal support, and more. If you’d appreciate guidance through these family law issues, contact our Vancouver law firm today to speak with our caring divorce lawyers.

How Does Property Division Work in British Columbia?

One of the most complex family law matters is property division, which may be handled differently in each province. The British Columbia court system uses the equitable division model guided by the Family Law Act, which states that couples must divide family property fairly, not necessarily equally. This means a BC Supreme Court judge will consider several factors to ensure family property is divided equitably rather than simply granting half to each spouse.

Family property typically includes anything you and your spouse bought together or anything either of you acquired during the marriage. In most cases, this consists of the following:

• The family home
• Bank accounts
• Investments
• Pensions
• Household goods
• Vehicles
• Business interests

There are some exceptions to what’s defined as family assets. For example, if you received an inheritance or gift meant specifically for you, a BC Supreme Court judge will likely let you keep it rather than share it with your spouse. If you’re unsure of what property you must split during the property division stage of your family law case, contact our Vancouver family law lawyers.

Who Gets Spousal Support?

Some family law cases involve spousal support, which describes regular payments from one spouse to the other after the divorce. Spousal support is typically only ordered when one spouse makes much less money than the other, putting them at a financial disadvantage once the marriage ends. If this is the case for you, ask an experienced family lawyer about this family law issue.

In most cases, a Supreme Court judge will only agree to submit a court order for spousal support if the recipient of the support payments would struggle to find a job that makes up for the loss of their spouse’s income. For instance, if you stayed home to care for your children for years and now lack the job skills or education to find a job that would pay your bills, you might need spousal support until you can support yourself with your career.

The duration of support will depend on how long you were married, as payments typically last anywhere from half a year to one year for each year of marriage. However, your spousal support could be indefinite if you were married for 20 years or more. This ruling is also the case if you were married for at least five years, and your age plus the length of your marriage add up to 65 or more. An experienced family lawyer can help with this matter, so contact our Vancouver family law group for advice.

What Family Law Matters Involve Your Children?

If you and your spouse share children under age 18, you’ll have to resolve disputes regarding complicated family matters, such as child support and child custody. You and your spouse must create a parenting plan that outlines the custody arrangements you want. These can include sole custody or joint custody, depending on whether one parent plans to be solely responsible for the child or if both parents want to be involved.

In most cases, the parent with less parenting time with the child will pay child support, especially if they make more money than the custodial parent. However, like many legal issues involving family law, child support can be complicated and may require guidance from a skilled family lawyer. If you have questions about child and spousal support in British Columbia, contact our family law firm for answers. We understand how complex family law issues involving your children can affect your family for years to come, so we’re happy to provide you with quality family law services.

Are You Ready to Call Vancouver Family Lawyers?

We pride ourselves on being reasonable and striving to keep your legal journey cost-effective, so we often start with alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation, during separation and divorce cases. However, we realize that some complex issues involving family law cannot be resolved amicably out of court. If that is the case for your family law matter, we will fight aggressively for you in court, as we have extensive experience offering litigation services for clients.

We know how to properly defend your rights so you can have peace of mind knowing what comes next. We also know ending your spousal relationship and initiating family law disputes in court can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. You can count on us to simplify the divorce process, litigating in court when necessary and ensuring you understand your legal options during your family law case. If you’re ready to focus on healing and moving on while we handle any family law disputes for you, call us at 604-800-0774 for an initial consultation.