Embarking on a divorce journey can be daunting, but arming yourself with the right information is key. In Canada, before taking this significant step, consider a few crucial to-dos:
- Financial Documentation: Gather records of your assets, debts, income, and expenses. Having a clear financial picture is fundamental for fair division.
- Legal Grounds: Familiarize yourself with the legal grounds for separation and divorce in your jurisdiction. Being informed empowers you to make decisions aligned with the law.
- Spousal Support: Understand spousal support. Factors such as the length of the marriage, financial need, and financial consequences arising from the care of children may influence these arangements.
- Property Division: Learn about the rules governing the division of family property. Alberta generally follows the principle of equal division, but nuances exist, particularly concerning excluded assets.
Navigating a divorce is complex, but with the right knowledge and support, you can make informed decisions that matter.
If you or someone you know is going through divorce, please reach out so we can provide you with the best options for your situation.
Beryl McNeill is a Calgary divorce lawyer who strongly believes mutual respect and understanding go a long way toward resolving family law matters. As a Registered Collaborative Law practitioner in Calgary, she has dedicated her firm to amicable, cooperative negotiation as a means for settling divorces. Furthermore, throughout her law career, Beryl has seen the costs of adversarial negotiations, both financial and emotional. In emphasizing the collaborative approach, Beryl offers her clients a more efficient model that preserves personal and monetary assets alike.
More and more individuals are attracted to resolving their family law matters in a civil, respectful way. Therefore, they come to Beryl from many walks of life—as professionals in the oil and gas industry and their spouses, business owners, and working spouses with children. Clients say that even after a single consultation with Beryl they feel less stressed and more clear about the way forward.
Beryl understands the often fearful, emotional early stages of divorce. Incorporating skills developed from her training as a life coach, Beryl helps clients move beyond their stress response to more logical, creative thinking. Once there, she works with clients to discover what’s truly important to them in attaining divorce. Furthermore, she encourages clients to picture what a successful settlement would look like a year or more down the road as a means of focusing on their goals. By educating and empowering clients, Beryl seeks to transform the way they resolve family disputes—in a more constructive, intelligent and amicable way than would be possible otherwise.
Finally, Beryl is very active with the Family Bar and the Collaborative Law Community. Her involvement provides her clients with the assurance that she has her finger on the pulse of Family Law in Alberta, offering them a distinct advantage in their quest for equity and civility.