There’s no doubt the pandemic has had an impact on relationships — in fact, one B.C. group estimates divorce rates are up 30 per cent globally. But the pandemic has also influenced how people separate.
With so much COVID-related uncertainty around health, finances, education and employment, some separated couples may choose to continue living together for financial or other practical reasons.
I’m rarely surprised to hear about a couple calling it quits, but when I read the news of Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce, it caught me off guard. I imagine many power couples have arrangements where they discretely lead separate lives rather than formally end their marriages.
More and more, we head to social media to announce important milestones such as the birth of a child or a new job –– and sometimes to share the more mundane moments, such as the pasta we made for dinner last night.
Canadians spend almost two hours every day on social media, catching up on news, connecting with friends and family or simply as a distraction from the misery of a global pandemic. But Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and others have also become popular stomping grounds for venting frustrations, throwing shade and launching digital wars of words with anyone who doesn’t share our opinions.
The past year has been one like no other in family law. Almost from the day we entered lockdown in March of last year, my phone has been ringing non-stop.
New clients. Current clients. Anxious parents claiming that their co-parent was flouting COVID-19 rules and putting their children’s safety at risk, wanted to deny the children’s co-parent access. Former couples at odds over whether it was safe to send their kids back to school asked the court to decide the dilemma. Many people lost jobs or had to shut down businesses, and as a result, couldn’t meet their support obligations.
Taking a stand during your divorce may cause your children to perceive you as The Bad Guy. During a divorce, it is almost inevitable that there will be contentious issues that you'll have to take a stand for.
As much as I would've liked for my divorce to proceed smoothly, unfortunately, many divorces turn out to be acrimonious like mine. Needless to say, it is not only difficult for the husband and wife, but it is also hard on our children.
There’s no sugar-coating how painful it is to end a marriage or long-term partnership. When I tell clients going through divorce that I understand their stress and anxiety, I’m speaking from experience.
In 2005, with two children under the age of four, my husband and I separated, and in the fall of 2008, our divorce was finalized. Our marriage hadn’t been going well for a while and we both knew it was the right decision, even though at the time it felt like I had somehow failed.
One of the most challenging aspects of being a family law lawyer is managing clients’ expectations as they go through a divorce. Often, it’s their first time dealing with a legal matter, and they need guidance and direction from their lawyer on costs, timelines and potential outcomes.
Did you watch HBO’s psychological thriller The Undoing starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant? The six-part miniseries features Manhattan power couple Grace and Jonathan Fraser, whose picture-perfect life comes crashing down when Jonathan is arrested for the murder of his mistress Elena Alvez.
I was on the edge of my seat for this nail-biter series and had some thoughts. For the uninitiated, here’s a quick synopsis: Kidman plays Grace Fraser, a successful psychologist married to esteemed pediatric oncologist Jonathan (played by Grant). The couple seems to be living a charmed life with their 12-year-old son Henry –– until Jonathan’s web of lies starts to unravel.
Stop me if you ve heard this one: divorce is often messy and can bring out the negative traits in people. Couples frequently disagree on issues like custody, parenting schedules and what to do with the matrimonial home, among other issues.
In my practice, I see the divorce process frequently transform otherwise reasonable people into the worst versions of themselves. They're hurt, angry, unwilling to compromise and are intent on making their former partner pay for causing such a drastic change in their lives.
Everyone deserves access to justice, whether they have the means to hire a lawyer or not. It's an increasingly important issue in family law, where the growing number of self-represented litigants (SRLs) is a clear indicator that the legal system is not working as it should.
In this column, I'll unpack the reasons behind the surge of people opting to represent themselves and offer some tips and guidance on how to be successful if you choose that route.
