What Qualifies as a Support Payment?

What qualifies as a support payment, and how it is taxed, are important issues.  How support payments are defined affects your income (as defined by CRA), the amount of tax deductions you are allowed, and ultimately how much income tax you pay.  Each person’s case is unique, and you should…

Legal Fees are Tax Deductible in Certain Cases

Legal fees are tax deductible in family law cases when they result in either child or periodic spousal support.  However, only the part of your case that relates to support is tax deductible. For example, if your case involves obtaining a divorce, child custody, and child support, they only cost…

Taking the Mystery out of Legal Fees

Chances are that, if your only experience with lawyers is watching Law and Order or Ally McBeal, the cost of legal fees may come as a shock.  Most people do not give much thought to the cost of hiring a lawyer, until they need one. It is good to remember…

The Friendly Divorce – You can make it happen

The friendly divorce can happen. According to Joanna Pachner, author of “The Friendly Divorce” (Chatelaine, April 2015 issue),  couples can separate from each other without it resulting in the trauma of breaking up of the family unit. Pachner describes going through a “divorce revolution”.  The revolution involves re-working expectations for…

Top 10 Ways To Reduce Your Legal Bill

Top 10 Ways To Reduce Your Legal Bill

A woman’s journal is open and she has drawn a picture of a dollar sign, as she thinks about how she is going to afford her legal fees.

Top 5 tips when selecting a Family Therapist during separation

Did you know that anyone in B.C. can call themselves a “counsellor” or a “therapist”? If you are looking for a counsellor to help you or your children get through a separation, consider these top 5 suggestions: 1.  FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF COUNSELLOR YOUR FAMILY NEEDS There are a…