In my role as mediator one of the questions I am asked most often by parents, community groups, and interested parties is if an agreement reached at Family Dispute Resolution is legally binding and enforceable through the family court. 

As a freshly minted lawyer, I came to a realization within a few months of joining the workforce- my very expensive university education prepared me for only half the battle. The part they don’t prepare you for at university is how sometimes the biggest obstacles...

If your divorce or separation is of the “contested” variety, the process can get very expensive, very quickly. The average cost in North America is $20,000 and goes up exponentially from there.

When we submit your divorce papers to the court in order to obtain a Judgment of Divorce (JOD), the terms of the Settlement Agreement become the law. That means that each party is now bound by the terms of the Agreement. Take a close look at the Agreement and highlight any sections that require action.

These days are full of turmoil and fast moving social and political issues that quickly escalate into “identity disputes.” In the words of my good friend and colleague Doug Thompson of the Consensus Building Institute: “We are all stressed up with no where to go.”

Halloween may not be as meaningful as other seasonal holidays, but for divorced or separated parents and their children, feelings of “missing out” on fun times can be very challenging.