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Although the month of January is coming to a close very quickly, it still bears bringing to light the fact that January is International Child-Centered Divorce Month.  It was started by Rosalind Sedacca in theUSA who wanted to bring together divorce professionals who would focus one month of the year on providing local educational events, discussion groups, and other activities for divorcing parents and those contemplating divorce.  InLloydminster, we don’t have any such events, but this article is my way to participate in a small way in the movement.

I thought I would share Rosalind Sedacca’s list of the “10 Biggest …

When you are travelling this holiday season, do yourself and your kids a favour – get a Consent to Travel form signed by the non-travelling parent in front of a Notary Public or a Commissioner for Oaths.  This is not only required for divorced/divorcing parents – it’s anytime you are travelling without the other parent (I’m married, and I’ve been asked for it every time I travel alone).

Technically, you only need this form for travel outside ofCanada.  If you want to do it yourself, you can go on the Transport Canada website and they have a form for you to …

You mean you still have to work with your ex on issues regarding the kids after the divorce has been finalized? Imagine that!

Some clients wonder why I encourage them to choose a divorce process that will allow them to be able to (and even want to) communicate with their ex post-divorce.  Extra-curricular activities often consume a great deal of your kids’ out-of-school time.  It is helpful if you have a good working co-parenting relationship with your ex, because it will then be more likely that you will co-operate to get the kids where they need to go, on time.

Think about …

By agreement between you and your former spouse, you have a right to enter into a parenting arrangement with biological kids and/or step-kids. 

If you and your former spouse cannot agree, you may make an application to Court to ask for time with your step-kids.  If you are unmarried and the kids reside in Alberta, you may apply to Court under the provisions of the Family Law Act called “contact time”.  This is designed for anyone who believes that they have a right to spend time with kids who is not a legal guardian of the kids.  In fact, this is …

Can “sharing” and “divorcing” go together in the same sentence? As you work out your parenting plan, and determine where the kids are going to live, have you come to impasse where you truly believe that you cannot come to an agreement on who will get the kids when and for how long? You may want to consider continuing to share your matrimonial home with your ex-spouse.

“How on earth…” you say? Well, did any of you follow the TLC reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8? When they first separated, they did this type of parenting plan.  Kids stay in …

Once your kids are 16 years old, they may apply for their passport without requiring their parents’ signatures.  Until that age, though, both parents’ consent are usually required – this consent comes in the form of a signature on the application form.

If you have a Separation Agreement or a Court Order for “joint custody”, this automatically requires both parents’ signatures on the application.  If one parent has “sole custody” and the other parent has “reasonable access”, then the non-custodial parent’s signature may not be required.  If the non-custodial parent has specified access, then their signature will be required.

Passport Canada will …

The cost of your separation and/or divorce usually depends on two factors: (1) the number of issues you and your spouse have to resolve (and their complexity) and (2) your level of conflict.

Most family lawyers charge on the basis of time spent on your matter, usually broken down into tenths of an hour or 6-minute intervals (0.1).  It is customary for lawyers to provide clients with very detailed Statements of Account which will show you exactly when your lawyer spent time on your matter, and what they did during that time.  The minimum charge is usually 6-minutes (0.1), but some …

When I am facilitating the Parenting After Separation seminar, one of the goals of the course is to teach parents the importance of creating a detailed parenting plan for how they will parent their children post-separation and divorce.  I thought I would reiterate this importance.

Usually, the goal of creating a parenting plan is to come together with the other parent to make a plan which will allow flexibility and adaptability to the changing needs of your children.  As their needs change, so too should your willingness to alter your original “plan”.  A judge can also impose a parenting plan, but …

When you get divorced, your spousal relationship ends but your parental relationship will continue forever.  Once the dust settles after you have finalized your parenting plan, you will likely be required to interact with your ex because of the children more than you would have thought.  For the kids’ sake, try to be a good co-parent.

Be flexible and accommodating – remember the old saying “tit for tat”.  If you are flexible with the other parent, they will likely return the favour to you later.  Life happens.  There are times when unavoidable things come up, and changes are required to the …

It is going to be difficult to tell your kids that their parents are divorcing. How you tell them, and how you help them deal with their emotions in the aftermath of breaking the news is very important to consider.

Here are some tips on breaking the news:

Show that you are unified – if you can keep the conflict at bay, sit down together with your kids to tell them about the news as a family. Your kids should know that you are both there for them, and will continue to both be involved as their parents.

Have …