Toronto Family Law Blog

Divorce is often portrayed as a bitter, dragged out battle that pits people against each other and ends with a loser and a winner. But while the process may not be enjoyable, it does not have to look like this.  There are alternative methods of dispute resolution.

Options like mediation make it possible for couples to divorce in a more peaceful, amicable manner, which can appeal to people hoping to get through a divorce as smoothly and cooperatively as possible. That said, there are things every person should know before settling on or deciding against mediating divorce-related matters.

Securing child-related agreements after divorce or separation provides parents with a sort of map for the next chapter. Parties can have a better idea of the road ahead and plan for any obstacles that might arise.

However, things change over time. And that can mean you need a new map. As such, seeking a modification of custody or support orders can be necessary.

Family legal issues are not new. That said, there are shifts in how parties resolve these matters. An outcome that may have been virtually impossible or incomprehensible for our parents may now be the best option for modern families.

As such, parties going through divorce should consider whether traditional solutions are right for them or if there could be new ways to resolve age-old issues. We examine some of these options below.

Guest Post By Glenn Cheriton, President of the Canadian Equal Parenting Council

Fathers' Rights are controversial in Canada: they don't exist according to some, they are the biggest threat to society to others, yet to others they are an essential demand.

There are legal aspects to fathers' rights, to parenting rights and to family rights, but I would like to focus on the political aspects, or rephrasing fathers' rights as political rights.

Gene Colman does an excellent review of fathers' rights as legal rights and his suggestions for strategy in focussing on children's rights, family rights, and equal shared parenting as a social solution is an approach I support.