Do you need a family law lawyer in London, Ontario? You may be able to resolve your conflict outside of court and minimize the concerns you may have regarding your own involvement in the case or your children.

The family law courts in London, Ontario, Canada are located at the Ontario Court of Justice, located at 80 Dundas St, London, ON N6A 6A3, Canada. Additionally, the Superior Court of Justice – Family Court also hears family law cases and is located at 80 Dundas St, London, ON N6A 6A3, Canada.

Are family law cases public record in Ontario?

The proceedings and documents related to family law cases, including divorce, custody, and support, are confidential and protected by privacy laws. Access to these records is usually restricted to the parties involved in the case, their legal representatives, and individuals who have obtained the court’s permission to access the records.

There are some exceptions, such as when the court orders the release of information to the public or when a party involved in the case voluntarily makes information public. However, even in these circumstances, personal information that is protected by privacy laws, such as the identities of minors, may still be redacted or kept confidential.

However, the courtrooms are often open to the public, so people can come to watch.

Family law lawyer in London Ontario

Are you looking for a family court lawyer to help you with a legal issue? Most lawyers suggest avoiding court if possible. However, sometimes working on a separation agreement or a custody agreement fails. Sometimes a demand letter simply doesn’t work.

Do you live in a remote city in Ontario? You can hire a Toronto lawyer who can’t show up in court. But they might be able to do family law pleadings for you. They will be able to start notice of a family claim for you. Sometimes starting legal action against someone is enough to get someone to settle with you.

London Ontario Court Services

Lawyers can file applications and appear in chambers. This will enable you to deal with small issues before things go on trial. Waiting for a trial can take a long time. Courts are very backlogged due to the number of files.
Family law litigators can file motions to move things along.
Lawyers can attend trials.
They can do private meetings between the parties.
Lawyers can attend case conferences.

If a court date has already been set, do not wait until the last minute to deal with it. Contact a law firm at least a month in advance if possible. There may be filing deadlines of 8 days before court. Keep in mind that it will take time for your lawyer to understand your case. Once they understand everything, they will need to prepare for court.

Many people think going to court is simple and cheap, but it’s not. You will need to pay a retainer of at least $5000 and you will need to help your lawyer understand the facts. You will have to provide all the evidence to the law firm you hire.

Just like a doctor, a family law lawyer in London Ontario must move quickly to get someone out of trouble. Lawyers use their skills to make quick and important decisions. Law firms enjoy taking on hard problems that others cannot solve. This is because it allows them to be creative and apply the law to a situation.

Family law lawyer in London Ontario

Sometimes if someone is chasing you for money, and you should pay it, the last thing you want is to appear in front of a judge. Once a judge decides, the other side might be able to sell your property to pay the money you owe.

The best family lawyers also try to keep things out of court to save their clients money. However, sometimes this is not always possible. If the other side is refusing to be reasonable, you might need to book a trial date. Less than 3% of family law disputes go to trial. The average Canadian simply cannot afford it.

Ministry of Children and Family Development

In Ontario, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (‘MCFD’) is accountable for the child welfare and leadership policy objectives of the Child Family and Community Services Act (‘CFCSA’).

Further, under the CFCSA, a minister gets to appoint the Child Protection Officer. They are progressively responsible for making sure that every child is tended to and safe at home. The Minister of Children & Family Development is expected to make exceptional progress on the following priorities:

The security plan, also known as a safety plan, lays out just how your child will be cared for. This takes place during a child welfare investigative process. Such plans are often one of the principal steps after MCFD obtains a document on child protection issues.

Therefore, failing to comply with a security plan may end with just the forcible removal of the child. Make sure you understand the plan in great detail. If you don’t understand, ask a lawyer.

The care plan, also known as a family plan, outlines where your kid will reside while your case goes before the court.

Family Law London Ontario

The access agreement provides specific information and limitations on when and where you will be going to visit your child. Further, this agreement is normally only important when the MCFD has already removed your child from your home.

Have you now engaged in a CFCSA matter and approached the MCFD for assistance? At this challenging moment in your life, it is important to realize your options. You might want to reach an agreement with them. Although each household is unique, there are a lot of possible agreements that could be established. As a popular saying goes: not all your fingers are the same.

Reach out to us if you need to connect with a family law lawyer in London Ontario.

Paternity Test During Divorce

Looking for a paternity test during a divorce? A common topic of new clients is whether or not they should even be involved in the family law proceedings their ex has served them with.

Often the subject matter is the custody, access and support of a newborn or young child. While some clients are critical of paternity or DNA testing or think it is just something that you see on daytime talk shows, the results of such tests can have drastic consequences on a family law file.

Paternity test during divorce

Technology has progressed over the last 20 years. Paternity tests can now determine the likelihood of the biological parents of a child to within .001% clarity.

The costs associated with such tests have also become more affordable. Many DNA companies charge less than $1,000.00 per test.

It is amazing how the stigma of the topic remains in a number of family law cases. This stigma remains despite the reality of what the results may hold for both parties.

On one hand, we have the mothers (this issue takes on a whole different set of challenges in the case of same-sex couples. Therefore, for simplicity’s sake I will only be referring to heterosexual relationships) who may have doubts about who the biological father of their child is.

They would prefer to not have a certain potential father in the child’s life due to a number of reasons (potential abuse, poor parenting skills, substance issues etc.)

Family Law London Ontario

On the other hand, we have the fathers who may also have doubts about their status as the child’s biological father or fear that this is a sort of trap for support by their partner (as pessimistic as this may sound it has been known to happen).

While it is not a necessity to have a paternity test completed in a London family law proceeding, either party can request that a test be completed at any time during the proceeding.

Of course, it makes sense to have the test completed as soon as possible as a negative result can lead to the termination of a family law proceeding in short order and save both parties considerable legal costs.

DNA Tests are important

Another reason to have a DNA test completed as soon as possible revolves around the term loco parentis. This term can be used in court if a party is not the biological parent of a child.

If they have stood in place and acted as the biological parent would have acted, they can then be responsible for the financial support and general well-being of the child.

Read more: File Legal Separation Agreement Without a Lawyer

If a party is not the biological parent but has acted as one they can argue for joint custody. They can also ask for parenting time with the child. Oftentimes step-parents will use loco parentis in their court documents.

A party is not granted the status of loco parentis as a default. Typically timelines and total involvement with the child will be considered by the judge overseeing the case.

If you have any doubts regarding your status as a child’s biological parent, a DNA test can help. It could provide a quick solution to long-term, drawn out and highly emotional legal matters down the road.

Author: Alistair Vigier is the CEO of ClearWay Law

Navigate Family Law Issues in London, Ontario

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