If you are experiencing difficult times at home and dealing with a breakdown in your relationship with your spouse, retaining an experienced Calgary family lawyer might be your best bet for resolving an untenable situation.

Are you dealing with any of the following complicated family law issues? Mediation, guardianship, child custody, divorce, separation, family law, or child support are legal entanglements arising when a marriage breaks down.  

With so many uncertainties surrounding the divorce process when you’re going through a painful breakup with your partner, it soon becomes clear that you need a top-rated family law firm to protect your interests.

Child support or the division of property

If you are going through the difficult situation of filing for a separation or divorce in Calgary, it can be one of the most challenging periods in your life. This is particularly true if there are children involved.

If you want to protect your relationship with them, you need legal advice. ClearWay’s lawyer’s network can help with questions about child support or property division.

Please let us know if you want an affordable lawyer with lower rates or a more experienced family litigator whose rates are likely higher. More expensive doesn’t always mean better, but we’ll do our very best to connect you with the best lawyer for your situation in your price range.

Getting the Help You Need with a Family Law Issue

Canadian government statistics show that divorce rates in Alberta have fluctuated over the decades. The province saw its divorce numbers peak in 2016, with 10,563 couples filing for divorce, but those numbers have trended steadily downwards since.

Alberta saw the fewest divorce filings in 2020 since 1979, with 6,801 couples ending their marriages.

The same data show that fewer people are getting married than in the past, with 14,274 marriages in 2020, compared to more than 18,000 nuptials recorded in the province a year prior. 

Best Family Lawyers in Calgary: Secure Your Family’s Future

This downward trend in divorces in Alberta has also been seen nationwide. According to Statistics Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic was a likely culprit in explaining why fewer people are getting divorced.

“In 2020, 42,933 divorces were granted in Canada, a sharp decrease from the 56,937 divorces recorded in 2019. While the number of divorces in the country has generally declined for many years, this 25% annual drop is the largest since the Divorce Act of 1968 came into force.

Difficulties accessing court services during the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to this decrease which coincides with the onset of the pandemic,” the agency reported in March 2022.

The number of divorces

“The number of divorces in 2020 was the lowest since 1973 and less than half the highest number recorded in 1987. That year, 97,773 divorces were granted following amendments to the Divorce Act that reduced the minimum period of separation required before being granted a ‘no-fault’ divorce from three years to one year.”

The downward trend in Alberta for both marriages and divorces in the last few years stands out among another trend the province saw between 1961 and 2003, when the divorce rate increased a whopping 357 percent, peaking in 1986 when 51 percent of marriages ended in divorce, according to research published by the Pembina Institute.

“The increase in divorce rate experienced in Alberta between 1961 and 2003 means that more children are both experiencing their parents’ separation and are growing up in single-parent homes,” the institute commented. “

Statistics Canada data shows that children are being affected by divorce at an increasingly younger age.” 

Expert Legal Services for Family Matters in Calgary

Canadians may be surprised to learn that getting a divorce used to be a much more complicated and difficult process and that it took an Alberta man named William Board to change everything back in 1918 when he petitioned the province’s Supreme Court for divorce from his wife.

In his petition, which can be read online on the province’s archives website, he claimed she had deserted him. According to the provincial archives, the board’s petition “started a revolution.”

“Until the early twentieth century, Canadians seeking a divorce usually required the passage of a bill in the Canadian Senate, a complicated process available only to the rich,” the archives’ website states. 

“Divorce became more widely available after 1919 when the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom determined that provincial supreme courts had the necessary jurisdiction to grant divorces. Since 1968, a federal Divorce Act standardizes a similar process for all Canadians.” 

Expert Legal Representation for Your Family Matters in Calgary

Are you attempting to resolve family law issues with your soon-to-be former spouse? If that’s the case, we can’t stress enough that you need the assistance of an experienced Calgary family lawyer.

They can guide you through each aspect of your case and give you information on how best to prepare for an eventual showdown in court.

However, litigation is not your only option for resolving Calgary family law issues. You can ask them about mediation or separation agreements that don’t require courtroom booking. 

Working with a Calgary family lawyer means you may be able to pursue alternative dispute resolution that doesn’t involve a lengthy and costly trial. This can include methods like arbitration and mediation.

If you successfully use the alternative dispute resolution route, it might just keep you outside of a courtroom where your relationship’s dirty laundry gets put on public display. Opting for arbitration or mediation could mean getting a more flexible arrangement than one approved by a judge. 

Separation And Divorce

However, choosing alternative methods to resolve your family law issues is, unfortunately, no guarantee of success.

If you cannot get an agreement signed between you and the other party, perhaps trying to use mediation or arbitration, and it fails, then hiring an affordable Calgary family lawyer is the next logical step to help you prepare for the court process.

You may be able to receive self-representation coaching. This is sometimes done if you do not wish to have a lawyer directly supporting you as your representative.

Do you need guidance or help to draft a separation agreement? Or maybe you need assistance with all aspects of your divorce? Or perhaps you’re just curious and have questions about how the courts in Calgary review legal matters in family law disputes.

Calgary’s Top-Rated Family Law Lawyers: Guidance You Can Trust

No matter your situation, it will likely become clear that you need a support system that includes a Calgary family lawyer.

A Calgary family law expert can guide you down the dark and winding road of divorce, hopefully shedding enough light on the process to help steer you in the right direction. 

ClearWay Law recommends retaining an experienced lawyer sooner rather than later if you’re considering divorcing or separating from your partner.

Doing so will help you better understand how to proceed and avoid many of the most common mistakes people make in the family law process.

Find the best family lawyer in Calgary

Understanding how to find the best family lawyer in Calgary is essential. If you’re considering leaving your spouse and have children or shared assets, you should contact a family law office in Calgary immediately.

The sooner you get expert legal advice, the sooner you will be able to know all your options. It all starts with a conversation about your individual needs and concerns.

We believe wholeheartedly that you can benefit from our lawyer’s years of experience, and we hope you are instilled with a sense of confidence when you feel their commitment to serving the needs of their clients.

Clearway’s network of lawyers, including Calgary family lawyers, can help those facing one of the most challenging times in their lives after a marriage breakdown.

Depending on your situation, a Calgary family lawyer may ask you to explore family mediation and divorce mediation options.  Knowing all your options regarding divorce can give you the peace of mind that you have an experienced lawyer to represent you.

Family Lawyer Calgary Offering Free Consultations

Divorce is an ugly word defining an equally ugly process, and the breakdown of a marriage can be a chaotic and stressful time. That’s why setting aside time to speak to a dedicated lawyer about your case is essential.

Getting the right advice early on will help you better approach this complicated scenario with confidence and trust that you’re in good hands with your lawyer. 

Only an experienced Calgary family lawyer can explain and advise you about the many issues that must be addressed when drafting a separation or divorce agreement.

This can include the division of property, access arrangements for children, child support, and a parenting plan. We will help you understand your rights and responsibilities.

Solving Family Legal Issues with Calgary’s Premier Lawyers

We recognize that the best solutions to family law issues sometimes occur outside of a courtroom. But this can only happen if you’re intent on collaborating and cooperating with the other party, which isn’t always the case.

We can help you minimize your stress and costs by putting you in touch with a family lawyer in Calgary.  

But Calgary family lawyers handle more than divorce and separation. Are you planning to assemble a family agreement before getting married, also known as a pre-nuptial agreement?

Pre-nuptial agreements can help clarify many issues and minimize the chances of conflict after the fact should your marriage break down. When drafting an ironclad, unbreakable prenuptial agreement, you need the support of an experienced lawyer.

Self-Representation Coaching for Calgary Family Law

Even if you intend to represent yourself in court, gathering the resources provided by an experienced and knowledgeable Calgary family lawyer is still a good idea.

While you might not need a lawyer to hold your hand throughout the divorce process, consulting with a legal professional about your divorce might be vital to getting what you want. This is especially true if your spouse is uncooperative and unwilling to work things out. 

At Clearway, we recognize many confusing aspects of pursuing a family law case. You likely have many questions that you struggle with answering on your own, even with the wide availability of online information.

We recognize that these are sensitive and highly personal issues that can cause stress and feelings of shame and regret. But ClearWay can connect you with Alberta lawyers here to help you through those feelings that come with family law cases.

We realize the process can be intimidating if you have never seen a lawyer before. ClearWay is committed to helping you feel comfortable and confident throughout your family law case in Calgary.

Conclusion

Experience comes at a price, while inexperience comes at a different cost for Calgary family lawyers. 

When entering a courtroom alone, you must be confident that you can handle whatever the other side throws. That’s why, at the very least, you should be informed about what to expect from your divorce or family law case.

If you choose to represent yourself, you can still ensure that you are appropriately prepared by seeking low-cost support from our Calgary family lawyers. 

After the marriage breakdown, the most important relationship in your life may be with your lawyer. Choosing the right one is about as hard as choosing the right partner, but we can help.