Family Law

The full spectrum of domestic-relations matters under Nova Scotia and federal legislation, handled with discretion, candour, and an eye on what comes after the file closes.

Scope of work

• Divorce & separation
• Separation agreements & domestic contracts
• Parenting time & decision-making responsibility
• Child support (Federal Guidelines)
• Spousal support (SSAG)
• Division of matrimonial property & debt
• Common-law & de facto relationships
• Marriage & cohabitation agreements

Family law reaches people at some of the hardest moments of their lives. Our aim is to lower the temperature rather than raise it: to give clients clear advice about their rights and obligations, to protect their children and their financial footing, and to resolve matters by agreement wherever that is possible, while remaining fully prepared to litigate where it is not.

Two statutes govern most of the work. For married couples, divorce and the surrounding parenting and support questions are decided under the federal Divorce Act; for unmarried parents and couples, and for matters that arise without a divorce, the Parenting and Support Act of Nova Scotia applies. Both now speak the language reformed into Canadian family law in 2021: the old vocabulary of “custody” and “access” has been replaced by decision-making responsibility and parenting time, with every arrangement measured against the best interests of the child.

Money is decided against established frameworks rather than guesswork. Child support is set under the Federal Child Support Guidelines, which tie the table amount to income and the number of children, with adjustments for shared parenting and special or extraordinary expenses. Spousal support is assessed against entitlement first and then the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines for range and duration. The division of property and debt for married spouses proceeds under Nova Scotia’s Matrimonial Property Act, which presumes an equal division of matrimonial assets subject to defined exceptions.

Sound agreements prevent future litigation. We draft and review separation agreements, marriage contracts, and cohabitation agreements built to withstand later challenge, documents that set out parenting, support, and property clearly enough that both parties understand exactly what they have agreed to. Where a matter must be decided by a judge, proceedings are brought in the Family Division of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, and we advocate there with the same preparation we bring to any courtroom.