Lenehan Musgrave LLP is pleased to announce that we will be featured as a recurring contributor to the expert advice column in Refined Halifax magazine. In the Summer 2019 issue, Jane Lenehan explores the ever popular question of “When Should You Call a Family Lawyer?”
You can read it in print, or online here.
Family law in Nova Scotia applies a distinct difference between common law relationships and marriage. While some provinces may allow common law, or cohabitation, to take on the rights and responsibilities of marriage after a certain period of time, this is not the case in Nova Scotia.
A common law relationship is simply the act of living together in a marriage-like relationship without actually being legally married. It does not require any kind of legal process to create a common law union. The definition of common law partnership also differs depending on the laws applied. For example, the Canada Pension Plan states that two people are in a common law relationship after a year of cohabitation. The Parenting and Support Act, on the other hand, requires two years of cohabitation before a relationship can be described as common law.
As family lawyers in 2024, we know that the composition of a household can take many different forms. When it comes to child custody and biological parents, things can get complex.
As lawyers who often get asked for consultations and to prepare legal documentation, clients often ask us about litigation cost awards in court cases. When a matter is taken to trial, the parties are asking a judge to make a determination of the issues on their behalf.
In many family law cases where there are children, a major objective is developing a parenting plan that meets the needs of the children.
