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White & Company Family Law is a law firm practicing exclusively in Family Law and adjacent areas that support our family law clients.
Agreements: Preserve & Protect
No one plans to separate from a partner. The end of a relationship can signal immense stress and difficulty as a result of the unknown. A written agreement at the outset of a relationship (or a deepening stage of the relationship such as cohabitation or marriage) can provide certainty and calm at the end of a relationship.
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Written agreements can outline:
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How you will separate in the event of separation;
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How your children ( or future children ) will be raised;
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How your assets will be characterized in the event of a separation or divorce (will you have to split the assets or not?);
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How your debt or your partner's debt will be divided or paid for;
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How much spousal support ongoing you will receive in the event of a separation.
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We offer flat rate & hourly packages for all written agreements inclusive of cohabitation & marriage agreements.​
By Consent: Divorce & Separation
There is immense benefit to negotiating a settlement for our clients and allowing them to avoid litigation. Our team focuses on our clients' specific goals - and we keep that goal in mind when giving advice.
Avoiding the courts can benefit clients as follows:
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Greater Certainty: clients have control over what they agree to and what they cannot agree to. If they cannot get agreement, they can choose to go to litigation.
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Affordability: many circumstances will allow for a flat rate agreement wherein the entire divorce could be acquired.
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Less Stress: For some, the worries and weight of separation is immeasurable and the benefit of time with the terms of the draft separation agreement can assist in decreasing the natural stress
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We offer flat rate & hourly packages for Divorce & Separation by consent agreements.
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By Litigation: Divorce & Separation
At White & Company Family Law we strive to provide our clients the best possible outcome in every situation, every circumstance. Often, that means we will work towards settlement whenever possible and for as long as possible. However, there are times when litigation is necessary and unavoidable.
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We typically recommend litigation in circumstances wherein there is no possible way of consent between the parties.
Family Violence: The Fight for your Life
Intimate family violence, also known as domestic violence or family violence, does not limit itself to one gender, race, creed, religion or belief system.
Family violence is defined under the Family Law Act in British Columbia:
includes, with or without an intent to harm a family member,
(a)physical abuse of a family member, including forced confinement or deprivation of the necessities of life, but not including the use of reasonable force to protect oneself or others from harm,
(b)sexual abuse of a family member,
(c)attempts to physically or sexually abuse a family member,
(d)psychological or emotional abuse of a family member, including
(i)intimidation, harassment, coercion or threats, including threats respecting other persons, pets or property,
(ii)unreasonable restrictions on, or prevention of, a family member's financial or personal autonomy,
(iii)stalking or following of the family member, and
(iv)intentional damage to property, and
(e)in the case of a child, direct or indirect exposure to family violence;
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If you are experiencing any of the following, you may be experiencing family violence. These examples in no way form an inclusive or extensive list and are intended to assist you in determining whether you may wish to speak with a family law lawyer to discuss your experiences related to the law:
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Financial Control: you do not have access to any money, even money you have earned from work. You are told if you leave your partner, that you'll have "nothing" because everything you have now is theirs.
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Coercive Control: you do not feel free to leave your home without permission or fear your partner will be angry. Your partner limits your time with friends or family members and/or limits your ability to make new friends. You feel you must perform certain duties to avoid your partner's anger.
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Emotional Abuse: you are criticize when you do not do what your partner wants or when you hold them accountable for previous promises or commitments. You are named-called and shamed by your partner. Your partner makes jokes about you in front of others even though you have asked them not to. Your partner writes text messages to you threatening to commit suicide if you do not return to them.
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Physical Abuse: your partner threatens to harm or rehome your pet against your wishes. Your partner intimates (acts out) a hitting action near you. Your partner pinches you whenever they are displeased in public.
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Each of the above examples could be determined to be family violence under the Family Law Act. The law provides you certain protections if you've experienced family violence and you should discuss these incidents with a family law lawyer related to how they can affect your legal matter.
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We understand that speaking about intimate partner violence or abuse from a loved one is profoundly difficult. In some circumstances it may take time for the target of the abuse to understand they have been abused.
We are here when and if you need us.
We are rooting for you.
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"Divorce isn't such a tragedy.
A tragedy's staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love. Nobody ever died of divorce"
- Jennifer Weiner
It doesn't matter how rich or poor a person is,
what gender or social class,
or how much fame or education they possess.
Verbal, mental or physical abuse can happen to anyone.
It doesn't matter what a person's ethnicity is because the only distinguishing colour of abuse is black and blue"
- La Toya Jackson