Services | Van Baal Family Law

Informed, no-nonsense legal services

Family Law

Family law is a complex and broad area of the law. Whether you are entering into a new relationship or your relationship is ending, you will no doubt have questions about your rights, obligations and options.

I can answer your questions and guide you through all aspects of your divorce or separation, including the division of property including pensions, spousal support, child support, child custody, parenting and access arrangements.

Collaborative Family Law

If you want to resolve legal, financial and parenting issues in a separation but do not want to go to court, a collaborative process may be the right option for you.

Collaborative family law is an out-of-court process that enables separating couples to negotiate their own agreement with the assistance of specially-trained lawyers and financial and family-relations professionals. Each party is represented and supported by his or her own collaboratively trained lawyer who, without being adversarial, advocates for his/her client. This process affords spouses the opportunity to explore creative and lasting solutions to their family’s needs.

Prenuptial Agreements

A cohabitation agreement or marriage contract is a sound investment that could, one day, save you from unnecessary complications and reduce stress in the event of separation. I can guide you through the process, minimizing time and cost, so you can focus on your new adventure.

Mediation

Mediation offers a cooperative approach to reaching a separation agreement. A trained, neutral mediator facilitates discussion to guide you and your spouse to a mutually-acceptable agreement.

If parties participate without lawyers, the mediator will prepare a draft agreement based on the discussions during mediation and then the parties will be encouraged to obtain independent legal advice. This step ensures that both parties have a comprehensive understanding of their legal rights and obligations under the agreement.

Independent Legal Advice

You’ve arrived at an agreement with your spouse and it looks pretty good. Whether you worked it out yourselves, or with the benefit of counsel or a mediator, there can be peace-of-mind in obtaining an impartial second opinion. I can review your draft agreement to offer validation, walk you through your rights and obligations and answer questions.

Notarization of Documents

Has your bank or another institution requested that you provide “notarized” copies of a document? As a Notary, I am qualified to review your originals and notarize or certify copies to help you complete processes requiring official documents. Depending on the number of documents, this process can usually be completed within a day.