Our Practice Areas
Family law is a complex area of law that covers a diverse array of legal issues. It is also emotionally charged and conflictual. Cootauco Law Office is ready to help you navigate your complex family law proceedings in St. Catharines and Welland, to negotiate on your behalf and to advocate for you in court.
Child Custody/Access
Common law or divorcing parents must work out an arrangement regarding the parenting time and parental decision-making for their children. When parents cannot agree on these issues, they face some of the most sensitive and challenging cases that can be brought before a court. Cootauco law office approaches these cases with the highest level of expertise and care in our pursuit of your desired outcome.
Child Support
Child support belongs to the child — it is their right to be supported by their parents. Cootauco Law Office has extensive experience of helping families navigate the emotionally charged process of determining child support payments. Our compassionate and expert service has proved to be an invaluable resource for both those trying to obtain child support, and also those who are required to pay it.
Equalization
Property and assets acquired during the marriage, including the matrimonial home, will need to be equitably divided during a divorce. This process is referred to as “equalization”, and Ontario’s equalization regime is put forth under the Family Law Act. Cootauco Law Office utilizes extensive discovery techniques and asset analysis to assist its clients in pursuing a full and fair division of marital assets.
Spousal Support
In some cases, a former spouse may be entitled to receive financial support from the other. Spousal support may be claimed by spouses who are or were married to each other, but it may also be available in situations involving common law relationships. Whether you are seeking spousal support or being asked to pay it, Cootauco Law Office can press forward for your interests to pursue the financial resolution you want.
Motion to Change
Motions to Changes occur frequently in family law, and I understand how challenging it can be to deal with Motions to Change and understand how to present a case in a clear and compelling manner, in accordance with all the applicable provincial and/or provincial statutes. Cootauco Law Office can assist in initiating and responding to a Motion to Change for issues relating to custody, access, or child/spousal support.
Child Protection
A one-time momentary mistake or a simple misunderstanding can lead to a devastating loss for families when the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) gets involved. In the blink of an eye, a loving parents’ child could be taken from them, and the process to reunite the family can be long and challenging. If your child has been taken from you by Family and Children’s Services Niagara, Cootauco Law Office is here to help you.
Uncontested Divorce
Married spouses who are able to reach their own agreements regarding child access/custody, support and property in a separation may be able to file for an uncontested divorce, also known as a “simple divorce”. This is the fastest, least expensive and easiest form of divorce. Cootauco Law Office can assist you and your former spouse in completing the required court forms, service, and filing the documents in court.
Foreign Divorce Opinion Letter
If you were divorced outside of Canada and wish to obtain a marriage license in Ontario so that you can remarry, you need to obtain a foreign divorce opinion letter. The Government of Ontario requires you to submit a foreign divorce opinion letter to the provincial government from a lawyer licensed in Ontario. Cootauco Law Office may provide foreign divorce opinion letters in St. Catharines and Welland at a reasonable rate.
Separation Agreement
Litigation is always high risk and costly. Where appropriate, Cootauco Law Office sensibly pursues the possibility of reaching a separation agreement, and thereby avoiding the financial and emotional toll of going to court and achieving the desired outcomes. I exercise the highest degrees of diligence to try to ensure that our separation agreements are binding and are able to withstand court challenges.
Family Responsibility Office (FRO) Actions
FRO has extensive powers to garnish your wages, suspend your driver’s license and passport, register writs of seizure and sale on your property, and even send you to prison. Cootauco Law Office helps those support payors deal with FRO, and ensures that any enforcement action is done appropriately having regard to the support payor’s rights.
Domestic Contracts
In the rush of emotion leading up to a marriage or domestic partnership, the idea of a cohabitation agreement or other domestic contract can be a very sensitive topic. However, a domestic contract is an intelligent, practical move that can allow both parties to fully understand the consequences of a relationship breakdown. Cootauco Law Office can assist parties in St. Catharines and Welland draft and execute domestic contracts.
Mobility Motions
Where a parent wishes to relocate their child outside of their habitual residence, they are require to seek permission of the Court where the other parent will not consent to the move. Cootauco Law Office has experience in litigating for or against these claims in a rigorous and cost effective manner.
Contempt Motions
Compliance with Court Orders is one of the foundational principles of the family court system. Where a parent is breaching a Court Order or resulting to a “self-help remedy”, Cootauco Law Office can assist in bringing a Contempt Motion to require another parent’s compliance with existing Court Orders.
Common Law Property Claims
While common law couples do not have rights to equalizing property that married spouses do, there may still be judicial remedies available to seek unjust enrichment or joint family venture claims. Cootauco Law Office can assist common law spouses in litigating equitable property claims.
Get In Touch With Me
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Tel: 226 884 8114
Fax: 226 777 8759
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Address
110 James Street, Suite 206
St. Catharines, ON L2R 7E8