Many young Canadians dream of one day meeting their soul mates, getting married, having children and living happily ever after. In reality, for a large percentage of Canadians, a marriage will not end up being until death do us part.
According to the Canadian government’s office of Employment and Social Development, approximately 35 to 42 percent of Canadian marriages end in divorce. A marriage may end for a number of reasons. From a spouse’s infidelity or substance abuse problems to financial stresses and discovering a spouse has different life goals. In general unhappiness with the state of a marriage and a belief that a marriage cannot be salvaged is what ultimately leads an individual to pursue a divorce.
Statistics from 2008 show that the average age at which Canadian women divorce is 41.9 and 44.5 for Canadian men. It stands to reason, therefore, that a large percentage of divorcees are likely to be parents of minor-aged children. Matters related to child custody are often top-of-mind for divorcing parents and such disputes tend to be highly emotional and can quickly become contentious.
Along with other divorce-related matters, a family law attorney can assist a divorcing parent in helping resolve uncertainties with regard to child custody and child support issues. For children, divorce presents a time of uncertainty which can cause a child to suffer anxiety and stress. It’s important, therefore to resolve matters related to where a child will live and when a child will be in the care of each parent as quickly as possible.
Source: Government of Canada, “Family Life – Divorce,” 2014
The Law Society of Upper Canada, “Your Law: Family Law – Custody and child support,” 2014