Whether you’re going through a divorce or want to renegotiate child custody, family law matters can be stressful and confusing. Fortunately, you don’t have to handle it alone. Contact the Surrey family law lawyers at Pier Law & Mediation for assistance.

Our experienced team can help evaluate your options, guide you through the legal process, and advocate for your rights. From Guildford to White Rock, Delta to Cloverdale, and everywhere in between, we help Surrey, BC, residents resolve family law matters professionally and compassionately.

Why Choose Pier Law & Mediation for Your Family Law Needs?

We know you have your choice of Surrey family law lawyers. Why should you work with Pier Law & Mediation?

• Extensive experience: Our knowledgeable lawyers have decades of combined experience practicing law in British Columbia. Although family law may be new to you, our lawyers are familiar with all kinds of cases.
• Focused knowledge: Family law is what we do. From drafting prenuptial agreements to negotiating property division in a divorce, our team has the know-how to provide valuable legal services and support during difficult times.
• Compassionate treatment: You can expect our team to communicate frequently, respond to your needs, educate you on your options, and treat you like family during the entire process.
• Tailored approach: Just like no two cases are the same, no two individuals are the same. We take our time to understand your preferences and goals to help you achieve your desired resolution.
• Legal and mediation services: Mediation often offers a speedier, more cost-effective resolution to family law matters. Our professional mediators can help you resolve issues out of court, but we can also provide skilled representation in court when needed.

Family Law Practice Areas

As Surrey family law lawyers, we have experience handling the following matters:

Divorce and Separation 

One very common reason people seek family lawyers is divorce. While it is relatively simple to marry someone, divorce brings complicated issues of property and debt division, custody arrangements, and child and spousal support. 

Whether you and your spouse plan an uncontested divorce or have major disagreements, Pier Law & Mediation can help you work toward a resolution. Divorces are high-stakes matters that can influence many areas of your life: how your assets are divided, where you live, and who will care for your child. Solid legal advice is paramount.

Common-Law Separation

When you move in with someone, you may or may not intend to marry them. However, if you live together in a “marriage-like” relationship for two years (or less if you have a child together), BC law considers you common-law spouses. 

This means you have the same legal rights and responsibilities upon separation, which may include property and debt division, parenting arrangements, and child or spousal support. Our Surrey family law lawyers can help you understand and handle a common-law separation.

Child Custody and Parenting Time

Perhaps nothing concerns divorcing parents more than what will happen to their children. Who will they live with? How often will you see them? Will their quality of life suffer?

BC law puts the interests of the children at the heart of any child custody arrangement, but this can look different for different families. Whether you want to learn more about your options for custody or you and your spouse cannot reach a parenting agreement, contact Pier Law & Mediation for assistance.

Child and Spousal Support

Governed by specific legal guidelines, child support in BC is not optional. The amount one parent must pay the other depends on several factors, including parental income, the number of children, and the custody arrangement. In cases of sole custody, the amount depends on the paying parent’s income. In cases of shared custody, the formula includes both parents’ income. 

Unlike child support, spousal support is not automatic. The separating spouses can negotiate whether and how much one pays the other. However, spousal support guidelines consider factors like how long the spouses lived together, how many children they have (if any), and each spouse’s age, income, and role in the marriage.

Relationship Agreements

When you marry and/or move in with your partner, the last thing you may be thinking about is the eventual end of the relationship. However, an excellent way to reduce conflict down the road is to sign a relationship contract long before you ever need it.

Relationship agreements must meet certain criteria to be enforceable, including proper financial disclosures and legal compliance. The family lawyers at Pier Law & Mediation can help you draw up the following: 

• Marriage contracts: Marriage contracts define issues such as asset division, debt allocation, and spousal support in the event of divorce. 
• Prenuptial agreements: One type of marriage contract, a prenuptial agreement is signed before a couple weds and defines important financial aspects of the marriage. 
• Cohabitation agreements: Cohabitation agreements help unmarried partners who live together address key details of the relationship. Topics can include the handling of finances during cohabitation, responsibility for shared and individual debt, and the division of property if the relationship ends.
• Separation agreements: Even without a pre-existing contract, the separating parties can voluntarily draft a separation agreement. These agreements can help the couple avoid litigation by laying out how they plan to handle matters like parenting time, spousal support, and property division.

Family Law Mediation

Surrey family law lawyers know that court is usually the last resort. Family law matters are typically quicker, less costly, and less stressful to settle outside the courtroom. Our family mediation and negotiation services can help you and the other party resolve family, financial, and personal matters fairly without going before a judge.

Adoption 

The team at Pier Law & Mediation doesn’t only offer support in trying times. We can also assist you during more joyous times. Our adoption lawyers can help you grow your family by preparing the necessary documents and providing legal support during the adoption process.

Need a Surrey Family Law Lawyer? Contact Us Today!

No matter your family law concern, reach out to Pier Law & Mediation for quality legal services and professional support. Call 604-560-8285 or contact us online to schedule an appointment with an experienced Surrey family law lawyer today.