Frequently Asked Questions

Getting a divorce is hard; it is a life changing experienced. By having an experienced coach can ensure that you will make the smartest decisions for your family and your future after the divorce if finalized. A divorce coach can help you understand and cope with confusing emotions, financial questions, and a view to the future.

While going through a time of great stress, such as a separation or divorce, it is important to ensure that you have a variety of support systems in place to help you through the process.

While therapy is great, it varies from coaching. Coaches do not offer counselling or therapy. However, a divorce coach may recommend therapy to help you care for your mental and emotional health during such a tumultuous time.

Divorce coaching more of an action-oriented process that is in place to help you through the divorce process, and to help you make necessary changes in your life after the divorce.

If you are starting the divorce process or have already started the process and are feeling overwhelmed, you are ready. It is best to start coaching when you have decided on divorcing, that way your coach can help refer you to the parties best equipped to help you and explain how things work moving forward.

Yes, we are. There may be times where you need to make a quick decision and need someone to speak with. There will also be times where your mood is extremely low, and you need someone to lift you up. Our divorce coach is available via email and text between coaching sessions, if you sign up for our 3, 6 or 12 month package. Support may be the most important thing as you are pushed to emotional and mental limits.

Mediators help people resolve disagreements about marriage, separation, divorce, parenting schedules, child support, spousal support, property division, and elder care. Mediators do not make decisions for the parties. In mediation, the parties make their own decisions.

The parties meet with a qualified mediator in a confidential setting where the mediator helps parties to communicate what is important to him or her. The mediator will facilitate a resolution through the following: 

· identify the issues that are outstanding and need to be resolved;

· prioritize the issues and focus on one at a time;

· discuss possible solutions by allowing each party to discuss them thoroughly;

· allowing the parties to come to agreement about parenting plans and other issues;

· preparing a draft of the parties emerging agreement; and

· review, revise, and prepare the agreement for signing.

It is best to try mediation before the litigation process creates too much mistrust and bitterness between the parties, and before lawyers initiate expensive processes. Both parties must agree to mediation. Starting mediation early in the process can save the parties as high as 75% on legal fees. 

•  Full control; you make the decisions. The parties involved know their family best, and so they should be the ones making the decisions that directly impact their family. Do not let a stranger decide your future. 
•  Mediation is up to 75% cheaper than litigation.
•  Mediation is much less stressful than a bitter court battle.Mediation takes less than 9 months to resolve your matter, as opposed to years tied up in a court action.  

You do not need a lawyer to accompany you to mediation, however, if you have retained a lawyer and would like them present, that is fine as well. Once the final agreement has been drafted by your mediation, it is strongly advised that you obtain independent legal advice prior to signing your final agreement.

When both you and your spouse agree and you both are willing to sign the divorce documents. This eliminates the need for service of the documents upon your spouse and can save you time and money.

Both parties must agree to sign the divorce documents throughout the divorce process. If one spouse changes his or her mind after the initial joint divorce documents are signed and filed with the Court, Absolute Dispute Resolution cannot assist you further, and will recommend that you use a family law lawyer. We can provide a referral to one if you need one.

A divorce process where one spouse (“Applicant”) signs and files divorce documents with the court. These documents are served on the other spouse (“Respondent”) by a third party unrelated to the matter.

The Respondent has 30 days to file an Answer to the Application. If no answer is received within the 30 days, then the Court considers the matter to be an uncontested divorce. The Respondent does not have to sign any documents.

Absolute Dispute Resolution only assists parties filing for a joint or simple divorce. If you are filing a contested divorce or your spouse contents your application, it will be recommended that you retain a family lawyer. We can refer you to one if you would like.

Your spouse will either need to sign the divorce documents or be served with them. Your spouse can be served at home, work, or any other place. If you cannot locate your spouse, you will need to show the Court that you have tried to locate your spouse. You can try 411, yellow pages, Facebook, Instagram or hire a skip tracer to try to locate them. In order to utilize our service, we must have an address for your spouse. If you are unable to find your spouse, you should contact a family lawyer for other options.

Every matter is different. It takes approximately four to six months to receive a Divorce Order for a fairly straight forward uncontested divorce. Although this time frame may be extended depending on various circumstances. If you are planning a wedding, it is best to wait to receive your Divorce Order before making any significant plans.

According to the Divorce Act, “breakdown of a marriage is established only if:

1. the spouses have lived separate and apart for at least one year immediately preceding the determination of the divorce proceeding and were living separate and apart at the commencement of the proceeding; or

2. the spouse against whom the divorce proceeding is brought has, since celebration of the marriage,

a. committed adultery, or

b. treated the other spouse with physical or mental cruelty of such a kind as to render intolerable the continued cohabitation of the spouses.”

Absolute Dispute Resolutions only deals with matters where the parties have been separated for at least one year. If you are divorcing based on one of the other grounds, please see a family lawyer.

For more information, click here Divorce Act (Canada).

Absolute Dispute Resolution can assist you if you have children and want an uncontested divorce. The caveat is in order for us to do so, the payor of child support must be either paying support in accordance with the table guidelines or exceeding it.  We also ask that you provide us with a copy of your separation agreement, domestic contract or court order clearly outlining the arrangement.

Click here to view the table guidelines: Federal Child Support Guidelines