Take a Pill?

Remedies to help reduce your separation anxiety!

Some people take pills to help reduce their separation anxiety in spite of all the associated negative medical side effects. But there’s a far more effective non-medicinal remedy available, with no adverse side effects. It starts with understanding your legal rights and obligations.

If you happen to be a parent check out the following conditions and their remedies.

Condition: Overwhelming feelings of confusion and helplessness whenever considering the calculation of child support.

Remedy: This condition still persists to this day, notwithstanding the introduction of the Federal Child Support Guidelines many years ago. To clarify, these guidelines are mandatory, based solely upon the income of the payor parent, unless there is a shared custody parenting arrangement, (which means the children reside between 40 to 60 percent of their time with each parent).

This also means parents cannot arbitrarily negotiate either non-payment or less than the full payment of child support, even if both parents confirm such arrangement in a written agreement. Such clauses will not be enforced by the courts because child support is considered by courts as the right of the child not the parent.

Condition: A moody depressed state triggered by high child related expenses combined with the refusal of an ex to contribute.

Remedy: This is a fairly common condition that I see in my family law practice.

First some background, with rare exceptions, parents are required to contribute their proportionate share (calculated from their respective incomes) towards a child’s Special Expenses. Such expenses include such items as daycare, child care, medical/dental, post-secondary school expenses etc. A full definition is set out in Section 7 of the Federal Child support Guidelines.

However, confusion persists when the expenses relate to a child’s sporting and recreational activities, such as soccer, hockey, dance, etc. which are not considered Special Expenses, but which can still be substantial.

To avoid feelings of confusion surrounding your child’s expenses and whether your spouse has a legal obligation to contribute, it’s advisable to identify in an Order, or written agreement, which of the non-Special expenses will be covered, and how such expenses will be shared.

So throw away your pills and see me in the morning!