Bedford Law has an established Family Law practice dealing with all Family Law matters, including:

• Adoption
• Divorce
• Division of Matrimonial Assets
• Parenting disputes over Child Custody
• Negotiating Parenting Time
• Child Support
• Spousal Support
• Child Protection Matters
• Preparation of Cohabitation Agreements
• Preparation of Marriage Contracts
• Independent Legal Advice for Agreements prepared elsewhere

When marital relationships are disintegrating, hostilities sometimes develop between the former spouses, adversely affecting their children. At Bedford Law, our preference is always to try to negotiate a reasonable out-of-court agreement so that both parties have some control in reaching an outcome that will affect them personally for years to come.

Court orders are powerful and coercive, and quite often not satisfactory to either party. At Bedford Law, we recognize that litigation is never a happy event and not conducive to family harmony and effective parenting. However, if all efforts to reach settlement are unsuccessful, Bedford Law lawyers are prepared to assist you with the litigation of your case

We negotiate with opposing counsel. Sometimes we schedule meetings involving all parties and their lawyers. We often find that these meetings allow the parties to be heard and issues openly discussed without the need for posturing which can sometimes take place in court.

The rules governing the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division) have changed the court process so that parties are encouraged to enter into conciliation instead of proceeding immediately to trial. We assist clients to prepare for this process and attend conciliation meetings with our clients when requested. If conciliation is unsuccessful, the matter may be referred to the court for a settlement conference before a judge, or a trial.

In preparation for trial, we meet and prepare witnesses, draft the necessary court documents, conduct discovery examinations and attend court.For a client who simply requires legal advice, we conduct legal research, prepare memoranda, and provide our professional opinion as to the legal implications for the client.