Breaking Up Can Be Hard To Do – Our Values, Our Practice
The end of a relationship can be one of life’s most difficult experiences and can involve a range of emotions and issues that need to be addressed. At Suleman Family Law we know and appreciate that the legal aspect is only one of many issues a person is dealing with. We understand that you may have many concerns such as parenting arrangements for your children, property division, child and spousal support, and more. It’s in our values, our practice.
Our goal is to help you navigate the legal issues that arise after a relationship breakdown and to provide you with accessible legal services so that you understand your legal rights and entitlements and the legal process. Being well-informed will enable you to better instruct us as to how you wish to proceed in your family law matter.
At Suleman Family Law we never lose sight of the fact that although we have the legal knowledge to provide you with legal advice, the decisions you ultimately make impact your life, your children, and your future.
A Settlement-Oriented Practice
We are a settlement-oriented firm. We take seriously the task of doing all that we can, where possible, to resolve your family law matter without having to go to court. Where appropriate, we will work towards negotiating agreement-based settlements via family law mediation, collaborative family law and four-way meetings with opposing counsel.
However, we also know that some matters require the assistance of the court. Protecting family property, securing support and obtaining protection orders to address safety concerns are some of the situations which may require litigation (going to court).
Sometimes all you may need is to finalize the end of your marriage by getting a divorce. Suleman Family Law can also assist you in getting a divorce.
New Phases and Stages
Suleman Family Law also understands that sometimes you need legal advice for the new beginnings in your life such as moving in with or marrying someone or expanding your family with the assistance of donors and/or surrogates or by way of adoption. These may be very joyful times for you but they can also come with the stress of managing the legal details of these new arrangements and relationships. We can help make this a time where you focus on the life you want to have by mapping out the legal steps to get you there.
Fostering Diversity/Challenging Inequality
Suleman Family Law respects, values and celebrates the unique nature and makeup of each partnership and family unit. We are a queer and transgender positive family law practice. We are also actively committed to being conscious of systemic inequality in all forms and manifestations and strive to work against such issues as racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, sexism, ableism and many other oppressive dynamics.
Conscious of Costs
At Suleman Family Law we know that having a lawyer to represent you is costly. We are very conscious about legal fees and work towards giving you options, where appropriate, to manage your expenses. For example, in some cases you may be able to do some of the tasks required on your file that will reduce the work we do for you which would result in some cost savings.
In some cases, and where possible, we may be able to provide unbundled or limited legal scope legal services. This means that we agree upon the very specific legal services that will be provided to you and what will not be provided to you. For example, you may have us draft your legal documents or review and edit your legal documents but you may represent yourself at court or you may ask us to represent you in discrete court matters, such as at a Judicial Case Conference. Where we can, our paralegal will also work on aspects of your file to reduce the legal fees charged to you.
All of this to say … we “get it”. Family law matters can be expensive and our commitment to you is to always weigh the cost of legal actions over the potential economic (and other) outcomes and to let you know where you stand so you can make informed choices.
