Agreements (prenuptial, cohabitation, separation)

Family relationships, including marriages and common law partnerships, are based on personal commitment. However, there are significant legal effects that follow once partners decide to marry or live together. In order to establish the respective rights and responsibilities of partners, couples can choose to enter into legally binding agreements. These will provide some measure of certainty and clarity should the relationship break down.

The lawyers at Castle & Associates in Calgary advise clients on the recommended contents of a domestic agreement and represent clients who wish to challenge or enforce an existing domestic contract. As part of our comprehensive family law practice, we also advise on separation agreements for clients seeking relationship dissolution or divorce.

Kinds Of Agreements

A couple can enter into an agreement to resolve issues of fundamental importance to the relationship, while the partners are still committed. The most common kinds of agreements are:

• Prenuptial: These are entered into before a couple enters into a formal marriage.
• Cohabitation: These are entered into by a couple that is not married, but is cohabiting in a committed relationship.
• Separation/Division of property: These are entered into upon the dissolution of a common law relationship or marriage. For many married couples, a separation agreement sets the stage for a divorce.

The lawyers at Castle & Associates will represent you in your negotiation or review of an agreement with your future, present or former spouse. In order for such agreements to be binding, each partner must receive independent legal advice.

We are also well-known and respected family law litigators. If you seek to challenge the validity of a domestic agreement, alter its terms or enforce its provisions, we can effectively represent you in all dispute resolution forums: mediation, negotiation or courts of law.