As Nova Scotia moves forward in a return to normal life, many of us want to move forward in our personal lives. Currently, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court (Family Division) is scheduling Settlement Conferences by telephone, and having hearings for only the most serious matters. Those matters being scheduled for hearings are effectively only Child and Family Services matters.
The delays are likely to last for months and the back-up of the system will take even longer to clear. With this in mind, we encourage clients and potential clients to complete what they can complete now rather than wait. Settlement discussions (either through counsel or with the assistance of the Court) typically result in Agreements/Consent Orders, Custody and Access Agreements/Orders or Partial Agreement/Order dealing with specific assets.
For those people looking to start a Divorce, the proceeding can be started and all of the disclosure done so that things are read to go when the Courts get back to normal.
If settlement discussions are successful, they can be incorporated into a consent divorce.
If you or someone you know has been waiting to finalize their divorce, to formalize the terms of a separation, or formalize parenting arrangements, we would be happy to help with advice and drafting.