Create a better divorce experience join our newsletter for supportive, resolution focused information!
How Pathway Family Law Services Help You
- Home
- Our Services
What's in the Pathway Legal Services Box?
At Pathway Legal, we support individuals and couples needing help with family law matters with clarity, compassion, and confidence.
Whether you're just starting the commitment journey and need a Marriage or Prenuptial agreement or have reached an unexpected end, and don’t even know where to begin, we’re here to calmly and constructively guide you every step of the way.
In summary, we offer legal services for many of the most common family law needs, including:
- Common-Law Agreements
- Prenuptial Agreements
- Postnuptial Agreements
- Notarizing Documents
- Contested Divorce
- Amicable Divorce
- Separation Agreements
- Independent Legal Advice
Why Use Pathway Legal's Services?
We’re not just here to draft documents — we’re here to support you through one of the most important transitions in your life.
Here’s how Pathway makes a difference in your journey:
- We can help at the start with PreNups and Post Nuptial agreements with confidence and clarity.
And if there is an unexpected twist and divorce becomes inevitable, we can help you do it BETTER with the following approaches:
- Court as a last resort:
We focus on resolution, not escalation. If we can keep you out of court, we will. - Some of our legal services are possible with flat fees which means you will know an exact fee before you start.
-
Dispute resolution:
Our lawyers have training in dispute resolution, making it easier to reach fair outcomes without unnecessary conflict. -
Plain language:
We explain the law clearly — no confusing legal jargon. - Financial Transparency:
We inform you of the costs and expenses on every step of the way so you know where and why our fees are being used.
- Real care:
You’re not just a case file. We genuinely care about you, your outcome, your family, and your future. - We have a history, a philosophy and a policy that guides our approach to family law. You can discover it in our about Pathway section...
How Our Pathway Lawyers Demystify the Legal Process For You
Most of the time, when people talk about getting a divorce, they are really meaning that they wish to settle their family law matter. Many don't realize that the "divorce" is simply the final legal document (a court order) that recognises that the marriage is over.
So, if a "divorce" is the final step, what comes first?
The answer is that you need to have reached a legally binding separation agreement that allows your new independent future to proceed without further drama.
These are just some of the questions that our Pathway Legal lawyers will help you resolve so you can get on to your new life path:
- How will we divide our assets?
- How are we going to divide our debt?
- What do I do with my inheritance?
- What will happen with the house/condo?
- Will I have to pay spousal support?
- Am I entitled to spousal support?
If you have children, there are lots of common questions:
- What is the parenting schedule going to be?
- What is the child support going to be? Do we still have to pay child support if we share the kids equally?
- What happens if we disagree about a significant decision regarding our kids?
- What do I do if there is parental alienation?
- How much will each of us be contributing to our kids’ special expenses (like private school, tutoring, piano lessons, and braces)?
What Kind of Legal Service Do You Need?
There are many types of legally binding agreements that we can support you with. These include:
Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
- A prenuptial agreement is a financial agreement made before marriage.
- A postnuptial agreement is the same idea — just created after you’re already married.
- These agreements offer clarity, reduce future conflict in the event of a separation, and protect both of you. They resolve future potential conflict because if you separate, each of you will have a clear understanding as to your rights and obligations relating to child support, spousal support, and division of property.
Legal Separation Agreements
- In British Columbia, if you have lived together for a continuous period of 2 years or more, you are legally recognized as spouses (this is also known as common law spouses).
- Similarly, if you have lived together for LESS than 2 years but have a child together you are also considered as spouses, at least for support purposes. Both of these situations are relevant in a separation because Spousal Support and child support can be a factor.
- If you have shared property, debts, children, or support obligations, a separation agreement is a crucial document. It records your agreed division of responsibilities and entitlements, property division, and enables you both to move forward with certainty.
Discover more about legal separation agreements...
Uncontested Divorce
Contrary to popular belief, a divorce is nothing more than a fancy court piece of paper (a court order) waving goodbye to your marriage. Your Separation agreement (or court order if you went to trial) is doing the heavy lifting in terms of getting closure and determining your rights and responsibilities including dividing your assets and debt, your parenting plan, and support obligations or entitlement.
If you want a divorce (a court order divorcing you and your spouse), and many people do, you can certainly take advantage of a fixed-fee divorce structure. Assuming your divorce is uncontested, we can easily tell you, (at least very closely), how much getting that divorce order will cost in your case.
As well as the separation agreement, our uncontested divorce flat fee services will include divorce costs.
Discover more about our flat fee divorce service
Cohabitation Agreement (Common-Law Relationships)
In BC, if you live with someone in a marriage-like relationship for two years or more, you may have the same legal obligations as if you were married — whether you knew it or not! A cohabitation agreement can help define rights and responsibilities in the event you separate.
Already Agreed on Everything? Perfect!
- If both you and your former partner are cooperative and in agreement, our flat-fee uncontested divorce or legal separation packages may be a great fit.
- We’ll handle the paperwork, ensure it’s legally binding, and guide you through every step — so you can move forward with confidence.
- ⚠️ If things become more complicated, we’re still here to help. We may not be able to assist utilizing our flat fee model, but we’ll always be transparent about what’s involved and any other potential costs. If your matter is transitioned from our flat fee model to our hourly rate model, you will be the first to know. Our hourly rates are clear and transparent.
What's Next?
- If you are ready to take advantage of our family law services or need to discover more about how we work, simply contact our team.
- If you are still deciding whether you are ready to take the step of separation or divorce, you may find our dedicated Pathway Legal Better Divorce series of emails very useful. You can subscribe here and you can unsubscribe at any time. Your address will not be sold for information and you will not be sent marketing material.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Services
Does Pathway Legal offer a free, first session?
Does Pathway Legal offer a free, first session?
No we do not. This is because we use the time to constructively and quickly work with you to asses the best path forward for you. However, if after the fist session, you are not happy with the lawyer we can either assign another lawyer or give you the money you paid for your initial consultation back. It is very rare that either of these options are taken up by our clients, however, we are so confident in the value you will get at your initial consultation, that we offer this so there is no risk to you.
How much are the Pathway flat fee services?
How much are the Pathway flat fee services?
In some circumstances, you may qualify for a flat fee arrangement where the costs are slightly different depending on the services you choose - Visit our Flat Fees page for more information.
Do I need a separation agreement to get divorced in BC?
Do I need a separation agreement to get divorced in BC?
Not always. If you have no property, children, debt, or support obligations, you may not need one. However, in most cases, a legally binding agreement helps protect you and gives each of you clarity. It is always better to reach a separation agreement in BC amicably and your Pathway Legal lawyer will help you with this. If you enter into a legally binding separation agreement with our help, it will be court enforceable.
Can we use one lawyer for both of us in a separation or divorce?
Can we use one lawyer for both of us in a separation or divorce?
We can help you create an agreement together. However, one lawyer cannot be the lawyer for both of you. Each party should get their own objective legal advice to ensure fairness. This protects both of your legal interests.
How are the fees affected if my ex partner isn’t cooperative?
How are the fees affected if my ex partner isn’t cooperative?
If your situation is in danger of becoming high-conflict, your lawyer will strategize with you in an effort to avoid the unnecessary escalation of legal fees. However, you are right, fees do tend to escalate when one or both parties are high-conflict. We’ll explain our structure for you at our first meeting and we update you on your fees weekly throughout the entire time you work with us.
What clients say about some of our services
Customer reviews on Google
Rebekah Veilleux
If you need a reliable and effective Divorce and Family Law firm that excels in mediation and strives for positive outcomes, I can confidently say that Pathway Legal is the best choice. They truly care about their clients' well-being and deliver exceptional service, providing a peaceful resolution for families in need. Thank you, Pathway Legal, for guiding me through this difficult time and securing a brighter future for me and my children.
Lana Morris
I had the pleasure of having both Katie Sutherland and Val Hemminger as my lawyers! They both have a passion for family law and it showed in each and evening time I met with them. Not only were they both professional but they truly care about their clients… with both of them I could cry, express my frustrations and even though this was a hard year… we even had a lot of laughs together. Val and Katie always put my children first and encouraged me to seek counselling for myself! It was never only about the law to either of them, it was first and foremost about family.
Nick Accarion
I highly recommend this firm because they were able to understand our family dynamics even though we were coming from a place of desperation and it was complicated. They were able to navigate our needs in a courteous professional affordable way, and make our separation amicable. I hope to never go through an experience like this again but knowing there's a firm like this made it much easier for me and my loved ones. Highly recommend.
Make an appointment
Val Hemminger, founder of Pathway Legal, and her legal team serve families all over BC, including Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Abbotsford, Kamloops, Nanaimo, Victoria, Langley, Kelowna, and Maple Ridge.
If you are not completely pleased with your Pathway Legal lawyer at your first initial consultation, you can have the money you paid for your initial consultation back!
Office Hours
Mon to Thurs: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Fri: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
FAX: 833-250-7771
West Vancouver:
Park Royal South, Unit 200-100
West Vancouver, B.C. V7T 1A2
Available for
video conference meetings
Abbotsford:
Available for in-person appointments
Victoria office:
206-310 Wale Rd
Victoria, B.C. V9B 0J8
Available for in-person meetings or
video conference meetings
North Vancouver:
901-3rd Street West #100-1
North Vancouver, B.C. V7P 3P9
Available for video conference meetings
Pathway Legal Law Corporation, Val Hemminger, Be the Best Divorce Lawyer. All rights reserved.
Your Privacy Legal Disclaimer SMS T&C's
Copyright © [2020] –
It is with our honour and gratitude that we live, work, and play on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.