Government of Saskatchewan ministries, Crown corporations and organizations are implementing contingency plans to minimize the impacts of postal service disruption.
Les ministères, sociétés d’État et organismes du gouvernement de la Saskatchewan mettent en œuvre des plans d’urgence visant à réduire les répercussions de l’interruption du service des postes.
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The Family Matters program aims to minimize the impact of separation and divorce on all family members – especially children – by providing:
When you contact Family Matters, you will reach an Intake Worker.
The Intake Worker will gather basic information to assess your needs. They may ask you questions like:
The Intake Worker will provide relevant information and connect you with other services. If further assistance is required, you will be referred to a Service Provider who will work with both parties to resolve issues in a free three hour session. Information or referrals from the Intake Worker or Service Provider may include:
People often receive information through family, friends or television about separation and divorce that is not accurate. Below are some common misconceptions and facts.
| Misconception | Fact |
| "When my children turn 12, they can decide who they want to live with – mom or dad." | There is no law in Saskatchewan setting a specific age when a child can decide where they would like to live. Judges can take into account the wishes of the child, having regard to the age and maturity of the child. Every case is unique. |
| "I'm going to get sole decision-making responsibility." | Over half of agreements and orders are for joint decision-making responsibility. Sole decision-making responsibility arrangements are becoming rarer over time. |
| "Mothers always get sole decision-making responsibility of the children." |
Joint legal decision-making responsibility is the most common arrangement where the parents are separated. This may not mean equal parenting time, but both parents will be involved in making major decisions on behalf of children. |
| "I can stop paying child support when my child turns 18." | Child support may be payable for children over the age of 18 who are still attending school, or have an illness or disability, so continue to be dependent on their parents. |
| "My one night stand got pregnant – she told me she was on the pill. She can't come after me for child support." | Every parent has financial responsibility for their children. Every child has the right to be supported. |
| "If my ex can afford to go on fancy holidays, then I don't need to pay child support." | Child support is based on calculations of how much a parent at a certain income level would spend on a child, including food, shelter, clothing and spending on things like entertainment and vacations. These calculations are the basis of the Child Support Guidelines Tables. The courts rarely adjust child support based on the spending habits of either the payor or recipient. |
| "No one is going to tell me how much child support I need to pay." | Federal Child Support Guidelines set out the amount of child support payable, based on the parent's income and number of children. Deviation from these amounts by the courts is rare. |
| "I don't get to see the kids so I don't have to pay any child support." or "He can only see the kids if he pays child support." |
A child has the right to have a relationship with both parents, and to be financially supported. Preventing the child from spending time with the other parent because support has not been paid, or vice versa, punishes the child twice. This is the way a judge would view the situation. |
| "Once the divorce is final, I'm done with my ex!" | Certain issues may be resolved with the finalization of a divorce. However, if you have children together, parenting issues will exist into your children's adulthood. |
| Misconception | Fact |
| "Our house is only in my name and I made all the payments – so I get to keep it." or "I earned the money in our house – my spouse didn't work, so I should get more of our property." |
Family property division legislation in Saskatchewan states that the equity in the family home will be divided equally between spouses, regardless of whose name is on the title, and who contributed financially to the home. |
| Misconception | Fact |
| "My cheating spouse is going to pay." | The amount of spousal support is most closely linked to incomes of the parties. Just because one party has cheated does not mean he or she will have to pay a higher amount of spousal support. Saskatchewan family property division laws are "no fault." Property division is not influenced by the reasons for why a relationship ended. |
| "All ex-wives get spousal support." | Spousal support takes into consideration the financial position of both spouses, the length of the spousal relationship, the roles of each spouse during the relationship, the effects of the breakdown of the relationship, as well as many other factors. Not every situation leads to awards of spousal support. |
| Misconception | Fact |
| "The judge will see how awful my ex is and will take my side." | The judge will usually hear two different stories from the parties and will disregard any information that is not relevant to the dispute. |
To use this program, please contact us directly to discuss your situation with an Intake Worker.
Please note that the Family Matters Program does not provide legal advice.
Family Matters: Assisting Families through Separation and Divorce helps families going through separation or divorce by providing access to:
The earlier separating families are able to address their issues, the more likely they will be able to reach resolution and minimize the negative impact, both emotionally and financially, on themselves and their children.
In spite of the availability of quality information and services, the current challenge for many is to identify what is available, access it, understand it, and use it to make quality choices.
Family Matters is available throughout Saskatchewan.
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