u/Lower_Astronaut_1447

Hello,
I am seeking legal advice regarding a family support situation involving my common-law partner, and we also have a child together.
My partner has been financially and practically supported by her father due to ongoing medical needs, including FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and related mental health challenges. He is now retiring and moving to Panama, and we are concerned about how this will affect her ongoing support.
Under the Divorce Act, we believe she may be considered a child of marriage due to her ongoing dependency. Our primary concern is ensuring that any current stipulations for financial support are formalized and made enforceable, so they cannot be unilaterally reduced or stopped when he leaves the country. If this results in additional support obligations being recognized, we understand that would follow the legal determination.
We are also concerned about current conditions attached to financial support and would like advice on whether any of these arrangements raise legal issues.
In addition, I would like to know whether, if I am diagnosed with a disability, I could still assist her more formally in the process, including whether I could apply to act as a litigation guardian, if required, and what the requirements or limitations would be in that situation.
We are not trying to create new claims unnecessarily, but we want clarity and protection so she is not left without support if there is an ongoing legal obligation.
Please let us know if you can assist.
Thank you

Location: Ontario Canada in

So let me start by saying my wife has FASD and is on disability. I am also on her case without a disability. More so so her disability doesn’t stop not by choice.. anyways my wife was adopted at like 12 or 13 years old. She was kicked out at 18 because she had a moment…. If you know, you know…. And bounced from the house for a year or two. Her dad bought her a home after the bouncing around.( I believe more so to hide his some of his finances from his ex-wife because it’s half in her name half in his name) or to make it so she couldn’t take it because of my wife’s disability … Mind you he he’s a pilot due to retire soon.

Anyways, he has bribed my wife. He pays her $100 a week and $50 a week in groceries to be on birth control. To make it look like he helps when she’s untitled to way more. While we pay him $1000 a month. Which increases his income. But lower out. I’m not opposed to paying rent however there’s a financial imbalance. Because she FASD and other disabilities, he is responsible for her until she passes or he passes. And even though she’s on disability, ODSP, she could be getting child support from him, and it wouldn’t affect her income.

So there has been whispers that he was moving to Panama a couple years back. A lawyer who happens to be my child’s godmother, mentioned it as well. She also explained to us that if he was to do that, he wouldn’t be responsible for her unless something was set in stone beforehand. And that worries me because she was just told by her father two days ago that he was moving in eight months, possibly and retiring…. So the deal that they have now if he gets upset, he could just stop it in a heartbeat. The house that we live in, he could just stop paying. Our income boost his income and while he’s gonna go travel the world while buy a house in Panama, we’re gonna be sitting here struggling off of $1000 a month. I don’t think that it’s right and I don’t think that’s fair to my wife. I knew when I met her that she was entitled to more, but we never pursued it but now I want to pursue it because I love her and I don’t want her to be without ever. And I fear that if this man leaves. That’s it.

I talked to her tonight and she doesn’t want to start that process with her father. Has anybody else dealt with this? And should I be calling a lawyer like tomorrow?

Also before you judge. Know tomorrow isn’t promised!! The man owes my wife duty’s I wasn’t aware of when we met. And I don’t want her skipped out on by her father when he owes her duty’s for life and moving without anything set in stone could leave us without 100$ at the very least. I’m not worried about myself either. What if something happens to me 5 years from now and my wife is left all alone. She could be left with nothing. And she would potentially have nobody. I don’t want that for her!!!