Facing a Family Law or
Immigration Law Matter?
We serve individuals and families in Vancouver and across BC move forward with confidence — in family law, immigration law, and notarial matters
What feels uncertain on your own becomes clearer with our right guidance.

About the Lawyer, Who Believes in the Power of Truth in Simplicity
“Truth is always simple. The complexity in certain legal matters often stems from someone’s unwillingness to be transparent — people twist facts, believing distortion will serve them. But truth is this: twisting facts always carries a cost. The only question is who bears it. My role as a lawyer is to protect the honest party from the cost of the other’s dishonesty. I serve the honest party.”
Katrina Berube, the lawyer at Katrina Berube Law
How do we serve you?
Katrina Berube Law walks with you every step of the way — whether you’re facing a family law matter, navigating an immigration application or judicial review, or putting a prenuptial agreement in place before you begin. Wherever you’re starting from, we walk it with you, in good faith.
Step 1
Assessment
We start by understanding where things truly stand. For family matters, we assess the level of transparency between both parties and the realistic probability of reaching an amicable resolution — through a separation agreement, uncontested divorce, or fair prenuptial agreement. Where transparency isn’t yet there, we tell you plainly, because an honest assessment now saves cost and conflict later. For immigration matters, we evaluate your full circumstances to map the optimal path to Canada, grounded in what actually qualifies you — not just what you hope will.
Step 2
Building a Strong Case
In family matters, once amicable resolution looks realistic, we build the case through transparent negotiation — a fair position on every term that matters: parenting arrangements, child support, spousal support, and property division. For prenuptial agreements, we build an airtight structure that protects what you brought into the relationship while respecting your partner’s entitlements. For immigration matters, we represent your case with a creative, progressive approach within the frame of truth. And where a notarized document is what the moment calls for, we handle that too, with the same care.
Step 3
Final Submission
Once terms are settled, we translate them into binding documents. Family matters are formalized as a separation agreement or prenuptial agreement and, where appropriate, submitted alongside your divorce application, so earlier agreements carry through without being reopened. Immigration files are prepared for IRCC with complete supporting evidence, built to hold up under review. Where a document requires notarization or legalization for use here or abroad, we handle that directly. The result: your legal position is locked in, not left open to dispute later.
Our Services
Katrina Berube Law serves you, for the very step you need to take. Our services assist you to move forward, simply and fairly.
Uncontested Divorce & Separation Agreement
We draft a solid Separation Agreement, then file your (Joint) Family Claim with accuracy and transparency, navigate the waiting period, and obtain your Divorce Order.
Custody (Parenting Time)
We negotiate parenting time and decision-making responsibility, in the best interest of children, built on transparent communication between both parents, into an arrangement you can actually live with.
Support & Property Division
We calculate & negotiate child and spousal support accurately under the Guidelines, and value and divide family property fairly and equitably — pensions and businesses included, done right.
Prenuptual Agreement & Marriage Contract
We draft prenuptial and marriage agreements built to hold up — protecting what each of you brought in, with full disclosure and independent advice from the start
Immigration Applications Visa,PR, Citizenship,etc
We prepare and submit your visa, permanent residence, or citizenship application with complete, accurate documentation — built to withstand IRCC scrutiny the first time.
Judicial Review Immigration Appeal
We represent you in judicial reviews and immigration appeals, challenging refusals with a creative, progressive approach grounded firmly in the truth of your case with the 19 years experience.
Notarization Services
Quick, reliable notarization for the documents that keep life moving — close to home in downtown Vancouver and the West End.
Not quite — separation is one of the legal grounds to file a divorce, not the finish line. You’ll still need to apply for a divorce order to dissolve the legal effect of the marriage. The good news? Once you’ve cleared that year, the rest can move faster than you’d think, with the right guidance. Let us map out exactly where you stand.
Almost. In BC, an uncontested divorce usually means every piece is settled, not just the decision to divorce itself. The gaps you still have aren’t a dealbreaker — they’re often closer to resolved than they feel. Let us assess how close you already are.
Because what looks complete on paper isn’t always complete in the eyes of the law — agreements can be quietly missing pieces that only surface if they’re ever challenged. You may have also agreed to terms that don’t actually serve you as well as they should. A quick review now can spare you a costly surprise later. Bring us what you’ve drafted; we’ll tell you honestly where it stands.
Not automatically in BC — the real answer depends on some genuinely tricky details, like what grew in value while you were together. Just like a surgeon, your family assets need to be carefully examined to decide what should be divided, and how. This is exactly the kind of question worth getting right rather than guessing. Let’s look at your specific situation, together.
No — in Canada, these are treated as two separate questions under the law. If something feels off about your parenting time or your support amount, that’s worth a closer look. Let’s walk through your calculation together.
Understandably, it feels like it should matter — but Canadian law doesn’t require your agreement once the legal grounds are met. What you can control is how the rest of the process unfolds, and that’s where good guidance really counts. Let’s talk about what’s actually in your hands.
Divorce in BC, Canada doesn’t work like a courtroom drama with damages for betrayal — it’s a no-fault system. But if safety is part of your story, or the impact on you has affected your capacity to be self-sufficient, that belongs in the conversation — it can shape both parenting and support arrangements. Please don’t carry this alone — reach out, in confidence.
It depends, largely on how cleanly the paperwork moves through the court registry and how much needs to be negotiated first. Realistically, plan for somewhere between 4 and 6 months from filing to your divorce order in straightforward cases — that’s the typical window when both spouses agree and paperwork moves cleanly through the court registry. Delays usually come from documentation errors, incomplete disclosure, or the registry’s own caseload, any of which can stretch things further. Curious what your specific timeline is likely to look like? Let’s find out.
Often, no in BC, CANADA— many uncontested divorces are reviewed on paper, without either of you setting foot in a courtroom. Whether that applies to you depends on your specific file. Let’s check if you qualify for that simpler path.
Cross-border situations add a layer most people don’t expect, usually tied to residency requirements. It’s very solvable — just not something to guess at. This is exactly the kind of detail worth getting right from step one. Let’s walk through it together.
It depends on your specific situation and how much needs negotiating versus simply documenting. The fewer issues left in conflict, and the more you and your partner cooperate, the less the process tends to cost. The clearest way to know your number is a real conversation, not a guess online. Let’s talk about what your case would actually involve.
Usually the basics — your original marriage certificate, and, if support or property division is involved, some financial information, including three years of Notices of Assessment (NOAs) in BC. Exactly what’s needed depends on your details. We’ll hand you a clear checklist once we know more. Ready to find out what you’ll need?
In most cases, yes, except the rare case where the parties has no issue to resolve and in complete agreement on the divorce — one lawyer generally can’t represent both sides. That doesn’t mean it has to be adversarial, though; it just means each of you has someone looking out for you. Happy to walk you through how that works for an amicable divorce.
Canada’s Divorce Act recognizes three grounds: living separate and apart for one year, adultery, or cruelty. In practice, the vast majority of couples use the one-year separation route, since proving adultery or cruelty in court adds real time, cost, and conflict — the opposite of what most people actually want. If you’re unsure which applies to you, that’s worth a quick conversation.
Fit matters as much as location — you want someone whose approach matches how you want this handled, whether that’s amicable and efficient, or something more involved. We serve clients throughout Vancouver and Toronto, with a process built specifically around calm, cooperative divorces. Let’s see if we’re the right fit for you.
Yes – the Federal Government’s Official Child Support Table Look-Up gives a solid starting estimate based on income. That said, real numbers often involve adjustments — shared parenting time, special expenses, or spousal support ranges that the basic table doesn’t capture. A quick estimate online is a fine starting point; getting the actual number right for your situation is where we come in. Want us to run your real numbers?
Generally, no — if your situation is genuinely that simple, you may not need a formal agreement to move forward. That said, a few things are worth confirming first: your separation date matters for your divorce timeline, and “no assets” sometimes hides small things people forget (a joint account, a shared lease, a pet). If you want a second set of eyes just to be sure nothing’s been missed, we’re happy to take a quick look — free of pressure either way.
BLOG
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Half of Everything We Have Is Mine” — Is That Really the Law?
Over 19 years of family law practice, I’ve heard this conviction expressed with something close to biblical certainty: fifty percent of everything is my entitlement. People say it as though it were carved into stone. If the law were really that simple, no one would spend two or three years locked in a court battle…
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No Support, No Parenting Time? Why Canadian Law Keeps Them Separate
In the terrain of divorce, the most vulnerable beings needing careful protection are children. They are not a party to the breakdown — the breakdown happened to them. What they need most is protection from unnecessary change: staying in the same home if possible, remaining around familiar people, continuing at the same school. These are…
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A Fatal Thorn: Infidelity and the Law of Divorce in Canada
Every wound to a marriage is different. Abuse is a slow-acting virus, eroding trust and safety over time. But infidelity is something else entirely — more like a venom, injected directly into the bloodstream of a marriage, spreading before anyone notices the bite. There is an antidote, in theory: honest confession, real repentance, and the…
Contact
1160 Burrad Street, Suite 605C, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2E8
+(604)283-5228
We help you
simplify and clarify
your Family law matter and Immigration law matters
in Vancouver & across BC & World
From your first question to the final decision, we walk every step with you.