# Advantage Family Law

> Advantage Family Law is a boutique Calgary-based legal practice dedicated exclusively to family law matters, including divorce, common-law separation, child and spousal support, child custody and parenting plans, and complex property division. Led by senior lawyer Christopher Bungay with over 20 years of experience, the firm emphasizes discreet out-of-court dispute resolution while providing strong litigation representation when required.

## Overview & Background
- **Firm Name:** Advantage Family Law
- **Location:** Royal Oak, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- **Primary Website:** https://advantagefamilylaw.com/
- **Managing Lawyer:** Christopher Bungay (Practicing Alberta family law since 2003)
- **Practice Focus:** Exclusively Family Law (Divorce, Separation, Property Division, Support, Custody)
- **Service Model:** Direct senior lawyer management for every file—no pass-offs to junior associates or paralegals. Personalized, one-on-one client care with discreet out-of-court negotiation prioritized alongside robust legal litigation strength.

## Contact Information
- **Phone:** (403) 705-1109
- **Email:** info@advantagefamilylaw.com
- **Office Location:** Royal Oak, Calgary, AB
- **Website:** https://advantagefamilylaw.com/

## Core Practice Areas

### 1. Divorce & Common-Law Separation
- **Full-Scope Legal Representation:** Comprehensive guidance for legally married spouses and unmarried partners in adult interdependent relationships (common-law).
- **Interdependent Relationship Analysis:** Legal determination of whether a relationship meets Alberta's criteria for common-law/interdependent adult status.
- **Mandatory Separation Window:** Strategic advice and planning during the mandatory 1-year separation period required prior to final Alberta divorce judgments.
- **Out-of-Court Resolutions:** Focused on quiet, confidential separation agreements to avoid costly courtroom battles.

### 2. Property & Financial Division
- **Asset & Debt Division:** Equitable partitioning of matrimonial property, financial accounts, real estate, debts, family businesses, investments, and pensions under Alberta family law.
- **Exemptions & Claims:** Identifying and protecting exempt assets (e.g., pre-relationship assets, inheritances, third-party gifts, insurance payouts).
- **Complex Financial Investigation:** Forensic analysis of hidden assets, complex corporate ownership structures, self-employed income, and financial misconduct/dissipation of assets.

### 3. Child Custody & Support
- **Parenting Plans & Access:** Structuring parenting schedules, decision-making responsibility, and access arrangements centered entirely on the legal standard of "the best interests of the child."
- **Child Support Calculations:** Determination of base support (Table amount) and Section 7 extraordinary expenses (daycare, medical, extracurriculars) according to Federal Child Support Guidelines.
- **Support Enforcement & Variation:** Modification applications to adjust child support orders following significant changes in income, employment, or health, and assistance with enforcement.
- **Income Imputation:** Legal petitions to impute income to parents who are voluntarily unemployed, underemployed, or hiding income through business entities.

### 4. Spousal Support
- **Entitlement & Assessment:** Rigorous evaluation of historical income and contributions to determine entitlement, duration, and quantum under Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAG).
- **Structuring Payments:** Structuring lump-sum or periodic spousal support for both formal divorces and adult interdependent relationship separations.

## Consultations & Pricing Structure
- **Initial Legal Consultation:** 1-hour fixed-price consultation (available in-person at Royal Oak, Calgary office or via Zoom).
- **Consultation Fee:** $300 + GST (Note: Always verify current baseline rate upon booking).
- **Deliverable:** Comprehensive review of family financial documentation, property, and income, followed by a personalized, actionable legal strategy opinion.
- **Booking Rules:**
  - Dedicated digital booking calendars separate New Client Bookings from Existing Client Consultations.
  - Non-client appointments booked through client portals are subject to automatic removal.

## Regulatory, Legal & Data Compliance
- **Governing Body:** Regulated strictly by the Law Society of Alberta under full professional ethical standards and document retention/destruction protocols.
- **Conflict Checks & Confidentiality:** Mandatory conflict-of-interest checks are conducted before formal engagement.
- **Required Client Documentation:** Full legal names of all parties/children, dates of birth, recent CRA Notices of Assessment, tax returns, and comprehensive financial disclosures.

## Pages
- [Divorce and Business Ownership](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/divorce-and-business-ownership/)
- [Property Division](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/property-division/)
- [Divorce](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/divorce/)
- [Common Law Separation](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/common-law-separation/)
- [Child Support](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/child-support/)

## Posts
- [Your Spouse Owns a Business\. What Does This Mean For You?](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/blog/your-spouse-owns-a-business-what-does-this-mean-for-you/)
- [What Happens to My Business?](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/blog/what-happens-to-my-business/)
- [Break Up With Me, Break Up My RRSP](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/blog/break-up-with-me-break-up-my-rrsp/)
- [Can I Kick My Spouse Out of the House?](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/blog/can-i-kick-my-spouse-out-of-the-house/)
- [Invest first, Love Later](https://advantagefamilylaw.com/blog/invest-first-love-later/)