Tamara Adderley

FAMILY LAWYER, CALGARY

1-888-410-1677 (Calgary Toll-Free)

About Tamara Adderley

Tamara Adderley has worked in family law since before she became a lawyer. Before attending law school, she worked as a legal assistant at a boutique family law firm, where she had an early introduction to both the legal and personal sides of family law. That experience played an important role in her decision to become a lawyer and ultimately to build her career in family law.

Tamara is an experienced lawyer who has practiced exclusively in family law since. She assists clients in all areas of family law, including separation and divorce, parenting and decision-making, child and spousal support, family property division, and cohabitation, marriage, and separation agreements.

Tamara understands that meeting with a family lawyer is not something most people ever expect to have to do. By the time a client comes to see her, they are often dealing with a lot at once and may not know where to begin. Tamara takes the time to understand what is happening, what matters most to the client, and what they hope to achieve. She makes a point of explaining the law and the available options in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

Tamara takes a practical approach and believes family law does not have to be unnecessarily adversarial. Where possible, she helps clients resolve matters through negotiation, mediation, and other alternatives to court. She also recognizes that sometimes going to court is necessary and is comfortable advocating for her clients when it is.

One of the things Tamara likes most about practicing family law is helping people get through a difficult period in their lives and figure out what comes next. She enjoys getting to know her clients and working with them to find solutions that make sense not just legally, but for their lives and families.

Clients can expect Tamara to be straightforward with them. She believes part of her job is to give clients an honest assessment of their situation, including when her advice may not be what they were hoping to hear. She also tries to keep clients focused on the issues that matter, rather than spending unnecessary time, money, and energy on things that are unlikely to make a meaningful difference to the outcome.

Notable Outcomes:

Solicitor-client costs awarded for an opposing party’s failure to provide financial disclosure Abbott v Poropat, 2020 ABQB 685 (CanLII)

Date: November 2020

Tamara represented the applicant, Ms. Abbott, in a family law proceeding before the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. Argued that the respondent’s conduct during the litigation, particularly his repeated failure to meet his financial disclosure obligations despite numerous opportunities to do so, justified enhanced costs. Justice B.E. Romaine agreed and awarded costs and disbursements on a solicitor/client basis of $20,939.91, payable immediately and enforceable through Maintenance Enforcement.

https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abqb/doc/2020/2020abqb685/2020abqb685.html

Child support: income imputed retroactively and ongoing, undue hardship claim defeated Abbott v Poropat, 2020 ABQB 490 (CanLII)

Date: August 2020

Tamara represented the applicant mother, Ms. Abbott, in a child support application before the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. Used documentary evidence to show that the father’s claims of illness and low income were contradicted by his management fee receipts, credit card payments, travel, and support paid to children of a prior relationship. The Court found his disclosure incomplete, unreliable, and non-compliant with Cunningham v Seveny, and imputed an annual income of $100,000 for 2017 through 2020, well above the $45,000 he proposed. The Court awarded retroactive child support to the date of separation, citing his blameworthy conduct and misleading disclosure, and ordered him to pay his proportionate share of $47,403.48 in section 7 expenses. Relying on Dissanayake v Dissanayake, the Court refused to credit his payments toward business debts as child support and rejected his undue hardship claim for lack of evidence. He was also barred from seeking to vary support until he provides full disclosure and obtains leave of the Court.

https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abqb/doc/2020/2020abqb490/2020abqb490.html

Child support: retroactive and ongoing support, with dance expenses upheld as section 7 expenses Dobos v Dobos, 2024 ABKB 451 (CanLII)

Date: July 2024

Tamara represented the applicant mother, Ms. Dobos, at a one-day trial before the Alberta Court of King’s Bench seeking retroactive child support from 2014 and ongoing child support. The father, who failed to comply with the Court’s Procedural Order and did not pay support on the agreed schedule, argued that the children’s growing involvement in competitive dance was excessive and that he should not have to contribute to the 2023 and 2024 costs. Relying on evidence that the children were thriving academically and socially in dance, with no concerns raised by teachers or health care providers, the Court found that withdrawing them would be contrary to their best interests. It held that the dance costs (about $12,000 to $13,000 per child each year) were properly section 7 expenses, both retroactively and going forward. The Court rejected the father’s undue hardship argument for lack of supporting evidence, refused to reduce his 2018 income, and set ongoing child support on a 2024 income of $150,000. Ms. Dobos was awarded costs as the successful party.

https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abkb/doc/2024/2024abkb451/2024abkb451.html

Skrobar v Oiring, 2021 ABCA 12

Tamara successfully defended against an application to extend time to appeal.

Professional Memberships

• Member of Alberta Law Society