Family Lawyer Vancouver Discusses New Family Law Act

On March 18, 2013 the new Family Law Act (“FLA”) Bill 16-2011, will go into effect.  The main purposes of the FLA are to encourage families to use the out of court resolutions and to better protect children.  The following highlights three of the key changes.

Family Dispute Resolution

The FLA imposes on parties an obligation to make a joint effort to resolve their family law dispute outside the court system.  This obligation is because the court processes forces the parties to become adversaries which harms the children and dissipates the family’s assets.  How does the FLA ensure that the courts are used as the last resort for resolving disputes?  The FLA in Section 8(2) imposes a duty … Read more »

How to Have a Happy, Healthy, & Inexpensive Collaborative Divorce

Unless your name is Johnny Depp, divorce can have a significant impact on your life, both emotionally and financially.  In Canada, one in two unions fails, most unions fail before the 14-year mark. Most separating spouses say the divorce process was traumatic, that it harmed the children and dissipated their assets.  But I am a divorce lawyer in Vancouver who helps couples separate in a healthy and cost-effective manner.  

Frequently, the separating spouses focus on the financial aspects of divorce without addressing their emotional wounds and scars.  But studies show that when separating spouses deal with their feelings while going through divorce, each spouse becomes a better separation agreement negotiator and it provides each spouse and their family … Read more »