Prof. Parkinson spoke on February … Read more »

When you hire a divorce lawyer, you can expect your vancouver divorce lawyer to provide you with legal advice, take your … Read more »

After I successfully help my client enter into a separation agreement and obtain a divorce order, my job as a family and divorce lawyer is often done.  How did the client start the process?  Frequently, the client has consulted me for pre-separation advice over the past few years because their common law marriage or civil marriage is breaking down and the couple is seeking the help of marriage counselors.  Then the client advises me that they finally told their spouse that the relationship has ended for them and that they want to continue to have a good relationship because it is in the best interests of the children and because they don’t want to have a costly divorce … Read more »

On March 18, 2013 British Columbians will see the old Family Relations Act repealed and the new Family Law Act come into force. Under the new Act, parents who lived together after their child was born will both be the child’s guardians. While the child’s parents are living together and after the child’s parents separate, each parent is the child’s guardian. A parent will cease being a child’s guardian if the parents agree in writing or the court orders otherwise. Guardians ensure that a child is personally cared for and are responsible make decisions about the child’s home, education, health, and religion, and their financial and legal interests.

The new Family Law Act allows guardians to appoint … Read more »

When a family experiences the breakdown of the spousal relationship, it involves many life changes and decisions especially for the children. One of the best resources a parent can use to support themselves during the transition is a talented family lawyer and a divorce coach. And a child specialist can help support the children during this challenging transition and give them a much needed voice as their world is turned upside down. The following highlights some of the key issues that parents must deal with after separation and divorce.

Helping Children Adjust To Two Homes

Children thrive when they have the security and predictability of a stable family environment, that is, the familiarity of where they live, … Read more »

The movie Kramer v. Kramer about a just-separated father who must learn to care for his son on his own when his wife takes off, and then must fight in court to keep custody of his son when the mother returns and asks for sole custody, highlighted how much a child can become a pawn in a separation and divorce dispute and the flaw to the idea that one parent is better than two. With real life examples of that movie in separated families all across British Columbia, the new Family Law Act dramatically changes how the law treats children when their parents separate.

The new Family Law Act does not use the adversarial terms “custody” and “access” … Read more »

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 »

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 … Read more »

Strongly encourages spouses who separate to use alternative dispute resolution such as mediation or collaborative law process instead of the court processes.  Why move family law cases out of the court system and into mediation or collaborative law?  Because the research shows that spouses who separate and use the mediation or collaborative law are more satisfied with their separation agreements and learn effective co-parent skills.  The court system … Read more »

I advise every separating client that the legal experts point out that families who choose the litigation system to resolve their disputes, generally harm their children and dissipate their family’s assets.  The court system is not suited to deal with the complexities of interpersonal relations when separating … Read more »