Articles tagged “BC Family Law Act”:

New BC Family Law Act + Caring For Children After Separation or Divorce

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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 »

Family Lawyer Vancouver Discusses New Family Law Act

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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 »

Let Us Help You Get Ready For The New BC Family Law

British Columbians are fortunate to have a new Family Law Act which will take effect on March 18, 2013.  The Family Law Act will replace the present Family Relations Act which has been in effect since the late 1970s.  Among the most significant changes is the new Family Law Act:

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 »