Adoption

We offer legal assistance in formalizing adoptions and have extensive knowledge and experience to assist you in understanding your rights and obligations involving

• Agency adoptions in British Columbia

• Out-of-province and international adoptions

• Relative or step-parent adoptions

• Adult adoptions

Agreements

We have extensive experience in negotiating and drafting a range of family law agreements. We can also give you independent legal advice and assist you in negotiating a written agreement to meet your particular situation and needs. These include:

• Cohabitation Agreements

• Prenuptial/Marriage Agreements

• Separation Agreements

• Child and Spousal Support Agreements

• Parenting Plans

• Surrogacy and Donor Contracts/Assisted Reproductive Technology Agreements

Arbitration

Arbitration provides a private dispute resolution forum for family law disputes that is outside of the court system.  Arbitration decisions are binding and enforceable like Court Orders.  While an arbitration can be structured similarly to a conventional court hearing/trial, it also provides much greater flexibility and informality in the design and management of the dispute resolution process, which can result in a much more cost- and time-efficient manner of obtaining a determination of a family law dispute. 

We offer arbitration services in both the capacity as arbitrator or as counsel attending at arbitration on behalf of the client.

Collaborative Family Law

Collaborative Law is a supported and structured forward-looking process used to resolve family law disputes without the involvement of the courts or threat of litigation. In a Collaborative Law process, the participants and the lawyers sign a contract called a Participation Agreement.  The collaboratively trained lawyers work with the family to promote good faith negotiation and full transparency, with the aim of helping the participants reach an enduring and mutually acceptable settlement agreement. Within the Collaborative process we provide tools and resources to help transition through life changes like cohabitation/marriage and separation, and we utilize collaboratively trained coaches, child specialists and financial specialists on an as-needed basis. The Collaborative process is a highly successful method of resolving disputes in a healthy, respectful, and safe manner, even in high conflict situations.

Litigation

We strive to help clients resolve their family law matters outside of court where possible, however we recognize that at times some level of involvement within the court system may be necessary or even advisable to safeguard you, your children or your finances or simply to move matters along. We have extensive experience representing clients in the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia and when working as legal advocates in the court system, we will continue to provide you with grounded and strategic advice while advising you on the range of legal outcomes.

Mediation

Mediation is a private dispute resolution mechanism that can assist in reaching settlements and breaking stalemates. With high success rates and results delivered on a more time- and cost-efficient basis, mediation is an effective way to resolve ongoing or potential disputes, whether or not litigation has already been commenced. 

We offer mediation services in both the capacity as mediator or as counsel attending at mediation on behalf of the client. 

In our role as mediators, we act as a neutral facilitator to help you resolve disputes by narrowing the issues and clarifying positions, facilitating the exchange of information, and helping craft solutions to meet your needs, which include creative or custom solutions not likely available through the court system.

In our role as counsel, we prepare before the mediation to provide the best opportunity for a comprehensive settlement.   At mediation, we are actively involved in negotiating a workable and long-lasting resolution.

Parenting Coordination

We offer parenting coordination services, which provide an impartial, child-focused dispute resolution process to assist separated or divorced parents in implementing their parenting plans and resolving disputes that arise around parenting.  This includes assisting parents to develop/manage communication protocols, establish priorities, identify potential disputes, and to generally interpret and adapt their existing parenting plan to best meet the needs of the children.  Parenting coordinators can make day-to-day and larger parental decisions as they arise, with a goal of minimizing ongoing conflict or further litigation. Parenting Coordinators can be engaged by agreement between parents or by Court Order..