Even though Provincial family law was changed in British Columbia in 2013 by the Family Law Act (FLA), most people do not know about these changes. The old Family Relations Act (FRA) used several terms to describe parenting rights and obligations including Custody and Access as well as Guardiansh...
In a marital separation, money is a hot topic. Between spouses, the issue of money comes up in two ways = whether spousal support, also known as alimony, is payable and how to divide the assets and debts of both spouses. Alimony is often resolved by applying the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelin...
I encourage you to see the movie And Justice For All - think about the point being made. Even in Canada, people complain about how a different Judge should be elected to give a more just Judgment. Think about it - having a judge worried about pandering to his special interest groups funding his r...
When do you have to pay Child support after separation - and how much is payable in British Columbia ? Since support is the right of every child, child support is payable even if the parents never had a relationship (except of course for at least one moment) let alone lived together or married. ...
The emotion in family separation is usually related to two major subjects - children and money. This post is about the division of assets. See my other posts about support and parenting rights. By the 2013 Family Law Act, British Columbia enacted a law that applies the same to both married and c...
It is a British Columbia website for personal planning that started in 1995 to help explain the new personal planning document called a Representation Agreement. Nidus means nest in Latin - a safe place to hold important things. Nidus.ca has evolved to be a registry and a great source of free inf...
Common-law Marriages In BC, a common-law marriage occurs after living together as spouses for 24 or more consecutive months, and a legal marriage occurs as easily as two adults buying the license and hiring a marriage commissioner. Common-law spouses don't need a divorce, they just need to phys...
Unlike Ontario which has a Unified Family Court, in British Columbia there are two courts that handle family legal issues - the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court. There are advantages and disadvantages to both courts. The Supreme Court is the higher court and has equitable jurisdiction as we...
Did you know that child support, since it is the right of the child, is a priority for the courts to calculate and enforce. Further, FMEP was created to provide parents with a free collection and enforcement service - even if the other parent does not live in the same Province. The calculation of...
QUALIFIED MEDIATOR AND ARBITRATOR FOR BC FAMILY LAW I am very pleased to announce that the Law Society of British Columbia has confirmed that I am qualified to act as your BC family law mediator and BC family law arbitrator. Whether it is a personal or business issue, all disputes in life are r...
TO WILL, OR NOT TO WILL? Many wonder if they need to do Estate Planning, which is simply writing down your wishes about the decisions required after a death. In addition to how you want your estate distributed, your wishes can include your choice of funeral such as burial or cremation with flowe...
CONTRACT BREACH, RESTITUTION The Canadian Press reported a case about a sex worker being "stiffed" (pun intended) by her customer who received the services but failed to pay the agreed fee. The customer was sued in Nova Scotia Small Claims Court 2023 NSSM 27 for his breach of contract but the cus...
As many saw in the news, the decision between SOUTH WEST TERMINAL LTD. and ACHTER LAND & CATTLE LTD. by the KING'S BENCH FOR SASKATCHEWAN on 8 June 2023 found that a contract was enforceable when the recipient had replied to a text of a photo of a contract by only texting back a Thump-Up emoji. ...
2 year time frame Most people know there is now a 2 year time limitation to filing a Claim - the question is when does the time start? The balance is between the need to provide a practical time limit on the right to sue and when this limitation time clock starts so the Claimant has a fair chance...
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOSPITAL We are a PROUD SUPPORTER of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. Ask what you can do to help improve your own community. Anything you contribute, even a little time let alone a little cash, improves your community for all - and you feel good! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CHA...
The photo of the Chilliwack Courthouse, by John Deacon QC, where I attended a hearing set for all day. I was able to help another parent achieve a Consent Order, instead of starting a hearing, for family law parenting arrangements at Chilliwack Court. A consent order is often preferable to a tria...
Between spouses, the issue of money comes up in two ways = whether spousal support, also known as alimony, is payable and how to divide the assets and debts of both spouses. Alimony is often resolved by applying the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, after the incomes of both spouses are conf...
MEDIATION Based on our decades of experience, we are strong supporters of the use of professional mediation for all kinds of disputes including business disputes and estate problems, not just family separations, so everyone can use their hard-earned money for future needs instead of litigation c...
Everyone now has the ability to record conversations with their cell phones, and an accurate recording can be good evidence to resolve a dispute about what was said. However, surreptitious recordings are very controversial since they can cause more damage than the benefit of confirming verbal acc...
When do you have to pay Child support after separation - and how much is payable in British Columbia ?! Since support is the right of every child, child support is payable even if the parents never had a relationship (except of course for at least the one moment) let alone lived together or marri...
TO WILL, OR NOT TO WILL Many wonder if they need to do Estate Planning, which is simply writing down your wishes about the decisions required after a death. In addition to how you want your estate distributed, your wishes can include your choice of funeral such as burial or cremation with flower...
Corporations - THE FOUR HATS YOU WEAR If you are an incorporated small business, did you know you wear four hats, as the saying goes? You fill four equally important roles to be successful. First you are a Shareholder - you own the business and want it to be successful as a result of the monie...
It is a British Columbia web site for personal planning that started in 1995 to help explain the new personal planning document called a Representation Agreement. Nidus means nest in Latin - a safe place to hold important things. Nidus.ca has evolved to be a registry and a great source of free ...
The failure to promptly provide all financial disclosure in family cases has been described by our Court of Appeal to be a cancer in family litigation. The failure to provide proper disclosure requires time and money to press for disclosure orders which increases legal costs in family litigatio...
Builders Lien - leverage created by legislation to allow several categories of contributors to the land, including workers and material suppliers, to pressure the land owner to pressure the Head Contractor to pay what is owed. The pressure comes from the ability of the contributor to file a lie...
Sea to Sky Law Group is committed to answering your questions about, Estate, Business, Mediation, and Dispute Resolution issues in British Columbia. We offer experienced advice to support your DIY self-representation efforts or by a full-service traditional retainer. We can discuss your case and help you develop a solution plan by phone or in-person or virtually eg by Zoom. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
