Archives for November 2011

An Advent Calendar of tips to help you make the most of your family mediation

I’ve loved Advent Calendars ever since receiving my first one at the age of five.  There just doesn’t seem to be anything comparable to the experience of not knowing what is behind each of those tightly-fastened little doors and the delightful torment of having to wait a whole day to… more »

The Family Law Act has received Royal Assent!

I have just received the following news, which I am pleased to share with you:

The Family Law Act received Royal Assent on November 24, 2011. The following sections are now in effect:

• section 258, which repeals sections 90 [obligation to support parent]  and 120.1 [property agreements] of the Family

Family violence, assessment and distance mediation: How do they fit together?

By now, you have likely heard about the introduction of the new Family Law Act in the B.C. legislature.  You may even have read our recent post on this topic.  You may also have heard that, under the new Act, family dispute resolution professionals – lawyers, mediators, parenting coordinators and… more »

Out to lunch? Mediators, judges and potential ethical conflicts of using social media

I was just about to publish the post below when I received notice of a new posting by Jordan Furlong on Stem’s Law Firm Web Strategy Blog: In our private universe:  Being yourself on social media. While I find myself hesitant to now publish it, without spending time analyzing … more »

Introduction of the Family Law Act Bill in B.C.

Today’s important posting comes from Kari Boyle, Executive Director of Mediate BC Society:

November 14, 2011:  The BC Government introduced a Bill today that proposes a major overhaul of family law in the province.  The Family Law Act makes significant changes including:

• Provides a comprehensive scheme to determine a

How does mediation lead to a legally enforceable agreement?

One of the questions we most often receive about family mediation is whether, at the end of mediation, there will be an enforceable, legally binding agreement.  As seems to be the case with so many of life’s important questions, the answer to this is not a simple “yes” or “no”.… more »

The joy of mediating in my P.J.’s: Telephone-based mediation

If you’ve been following this blog, you likely know that our distance mediation service has been leaning towards the use of computer-based videoconferencing.  You may also know that, when they are more suitable or preferred by clients, we use other types of technologies – including the telephone. In today’s post… more »