Pamela J Rowlands Law

03/23/2018

An interesting plan to deal with family disputes in an administrative process. As family law lawyers, we often question whether the traditional court process, which was never originally intended to deal with these issues, is the best way to deal with family disputes. (It often isn't)

In our present family justice system, disputes are presumptively resolved in court, with provincial and territorial legislation acknowledging the possibility of out-of-court resolution with differing, and sometimes indifferent, degrees of emphasis. T

04/27/2017

First lawsuit by women’s law firm West Coast LEAF takes up cases of two low-income mothers fleeing abuse — but denied funding for a lawyer.

10/26/2016

How to prepare for a divorce - yes, it is possible! Great tips from Equitable Mediation Services.

We asked a panel of divorce experts to share their best 3 tips for how to prepare for divorce so that it's peaceful from start to finish. Read their advice now.

10/14/2016

A new blog post has arrived! Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Your Lawyer. Check it out.

Here are a few ideas to make a trip to your lawyer’s office more effective: 1. Leave the kids at home or meet with us during school/daycare hours. It’s

08/20/2016

The Law Foundation of BC is funding a two year pilot project to create a Children's Lawyer's office for British Columbia.

A 16-year-old girl is sexually assaulted while living in government care. Her attacker is arrested and charged, throwing the girl into the centre of a long trial in a legal system she doesn& #8…

07/27/2016

The blog is up and running! (Pamela J Rowlands Law Corporation's blog is for educational purposes and is general information only. It is not legal advice.)

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06/19/2016

Taxes are complicated. Laura Dietz, a family law lawyer in Victoria, simplifies it for separated couples in this Georgia Straight article.

Warning: this article discusses taxes. It may be a good idea to get a cup of coffee before going any further and get all the funny cat videos out of your system first. If you are getting separated or divorced and have children and want to have a quick and easy overview of what you need to know, read...

05/28/2016

The Rise Women’s Legal Centre, at 201 – 456 West Broadway, near Cambie Street, is offering a full service storefront legal clinic for low income women in the Lower Mainland.

A new legal centre, the first of its kind in B.C., has opened in Vancouver to give women completely free legal advice in family law and related areas.

05/18/2016

What is the Land (Spouse Protection) Act and why is it important to family law?

If you aren't on title for the home you and your spouse occupied during your marriage or common-law relationship, you don't necessarily have to launch a lawsuit to stop them from selling the home and pocketing the proceeds. An entry registered with the Land Title Office under the Land (Spouse Protection) Act is an affordable and effective "pause button" in certain circumstances:

- You have to be living in the house, or have lived in the house within the last year; and

- You cannot be officially divorced (it's also likely the case that you can't have ended your common-law relationship over two years prior).

Once a Land (Spouse Protection) Act entry is registered, your spouse will not be able to sell the property without your consent. Your spouse also likely won't receive notification of the entry, which allows you to protect your interest in your home without the need to start a full-blown legal battle. And, the entry can be removed by you at any time. You may decide to consent to a sale of the property when a sale is the right thing for both you and your spouse, or you may decide that a court action is the only way to resolve your property dispute.

A Land (Spouse Protection) Act charge is not a solution for every situation. For example, it's important to note that this charge does not give you priority over creditors like a Certificate of Pending Litigation (a charge registered after a family lawsuit has commenced with a Notice of Family Claim). But, it can be a low-conflict and affordable option for those concerned that their spouse may sell their house out from under them.

"disposition" means any disposition by an act between living persons that is required to be executed by the owner of the land disposed of, and includes

05/02/2016

This book came highly recommended by a Judge at a Family Case Conference today. Taking the War Out of Our Words: The Art of Powerful Non-Defensive Communication by Sharon Ellison

Taking the War Out of Our Words:The Art of Powerful Non-Defensive Communication

05/01/2016

Here's a useful legal tool brought to you by the Legal Services Society (LSS). Great information about family law issues.

Maintained by the Legal Services Society, BC, Canada. BC's Legal Services Society holds the copyright to all information on this site. None of this material may be commercially reproduced, but copying for other purposes, with credit, is encouraged.