West Coast Family Law

04/23/2026

HAPPY EARTH DAY from West Coast Family Law! Together let's take good care of our planet !:)

06/11/2025

Can A Marriage Counsellor Fix your Car?
No, of course they cannot. However, I had the privilege of participating in a mediator drop-in clinic recently and heard some clients recount very interesting scenarios where their marriage counsellor assisted the parties in drafting the terms of a separation agreement. This is as helpful as asking a counsellor to fix my car. I have always had the utmost respect for marriage counsellors and in fact, all counsellors. With my background in psychology, I have long believed that matrimonial breakdowns are best resolved using a multi-disciplinary approach, as per collaborative family law which I introduced in Europe in the early 2000’s. This is a client-centred dispute resolution process with separation & divorce coaches, a child specialist and/or neutral financial specialist, as needed.
However, to not use a qualified dispute resolution professional in the family settlement process but rather a marriage counsellor (who has no liability insurance, by the way) as the lead professional is fraught with peril. These clients had no idea that they had an interest in other family property including a pension and years after the separation they were also not clear on the appropriate amount for determining income for the purposes of child support.
The reason that family lawyers are uniquely qualified to be family mediators is not only because of our legal background, we are also required to attend 12 hours of CPD credits annually which means most of us keep up with current family law. The same cannot be said of all other professional groups. So many clients do not know what they do not know and believe that they are protected when they are absolutely not informed about their legal rights and obligations.
All this to say, it is very concerning to briefly meet clients who have never had the benefit of even a consultation with a qualified family dispute resolution professional. Years later they must address legal deficiencies that could have been avoided when limitation periods may have already run, not to mention the peace of mind and stability for the children when finality is obtained based on a legally enforceable separation agreement.

Free and or paid legal resources:
- https://www.westcoastfamilymediation.ca/
- https://mediatebc.com/
- https://www.collaborativefamilylawgroup.com/
- https://legalaid.bc.ca/
- https://www.accessprobono.ca/
- https://www.familylawinbc.ca/visit/justice-access-centre-vancouver-victoria-and-nanaimo

Government-funded offices that provide family and civil law information, advice, and services

06/11/2025

Can A Marriage Counsellor Fix your Car?
No, of course they cannot. However, I had the privilege of participating in a mediator drop-in clinic recently and heard some clients recount very interesting scenarios where their marriage counsellor assisted the parties in drafting the terms of a separation agreement. This is as helpful as asking a counsellor to fix my car. I have always had the utmost respect for marriage counsellors and in fact, all counsellors. With my background in psychology, I have long believed that matrimonial breakdowns are best resolved using a multi-disciplinary approach, as per collaborative family law which I introduced in Europe in the early 2000’s. This is a client-centred dispute resolution process with separation & divorce coaches, a child specialist and/or neutral financial specialist, as needed.
However, to not use a qualified dispute resolution professional in the family settlement process but rather a marriage counsellor (who has no liability insurance, by the way) as the lead professional is fraught with peril. These clients had no idea that they had an interest in other family property including a pension and years after the separation they were also not clear on the appropriate amount for determining income for the purposes of child support.
The reason that family lawyers are uniquely qualified to be family mediators is not only because of our legal background, we are also required to attend 12 hours of CPD credits annually which means most of us keep up with current family law. The same cannot be said of all other professional groups. So many clients do not know what they do not know and believe that they are protected when they are absolutely not informed about their legal rights and obligations.
All this to say, it is very concerning to briefly meet clients who have never had the benefit of even a consultation with a qualified family dispute resolution professional. Years later they must address legal deficiencies that could have been avoided when limitation periods may have already run, not to mention the peace of mind and stability for the children when finality is obtained based on a legally enforceable separation agreement.

Free and or paid legal resources:
- https://www.westcoastfamilymediation.ca/
- https://mediatebc.com/
- https://www.collaborativefamilylawgroup.com/
- https://legalaid.bc.ca/
- https://www.accessprobono.ca/
- https://www.familylawinbc.ca/visit/justice-access-centre-vancouver-victoria-and-nanaimo

We help British Columbians solve their legal problems. We envision a justice system where all British Columbians have access to the legal help they need.

04/15/2025

02/14/2025

Elise Schopper-Brigel and Karen Henry from West Coast Family Law and Fiona McQueen from Carfra Lawton have invited all former members and newly interested family lawyers to the first meeting of the Victoria & Beyond Mediation Study Group on February 13, 2025. It will be an lively interactive discussion with leading mediation practitioners and counsel to support the mediation community in Victoria. We look forward to many more meetings in the future!

01/10/2025

Mediation Essential How-Tos | ONLINE ONLY

January 23, 2025

Anxious about your next mediation session? Attend this how-to session on general and more complex procedural and substantive issues including: how to deal with incomplete disclosure; allegations of family violence when they are being denied; rigid thinking by clients and/or counsel; quantifying compensatory spousal support, determining business income and pet mediation.

REGISTRATION:
https://www.cbapd.org/details_en.aspx?id=BC_BC25FLI01R

12/13/2024

WEST COAST FAMILY LAW is wishing you a Happy Holidays from afar! It’s been great working together, and we hope your holidays are full of joy and relaxation. It's time to close the laptop!

11/13/2024

I had the privilege of being on the Parentage Law Reform Project Committee that drafted the ground breaking report included re-defining parentage as part of its mandate! We are confident that the recommendations will improve the lives of parents who are forming families by enhancing diversity, decreasing barriers and costs and streamlining the provisions related to legal procedures.

Families come in many forms and there are many different ways of having babies and creating families. Read BCLI’s recommendations for modernizing the laws about parentage.
https://www.bcli.org/project/review-of-parentage-under-part-3-of-the-family-law-act

11/14/2022

Courts not hesitant to punish parties found to be intentionally dissipating assets: Kevin Caspersz

10/28/2022

This is why we need LAP!

University of Sherbrooke study shows high levels of distress and burnout