Hot Topics in Family Law Part II: Good Lawyering for Bad Parenting

Course Chairs
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, QC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs

Nikki L. Charlton specializes exclusively in the area of family law and provides services from either a collaborative or litigation approach depending on the individual needs of her clients. She is an accredited Family Law mediator, arbitrator, and parenting coordinator. Nikki was educated at the University of Victoria where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction. She studied law at UBC Law School and was called to the BC Bar in 2004. Nikki is a partner at Farris LLP and was named “Lexpert’s Rising Star Top 40 Under 40” in 2015. Nikki is a contributor to continuing education seminars for other lawyers and presents regularly at conferences on various complex issues affecting couples going through separation and divorce within BC.

Morag MacLeod, QC is a senior family law arbitrator, mediator and parenting coordinator in private practice in Vancouver.  She is the President of the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society and a member of TLABC, CBABC, Family Mediation Canada, the BC Hear the Child Society, and the Family Law Advocates Group.  She is the past chair of the Family Law Litigation Group of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC.  She is on the Editorial Board of the CLEBC Family Law Sourcebook, a contributing author to various CLEBC and other legal publications, and is a frequent presenter on family law, parenting coordination, high conflict parenting and out-of-court case resolution topics.

Faculty
Leisa Ballard — Social Worker, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Vancouver
Christopher Beresford — Director of Maintenance Enforcement, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
John-Paul E. Boyd — AOCA, MA, LLB, John-Paul Boyd Arbitration Chambers, Vancouver and Calgary
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Anne Demeulemeester — Aaron Gordon Daykin Nordlinger LLP, Vancouver
Ian B. Hayward — Hayward Sheppard, Vancouver
Michelle Kinney — Cassels Murray, Victoria
Detective Eve Koenning — Special Investigation Unit, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, QC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver
Stacey S. Silber — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Jasmeet Wahid — Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP, Richmond
Leah Zille – Executive Director, The Treehouse Vancouver Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios »

Welcome and Introduction

Nikki L. Charlton — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, QC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

Bill C-78: Overhauling the Divorce Act

• new terminology and a new attitude
• establishing jurisdiction
• assessing the best interest of the child
• regulating relocation

John-Paul E. Boyd — AOCA, MA, LLB, John-Paul Boyd Arbitration Chambers, Vancouver and Calgary

Choose Your Own Adventure — The Comprehensive Parenting Agreement

• parental responsibilities
• conduct management
• parenting coordination and other helpful third parties
• online parenting platforms — coparently, OurFamilyWizard, 2Houses, DIY Google
• review process
• dispute resolution
• why certain parenting schedules work

Nikki L. Charlton — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, QC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

Break

Client Management in Difficult Parenting Cases

• process options for parenting cases: litigation, arbitration, mediation, negotiation or collaboration?
• be the voice of reason: setting expectations and providing education
• rely on the experts: divorce coaches, parenting counsellors, s. 211 assessors, and parenting coordinators

Anne Demeulemeester — Aaron Gordon Daykin Nordlinger LLP, Vancouver

Addressing Allegations of Alienation

• is it alienation, estrangement or both?
• experts reports, views of the child reports, and other evidentiary issues
• initial and longer-term responses to alienation and estrangement

John-Paul E. Boyd — AOCA, MA, LLB, John-Paul Boyd Arbitration Chambers, Vancouver and Calgary

Networking Lunch (Provided)

Relocation Update Panel

• update on case law
• what law applies—relocation regime or s. 46 of the FLA; Divorce Act or FLA when parties are married
• whether to proceed under s. 46 or s. 64 of the FLA depending on whether or not there is an agreement or order in place
• what qualifies (or doesn’t qualify) as a “bad faith” move in relocation
• relocation in primary parent v. shared parenting arrangements
• is a relocation appropriate for a summary trial?

Ian B. Hayward — Hayward Sheppard, Vancouver
Michelle Kinney — Cassels Murray, Victoria
Stacey S. Silber — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver

Break

Outside Perspectives

• policing issues
• dealing with the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program
• parenting—cultural factors

Leisa Ballard — Social Worker, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Vancouver
Christopher Beresford — Director of Maintenance Enforcement, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Detective Eve Koenning — Special Investigation Unit, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver
Jasmeet Wahid — Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP, Richmond
Leah Zille — Executive Director, The Treehouse Vancouver Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, Vancouver

Closing Remarks

Nikki L. Charlton — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, QC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver