Family Law Basics 2025

Course Chair
Meghan Selinger — Silver Selinger LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chair
Meghan Selinger was called to the bar in 2005. She is a partner at Silver Selinger LLP, where she practices exclusively in the area of family law. Meghan is an accredited Family Law Mediator and a qualified Collaborative Divorce Practitioner.

Meghan is a past-chair of the CBA Family Law Vancouver Subsection and has been an elected member of the CBA Provincial Council (Vancouver County). She is also a member of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC, where she has sat on the Education Planning Committee and the Family Law Committee. Meghan has contributed to various legal publications, including as a member of the Editorial Board for CLEBC's Family Practice Manual and as an author of the Family Law Sourcebook updates. She previously co-taught the course on Family Law at UBC, Peter A. Allard School of Law and has chaired family law courses for the TLABC. She has been a guest lecturer at PLTC, CLEBC courses, PBLI courses, as well as other guest presentations.

Faculty
Justice Julie K. Lamb — Supreme Court of BC, New Westminster
Kelsey Beazer — Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver
Shannon Beebe — Basran Robin Allen & Desilets, Vancouver
H. Hailey Graham — Hamilton Fabbro, Vancouver
Kevin J. Heinrichs — Heinrichs Richards LLP, Vancouver
Julia M. Hibbard — Hayward Sheppard, Vancouver
Daylyn Miller — Hamilton Fabbro, Vancouver
Matt Ostrow — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Peter Schmidt — BTM Lawyers LLP, Port Moody
Shawna L. Specht — ViewPoint Family Law, Vancouver
Shashika R. Stanislaus — Basran Robin Allen & Desilets, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

• suggestions for an effective chambers application
• pointers for trial preparation
• getting the most out of a JCC

• assessing clients' emotional states
• screening clients 
• retainers and retainer letters
• managing expectations
• responsibilities for screening for family violence
• red flags

• collaborative law
• commencing proceedings
• negotiation
• mediation
• arbitration

• disclosure triggers and ongoing disclosure obligations
• client understanding and awareness
• Family Law Rules
  • lists of documents
  • examinations for discovery
  • interrogatories

• what is a JCC
• Family Law Rules
  • the scope of JCCs
  • disclosure obligations
  • available orders that JCC judges can make
  • exemptions to JCCs
• strategy for effective use of JCCs
• preparing yourself and your client
• preparing a JCC brief
• setting subsequent JCCs

• types of expert reports: section 202 and 211 reports, joint, party's own, courts' own, rebuttal
• emerging use of shadow experts

• how to prepare for mediation, including mediation briefs
• how to start litigation, including:
  • framing your claim
  • organizing documents
• how to prepare for trial, including:
  • examinations for discovery
  • witness preparation and examination
  • experts 
  • trial management conferences and briefs
  • opening and closing arguments

• what is parenting coordination
• appointments and intake
• what files are or are not appropriate for this process
• role of counsel
• jurisdiction of a PC/enforcement
• availability