Family Law Provincial Court Practice 2025

Course Chairs
Kimberley J. Santerre — Owen Bird Law Corporation, Vancouver
Jasmeet K. Wahid — Daykin Walker Kaderly Wahid LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
With a litigation and dispute resolution practice focused on family law, Kimberley Santerre is experienced in arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. Kimberley regularly appears in the BC Supreme Court. Kimberley's expertise spans all matters affecting families, including property division, spousal support, child support, parental responsibilities, guardianship, relocation and mobility, and parenting time. She helps clients resolve complex property division matters and disputes involving corporations, partnerships, trusts, and real estate. She also prepares cohabitation, pre-nuptial, marriage, and separation agreements.

Kimberley is an active member of the CBA. She has also given presentations for CLEBC, the Trial Lawyers Association of BC, the Westminster Family Bar Association, and various subsections of the BC CBA.

Outside of the office, Kimberley enjoys biking, hiking with her rescue dog, travelling (solo and with her husband), and enjoying a good meal with friends and family.

Jasmeet Wahid's family law practice is diverse and includes complex financial and parenting issues. Her practice also includes unique issues in the areas of adoption, reproductive technology, and child protection.

She was recently trial counsel on Bradley v. Callahan, 2024 BCSC 163. She has argued several important appeals including: the posthumous use of reproductive material and the statutory interpretation of the consent provisions of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act [L.T. v. D.T. Estate, 2020 BCCA 328]; child's consent to gender affirming care, family violence, and remedies under the Family Law Act [A.B. v. C.D., 2020 BCCA 11 & A.B. v. C.D., 2019 BCCA 297]; and the adoption of a First Nations child and the statutory scheme of the Adoption Act [M.M. v. T.B., 2017 BCCA 296] with application for leave to the Supreme Court of Canada being dismissed.

Jasmeet is a contributor to continuing education seminars for other lawyers, and co-chairs or presents regularly at conferences or meetings on various issues for the CBA, CLEBC, Trial Lawyers Association of BC, PBLI, and York University, Osgoode Professional Development.

Her passions include travel and art.

Faculty
Judge Wendy Bernt — Provincial Court of BC, Smithers
Judge Jacqueline McQueen — Provincial Court of BC, Vancouver
Angela M. Accettura — Vice President, Legal Services, BC Family Maintenance Agency, Burnaby
Robert Evans — RWE Family Law, Vancouver
Natasha Kulusic — PGS Law, New Westminster
Adele K. Letwin — MHWP Law, Maple Ridge
Todd McPherson — Parents Legal Centre, Legal Services Society of BC, Vancouver
Kathryn A. Panton — YLaw, Surrey
Dean Tate — Somers Poulin Hall, New Westminster
Tanya Thakur — Crossroads Law, Vancouver
Valeska — Silver Selinger LLP, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

• pleadings and filings (i.e., procedure and process)
• effective preparation for family law case conferences, pre-trial conferences, hearings, and trials
• creating and using a trial book for a provincial court trial
• pitfalls and tips
• dispute resolution options

• pros and cons
• costs
• timing
• procedural advantages
• overlap in jurisdiction

• navigating a child protection case effectively
• tips from director's and parent's counsel
• how the process is different from a family case
• intersection with the FLA

• update on the new Provincial Court Family Rules and Forms
• what makes an effective advocate
• wise words, tips
• how to assist the court

• monitoring and collection of family support orders by the BCFMA
• working with the BCFMA

• protection orders
• the ethics of ex parte orders
• conduct orders
• considerations for creating safety in parenting plans
• screening for family violence
• safety planning
• other legal tools
• resources

• working with or across self-represented litigants
• unbundled services
• forms
• top 10 tips