14th Biennial Family Law Conference 2023

Course Chairs
Todd R. Bell — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, KC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Todd Bell is a highly skilled litigator and trial lawyer with wide-ranging courtroom experience spanning all levels of court in BC. Todd settles as many files through agreements or mediation as possible, but in the event of an impasse he litigates the matter to a resolution.

Todd's practice areas include the division of high net-worth assets including complex corporate structures, trusts, foreign property, and pensions. He practices in all manner of parenting and custody litigation including relocation and Hague Convention matters, adoption litigation, and emergency protection from family violence. Todd has been the successful counsel on multiple seminal family law judgments. He received his LLB in 2007 and was called to the bar in 2008. Todd has served as adjunct faculty at the Allard School of Law at UBC, was Co-Chair of the CBA Family Law Subsection after several years on the executive, has been a member of the Editorial Board of the Family Law Practice Manual (CLEBC) since 2012, has joined the Editorial Board of the Family Law Sourcebook (CLEBC) commencing in 2022, chairs conferences or presents legal papers on family law issues several times every year for organizations such as CLEBC, TLABC, LSS, CBA (Okanagan), and the Access Pro Bono Court of Appeal program.

In his personal life, Todd is an enthusiastic canoeist, having done hundreds of kilometers in each Ontario, the Yukon, BC, and northern Saskatchewan. He lives in Vancouver with his spouse, son, and two terribly behaved Labrador Retrievers.

Nikki 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 BA 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, KC is a well-known family law mediator and arbitrator in private practice in Vancouver. She is a member of LSBC, CBABC, TLABC, and the Family Law Advocates Group. She is the past president of the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society and 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 a frequent presenter on family law mediation and arbitration, parenting coordination, high conflict parenting, and out-of-court case resolution topics.

Faculty
The Honourable Madam Justice Heather M. MacNaughton — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Kristine P. All — Thorpe & Company, Vancouver
Jeannette Aucoin — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Fiona M. Beveridge — Fiona Beveridge Family Law, Vancouver
Marcelle Blancato, PhD, RSW, RCC — Marcelle Blancato and Associates, Vancouver
Alex Boland — Connect Family Law, Kelowna
Scott L. Booth, KC — Jenkins Marzban Logan, Vancouver
Leneigh Bosdet — Pushor Mitchell LLP, Kelowna
Wayne Fernandes — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Dinyar Marzban, KC — Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver
Jamila Nazerali Hilborn, MC, RCC — Hilborn Psychotherapy, North Vancouver
Abby Petterson, MA Psych, RCC, RP — AJ Petterson & Associates Inc., North Vancouver
Karen F. Redmond — Redmond Family Law, West Vancouver
Frances Rosner (she/her) — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver
Professor Rollie Thompson, KC — Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax and Counsel, Epstein Cole LLP, Toronto

Click here for full faculty bios

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Nadia Myerthall — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Todd R. Bell — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, KC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

Spousal Support and Retirement (9:10 – 10:05)

• recent appeal cases: BC and beyond
• what's "early" retirement?
• retirement income issues, Boston and more

Professor Rollie Thompson, KC — Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax and Counsel, Epstein Cole LLP, Toronto

Case Law Update (10:05 – 11:00)

• interesting and important family law cases

Jeannette Aucoin — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Wayne Fernandes — Farris LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (11:00 – 11:15)

Ethics in Dealing with Self-represented Litigants (11:15 – 12:10)

• do not make assumptions
• Code of Professional Conduct
• first written communication
• oral communications
• providing assistance to opposing self-represented parties
• compliance with rules or statutes
• JCCs
• patience
• Canadian Judicial Council's Statement of Principles

Dinyar Marzban, KC — Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver

NETWORKING LUNCH (provided to in-person registrants) (12:10 – 1:10)

Parenting Time/Repairing the Disrupted Parent-Child Relationship (1:10 – 2:00)

• impacts
• rupture and repair
• therapeutic approaches
• parenting time

Marcelle Blancato, PhD, RSW, RCC — Marcelle Blancato and Associates, Vancouver
Jamila Nazerali Hilborn, MC, RCC — Hilborn Psychotherapy, North Vancouver
Abby Petterson, MA Psych, RCC, RP — AJ Petterson & Associates Inc., North Vancouver

Child Support for Adult Children (2:00 – 2:50)

• what is an adult child?
• what are the traditional markers of adulthood, and do they apply in this age of neurodiversity?
• what is burden of proof in support cases when applying for support of an adult child?
• is there an inherent bias against separated families when it comes to decisions about supporting adult children?

Karen F. Redmond — Redmond Family Law, West Vancouver

BREAK (2:50 – 3:05)

Section 211 Debate (3:05 – 3:55)

• benefits/pitfalls of the reports
• worth the cost?
• better alternatives?

Alex Boland — Connect Family Law, Kelowna
Leneigh Bosdet — Pushor Mitchell LLP, Kelowna

Closing Remarks (3:55 – 4:00)

Todd R. Bell — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, KC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

Friday, July 7, 2023

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Nadia Myerthall — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Todd R. Bell — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, KC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

Barendregt and BC Relocation Law (9:10 – 10:05)

• what does Barendregt mean?
• Divorce Act v. Family Law Act: differences
• FLA relocation problems continue

Professor Rollie Thompson, KC — Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax and Counsel, Epstein Cole LLP, Toronto

Arbitration (10:05 – 11:00)

Scott L. Booth, KC — Jenkins Marzban Logan, Vancouver

BREAK (11:00 – 11:15)

Intersections with Indigenous Issues (11:15 – 12:10)

• bringing Indigenous perspectives into family law/child protection matters
• the importance of cultural continuity
• trauma-informed lawyering and cultural humility
• human rights considerations

Frances Rosner (she/her) — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver

NETWORKING LUNCH (provided to in-person registrants) (12:10 – 1:10)

Excluded Property: Where We Are, to the Minute (1:10 – 2:00)

• the impact of the proposed amendments to Part 5 of the Family Law Act—what to expect, including:
  • the expected elimination of the presumptions
  • the greater protection of excluded property
  • the increased list of factors under s. 96
• for those who will remain under the pre-amendment Part 5, where the law sits to the minute on:
  • tracing and tracing methodology
  • joint accounts
  • jointly held property 
• when post-separation property is excluded and when not

Todd R. Bell — Farris LLP, Vancouver

Child Protection Basics for Family Lawyers (2:00 – 2:50)

• overview of BC child protection system
• intersection with Family Law Act
• tips for family lawyers interacting with MCFD or designated Aboriginal agency

Kristine P. All — Thorpe & Company, Vancouver
Fiona M. Beveridge — Fiona Beveridge Family Law, Vancouver

BREAK (2:50 – 3:05)

View from the Bench (3:05 – 3:55)

The Honourable Madam Justice Heather M. MacNaughton — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver

Closing Remarks (3:55 – 4:00)

Todd R. Bell — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Nikki L. Charlton — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Morag M.J. MacLeod, KC — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver