Family Law - Okanagan
Submitted by Section Co-Chair, Audra M. Bayer
Summary of Meetings
Number of Meetings Held: 4
January 15, 2014
Guest Speaker: Deane Gurney, President, Trustee in Bankruptcy at Sands & Associates
Meeting Title/Topic: Bankruptcy and the Family Law Act
February 20, 2014
Guest Speaker: Doug Runchey, DR Pension Consulting
Meeting Title/Topic: Canadian Pension Plan Credit Splitting
Synopsis: This meeting was a joint Section meeting hosted by all the Family Law Sections. Educational seminar on the benefits of assessing in advance the cost/benefit of the division of CPP Pension credits upon separation/divorce.
April 23, 2014
Guest Speakers: The Honourable Chief Judge Thomas Crabtree, The Honourable Chief Justice C.E. Hinkson, The Honourable Madam Justice Laurie Allen, Lawrence Pinsky, MBA Family Law Section Chair; Robynne Kazina, MBA Family Law Section Vice-Chair
Meeting Title/Topic: Joint Session with Manitoba and BC Bench on the topics of Case Management and the Unified Family Divison
Synopsis: Interactive dialogue by webinar with The Honourable Madam Justice Allen of the Manitoba Queen's Bench Family Division; Lawrence Pinsky and Robynne Kazina, CBA Manitoba Family Law Section Executive Officers, The Honourable Chief Judge Crabtree, and The Honourable Chief Justice C.E. Hinkson of the British Columbia Supreme Court, on the topic of the Manitoba experience with a Unified Family Division Court and also their Family Case Management Process and Rules as they engage in a review of those rules. The Honourable Madam Justice Laurie Allen, Lawrence Pinsky, and Robynne Kazina, shared their experience before and after the implementation of a Unified Family Division in Manitoba. Our BC guests attended to speak to the BC experience and join the dialogue on whether this could be a system worth revisiting for British Columbia.
May 14, 2014
Guest Speakers: Bev Churchill, Collaborative Family Law Lawyer and Parenting Coordinator, and Sharla Schofield, Registered Clinical Social Worker, Specializing in Children and Family Development
Meeting Title/Topic: Parent Coordinators & Child Specialists - The Use of these Resources in your Litigation Practice
Synopsis: Education session on the benefit of including parenting specialists in a family law practice toolkit and using these professionals to help families as they restructure and work through their parenting and separation conflicts.
Comments and Observations of the Co-Chair
Our Section appears to be in a rebuilding year. As Co-Chairs, Brian Anslow and I have focused on networking and have recruited new members to the executive. We have also begun to put into place an exciting program for next year hoping to have our existing members come out to more meetings for both social and educational reasons and also hoping to recruit new members. This Section has been struggling and it is hoped with new members, some passion and commitment, our Section will be a vibrant, contributing and leading Section of the BC Family Bar.