Annual Report 2023-2024

  • July 26, 2024

Summary of Meetings: Family Law – Vancouver Island

Number of Meetings Held: 11

September 19, 2023
Registration Count: 21
Guest Speakers: Erin Brook, Christine Murray
Meeting Title/Topic: Section Updates and Billing Practices in Family Law
Synopsis: Erin Brook, Family Law - Vancouver Island Past Chair, and Christine Murray, Family Law - Vancouver Island Chair, introduce their new section executive, provide updates from the CBA National section and speak about billing practices and time tracking techniques for Family Law lawyers.

October 16, 2023
Registration Count: 27
Guest Speakers: John-Paul Boyd, KC
Meeting Title/Topic: Preparing for Mediation
Synopsis: John-Paul Boyd, KC, Arbitrator, Mediator & Parenting Coordinator, delivers an engaging presentation on how to prepare for your mediations and arbitrations, with practical tips that will be of interest to counsel and respective clients.

December 1, 2023
Registration Count: 89
Guest Speakers: Clare Sparks
Meeting Title/Topic: What Your Estates Litigator Wishes You had Included in our Family Law Agreement
Synopsis: Clare Sparks provides attendees with concrete tips on drafting agreements that serve clients well during their lifetimes and after. Clare reviews clauses to include in your family law agreements that protect your client’s interests in an estate dispute. She also highlights areas where clients have choices to make in their family law agreements that may impact their rights and responsibilities later, in the event of their spouse's death.

December 12, 2023
Registration Count: 35
Guest Speakers: Judge Karina Sacca, Judge Jennifer Barrett
Meeting Title/Topic: Holiday Gathering & Networking
Synopsis: Join friends and colleagues to connect, network, and celebrate the season. The Honourable Judges Karina Sacca and Jennifer Barrett provide opening remarks on the transition from family law practitioner to a judge with the Provincial Court of British Columbia.

January 24, 2024
Registration Count: 62
Guest Speakers: Eugene Raponi, KC
Meeting Title/Topic: Basic Excel for Family Lawyers
Synopsis: Eugene Raponi, KC, discusses how to make a property division spreadsheet and use other functions in Excel that will help you create practice tools and make your life easier.

February 8, 2024
Registration Count: 34
Guest Speakers: Leanne Toews
Meeting Title/Topic: Specialized Family Law Counselling & Reporting Services
Synopsis: Leanne Toews discusses her practice concerning family reunification counselling and specialized counselling services. In this informative session, family law practitioners with clients involved in parenting disputes, learn how best to address the myriad of issues that arise in these family law files.

March 19, 2024
Registration Count: 19
Guest Speakers: Jordan Parker
Meeting Title/Topic: Relationship Abuse and Brain Injury: Supporting Survivors
Synopsis: The Victoria Brain Injury Society and The Cridge Centre for the Family have collaborated on a presentation discussing brain injuries resulting from intimate partner violence. Jordan Parker covers topics including defining brain injury and its common causes, exploring the interconnected aspects of brain injury, shifting our attention to intimate partner violence, examining the diverse outcomes of brain injury from a holistic perspective, supporting survivors, and discussing tools and methods for recovery.

April 10, 2024
Registration Count: 21
Guest Speakers: Alice Hubbard, Mario Parent, Alice Park
Meeting Title/Topic: The Society of Children and Youth of BC: An Overview
Synopsis: The Society of Children and Youth of BC (SCY) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote the rights and well-being of children and youth in BC. It offers various services, such as advocacy, education, research and community engagement, to support the development and empowerment of young people. Alicia Hubbard, Mario Parent, and Alice Park provide an overview of the SCY Child and Youth Legal Centre, which provides legal representation and advice to young people.

May 8, 2024
Registration Count: 10
Meeting Title/Topic: Family Law Spring Networking
Synopsis: Join the Family Law - Vancouver Island Section for an evening of collegiality and professional networking! This informal gathering provides a perfect opportunity to engage with legal professionals on Vancouver Island.

May 29, 2024
Registration Count: In-Person: 4 | Remote: 19
Guest Speakers: Shauna Tucker, Marge Thompson
Meeting Title/Topic: Effective Parenting Coordination
Synopsis: Shauna Tucker interviews Marge Thompson about working with counsel to make parenting coordination as effective as possible for our clients – and their children. Parenting Coordination (PC) works best when counsel and their clients are intentional about the process and know what to expect, from before a Parenting Coordinator is retained, and a PC Agreement signed, until the end of the PC term. Ms. Thompson will address such questions as: What type(s) of parents work best within the PC process? What do Parenting Coordinators wish lawyers would tell clients about how the PC process works? How detailed should the parenting plan be before PC work begins? Can a PC Agreement be tailored to the specific needs of the family? What is the role of counsel through-out the term of the PC Agreement?

June 12, 2024
Registration Count: 45
Guest Speakers: Michelle Kinney, Christine Murray
Meeting Title/Topic: Fertility Law Basics and Clauses for Family Law Agreements
Synopsis: Michelle Kinney and Christine Murray give a basic overview of fertility laws and the issues surrounding them in British Columbia. They also discuss provisions for separation agreements and cohabitation agreements addressing reproductive material.