Fertility law and assisted reproduction is a fascinating area for family law practitioners. The Assisted Human Reproduction Act, S.C. 2004, c.2 is the legislation that regulates assisted reproductive technologies including surrogacy.

In BC, the Family Law Act, S.B.C. 2011, c.25 regulates situations in which families use assisted reproductive technologies, to determine parentage of a child. The need for this legislation arose due to social trends including legalization of same-sex marriage, increase in single parenting, and the recognition that biology, is not a prerequisite to establishing legal parentage. The following are the relevant sections of our Act.

Separations and divorces are rarely simple, especially when it involves a high net worth family with complex financial issues. When one or both parties have significant assets or financial complexity, the stakes rise considerably. In BC, high net worth separations are governed by the same laws as other family law matters under the Family Law Act, but the process can be far more intricate due to the nature of the assets and relationships involved.

Financial disclosure is a fundamental component of any family law proceeding involving child support, spousal support, or property division. It ensures transparency and fairness, allowing the court—and the parties involved—to make informed decisions based on accurate financial information. This blog discusses who is required to provide disclosure, what happens when circumstances change, and the consequences of failing to comply.

Distributive taxes are tax obligations arising out of a transfer, sale, or division of property after a separation in family law proceedings in BC. The types of taxes to consider are Property Transfer Tax, taxes on RRSP withdrawals, income taxes, and other deferred taxes.

When a family property is a business, parties in family law proceedings often engage with an expert in business valuations to valuate the worth of a business. A common and frequently asked question is whether lifetime capital gains apply.

What happens when the parties to a family law proceeding separate? How do they deal with their former family home? When some parties try selling a former family home jointly, but are unable to do so because of a lack of cooperation or delay, what can the other party do? This blog explores how a party to a family law proceeding can apply for sole conduct of the sale of a former family home after separation in BC.

After separation there are many ways to handle the family home, or other family property. The parties will need to decide if they want to keep the home, or sell. If the parties want to keep the home, then one party can buy the other party out, or agree to do so at a later date. If the parties are not going to be able to afford the home, given that the parties will likely need two separate homes, then the parties can choose to sell.

There has been an alarming rise in abusive individuals using legal mechanisms to manipulate the narrative, silence their accusers, and reframe the dynamics of victimhood. A key tactic used by these individuals is DARVO – an acronym for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender. This term, coined by psychologist Dr. Jennifer Freyd in the 1990s, describes a common tactic used by perpetrators of abuse when confronted with their actions.

If you’re getting close to the end of your third year at law school and still applying for articling positions in Vancouver, here are some tips and tricks from our Vancouver family lawyers for your articling interview.