Who we are.
We are experienced and forward-thinking family lawyers based in Vancouver and serving clients all over the lower mainland.
Family law is complicated and can be difficult to navigate in the best of times. It is even harder when you are also dealing with the stress of a recent separation, or of an impending marriage or cohabitation. We strive to provide our clients with a complete understanding of their rights, obligations, and options that empower them to move forward in a way that prioritizes their family’s future and wellbeing, as well as their own.
What we do.
We provide services in all areas of family law. We are seasoned in dealing with issues relating to parenting time, custody, guardianship, child support, spousal support, property and debt division, divorce, and cohabitation and marriage agreements. We employ a full range of mechanisms to resolve disputes, which include negotiation, mediation, collaborative practice, and - only if absolutely needed - litigation. We are constantly working to stay up to date on the latest developments in the law as well as innovative ways to resolve disputes.
Our Goals.
1 Cost Efficiency – We believe your hard-earned money should be for you and your family’s future, and not for our own pockets. Our advice will always include a discussion of the cost implications. We work hard to ensure we provide you with quality service, while minimizing your legal costs. We also provide unbundled legal services in appropriate circumstances.
2 Honest, authentic, and transparent service – We do not sugar coat our advice. Instead of telling you what you want to hear, we will provide you with legal advice that is also practical and informed by years of experience dealing with these issues. If you tell us you want to achieve something we do not believe is cost efficient and/or conducive to settlement, we will not hesitate to tell you this. We firmly believe that to minimize legal fees and resolve your dispute expeditiously, you need to have realistic expectations and an understanding of what the system can and cannot do for you.
3 Future Planning – We are here to direct you towards a better future. When faced with conflict, people often become short sighted and their perspective can be coloured by their emotions. This is completely normal and we are here to support you. However, we believe in working with you to develop a holistic solution, which means we are also here to help you look beyond your immediate short term goals, and ensure you are clear-minded enough to make informed decisions that will benefit you and your family 5, 10, 20 years down the road.
4 Make your life easier – We understand this is likely one of the most stressful moments of your life. We will provide you with a clear understanding of your legal rights and obligations and work with you to establish a clear roadmap that you can use to move forward. Separation and marriage/cohabitation are life events that clearly encompass more than just legal issues. Over the years, we have built a network of trusted professionals (financial planners, wills lawyers, real estate professionals, counsellors, etc.) who can provide you with expert advice and assistance with all other impacted areas of your life.
How we do it.
We are passionate about working with our clients to find holistic solutions that put their and their children’s financial security and physical and emotional well-being at the centre. We believe that going to court to resolve family law issues is costly and damaging both financially and emotionally, and should only be a last resort.
Though getting married, moving in together, and breaking up or separating are all life events that nearly everyone experiences, every client’s situation is unique, and deserves the utmost professional attention. We are a team that cares and works tirelessly to give you the tools to protect your rights and to move forward in a positive manner.
What we won't do.
As part of our commitment to you, we believe in telling you the truth based on our experience, and not in telling you solely what you want to hear.
Because we believe going to court should only be a last resort, we are probably not the lawyers for you if you have the following sentiments:
“I want a shark/bulldog/piranha lawyer.”
“I want a highly aggressive lawyer.”
“I would rather give you my money than give money to my ex.”
We aren’t saying we won’t tenaciously protect your interests, because we will. But people who say they want an aggressive lawyer usually envision a lawyer who will go to court for them quickly and constantly, without first considering other options. In our experience, going to court quickly and constantly has little to no guarantee of success, and no certainty other than it will be a quick and constant spending of your money.
If we believe going to court is your best option under the circumstances, we will tell you so. But if there are other options worth exploring, and which would be a more cost efficient use of your money in our professional opinion, we will recommend those options wholeheartedly.