The new B.C. Family Law Act will result in a number of changes to the law, including an emphasis on resolving family disputes by agreement without going to court via processes such as mediation and collaborative law and an attempt to promote a wider understanding of domestic violence and problems resulting from it. An attempt is made to reduce tensions by introducing less emotive language in cases regarding children as "custody" and "access" are changed to "guardianship" and "parenting time" and "contact". The B.C. Family Law Act creates new clearly defined property rights for unmarried couples as it stipulates that when a couple lives together for more than two years they will have the same property rights on separation as married couples.
On May 5, 2024, BC observed Red Dress Day in honour of the Murdered Missing Indigenous Women (“MMIW”) also referred to by many as “Stolen Sisters”. For many, this day of observance can be painful for loved ones of a Stolen Sister as many of these cases (reported and unreported) are left without answers.
Collaborative divorce is an alternative dispute resolution model to traditional litigation. It is an interest-based approach that has the couple work in a team setting. The objective, coming to a resolution that works for both spouses.
When thinking about International Women’s Day, many things come to mind, but perhaps the word that best resonates for today’s global political landscape is “resilience”.