Financial Disclosure Homework Package
Feb 5, 2019

Designed to be provided to clients help them provide proper financial disclosure, easily address common difficulties, and minimize inadvertently missing crucial information.

Want your assistant to learn how to complete this? Have them attend LESA's Effective Legal Support: Matrimonial Property Seminar in Edmonton on March 5, 2019, and in Calgary on March 12, 2019. Out of respect for LESA, I don't publish my slides or presentations on FamilyCounsel.ca, or otherwise distribute them.

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REVISED Required Financial Documentation (with additional business-related items)
Jan 14, 2019

The revised version provides additional notes, cleans up some language, and focuses on the business disclosure which is most likely to be crucial, based on recent decision pertaining to business disclosure.

Checklist of financial disclosure to be handed to clients. I've added a few useful business-related documents, but this checklist can be provided to all clients.

I quickly go through it with clients to see what applies, check off what does, and make a photocopy for our office. That way my assistant can see what still needs to be provided.

Revised version presented at ... [Read More]

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Dr. Carter's Communication Guidelines
Oct 23, 2018

Handout for separated parents experiencing communication difficulties. Ideally each side should agree to abide by these terms, so they can also be forwarded to opposing counsel.

Posted with permission from Dr. Stephen Carter of Glenora Registered Psychologists in Edmonton.

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They say that breaking up is hard to do: Tips for making it easier
Jan 23, 2019

Client handout written by myself and Marla Miller, QC. Meant to help address many of the common problems spouses run into when they initially separate (e.g. who lives in the house, how is furniture divided, when to change insurance designations)

The parenting article that it refers to can be found here.

This document was prepared for LESA's "Advising Small & Family Businesses" Seminar in Edmonton on Feb. 6, 2019 and in Calgary Feb. 13, 2019. I don't post my presentation slides on this website though, for those ... [Read More]

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The typical path of the Albertan Separation/Divorce Legal Process
Jul 31, 2018

A handout which can assist spouses to understand the court process, as well as the alternatives to court, and potential court process that they can avoid by settling outside of court. Let me know if I missed anything significant.

I provide a number of handouts to clients at the first meeting, this is one of them.

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Topics that might be addressed in a Parenting Plan (from Dr. Carter)
Oct 23, 2018

Psychologists and Parenting Coordinators can help separated parents to formulate a Parenting Plan. This document lists some of the topics that might be covered in a Parenting Plan. This document can be provided to clients who are curious about what a Parenting Plan entails.

Posted with permission from Dr. Stephen Carter of Glenora Registered Psychologists in Edmonton.

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Practical Suggestions in Parenting Disputes for Separated Parents
Apr 17, 2017

This handout was first distributed at LESA's Family Law 25 seminar on March 3 and 8, 2016.

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Business Expense Disclosure Statement (instructions and examples)
Apr 17, 2017

Based on paragraph 48 of Sweezey v Sweezey, 2016 ABQB 131. Although Cunningham v Seveny, 2017 ABCA 4 thereafter changed the law, at least one decision, Zdyb v Zdyb, 2017 ABQB 44, has adopted the Sweezey framework, less the requirement to exchange all supporting documentation.

Important: this download is to be used in conjunction with the blank worksheet.

This precedent was first handed out at a CBA Family Section meeting (with Micia Kawulka presenting on the topic of business expenses) on February 9, 2017.

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Business Expense Disclosure Statement (blank)
Apr 17, 2017

Based on paragraph 48 of Sweezey v Sweezey, 2016 ABQB 131. Although Cunningham v Seveny, 2017 ABCA 4 thereafter changed the law, at least one decision, Zdyb v Zdyb, 2017 ABQB 44, has adopted the Sweezey framework, less the requirement to exchange all supporting documentation.

Important: this download is to be used in conjunction with the Instruction sheet.

This precedent was first presented at LESA's Family Law: Chambers Advocacy and Practice Pointers seminar on April 21, 2017.

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Steps clients can take to minimize their legal bills
Apr 20, 2017

I hand this out to clients at the first meeting. It's meant to help them be more efficient.

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