Mediation is an alternative way to resolving a family law dispute rather than going to court. It is a voluntary process that can help reduce conflict, is often faster than going to court, and is usually a lot more cost effective than a court case.

Mediation takes place either in person or by video instead of in a court room. Instead of a judge deciding on your behalf, it is a mediator who works with you and the other party to understand your goals (positions) and helps you come to an agreement. The mediator cannot impose an agreement on you, though - you and the other party will work together to craft an agreement that works for you and your family. 

Through mediation, you have more control over your family law matter and it allows you to make agreements in a way that works for their family dynamic. 

In a typical setting, it is usually the mediator, the parties, and their lawyers. Even though having a lawyer present at mediation is recommended, a party can choose to represent themselves instead.  

If a party attends mediation without a lawyer, it is important for them to receive legal advice throughout the process. The mediator themselves cannot provide legal advice to either party.

At the Kitsilano Family Law Group, our family law mediators act as a neutral third party to assist former couples in reaching a voluntary agreement to resolve their family law matter. Cléa Amundsen, Carmen Alvarez Gomez, and Amber Cheema are both qualified family law mediators. Cléa is also a qualified cross-border mediator. 

We offer flat rate mediation services and accept legal aid.

At the Kitsilano Family Law Group, we strive to help our clients keep their family law disputes out of court. Depending on our client’s needs, our lawyers will try to use an Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) method before taking their case to court. This can look like:

• Attending mediation – where a neutral third party mediator helps the parties come to an agreement on their family law case. Two of our lawyers, Cléa Amundsen and Carmen Alvarez Gomez, are qualified family law mediators. All of our lawyers also have extensive experience appearing as lawyers at mediations.

• Attending arbitration – where an arbitrator makes a binding decision if the parties cannot come to an agreement (like having a private judge, but one who is an expert in family law).

• Attending collaborative meetings or 4-way meetings – where the parties and their lawyers come together either by telephone, video or in a boardroom to come to an agreement.

• Collaborative Divorce where the parties enter a formal process to come to resolution outside of court.

• Negotiation between lawyers to help drafting a Separation Agreement.

The goal with ADR is to avoid the court process and to reach a private resolution of your family law dispute. The benefits of ADR may include:

• Allowing more discussion and exploration of options and interests, so that any resolution reached can be more creative, personalized, and considerate of the parties’ long-term goals.

• Minimizing lengthy and costly legal battles.

• Increasing the possibility of amicable resolution between parties in the future.

• Allowing parties to retain control and privacy over their family law case.

Our lawyers have experience in assisting clients in the ADR process, regardless of their form. 

Litigation means going to court to resolve a legal issue. Sometimes, when other options have failed, the only way to resolve your family law case is to proceed to court and get a court order.

• Drafting and filing court documents (pleadings).

• Organizing and analyzing your evidence.

• Preparing for and attending court hearings and trials.

• Preparing for and attending appeal hearings.

At Kitsilano Family Law, our lawyers have experience in representing clients in all levels of court in British Columbia. This includes Provincial Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeals. Our lawyers and staff have knowledgeable experience in the following areas:

• Expertise in international child abduction cases under the Hague Convention of Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

• Financial matters including division of assets and debt, determining if any property is exempt.

• Support issues including calculating child support and spousal support, imputing income to a party, dealing with arrears or retroactive support.

• Cross-border cases dealing with disagreements over jurisdiction, foreign property and debt, support and parenting matters when parties live in different provinces or countries.

Litigation can be an intimidating process, and we at the Kitsilano Family Law Group can guide you at every step of your court action. We offer this service through full representation or unbundled services or legal coaching.

At the Kitsilano Family Law Group all of the lawyers and staff have significant expertise with interjurisdictional family law matters. 

An interjurisdictional family law matter is anytime the case is not happening just in British Columbia, which is also known as cross-border disputes. This could be because you own property in another country or province, because you or the other party live in another jurisdiction, because your children have been abducted to another country or province, or because you are trying to collect support from the other party living outside of BC.

These types of cases are very particular, and it is important to hire a lawyer with expertise in this area. There are many ways to inadvertently make mistakes that can have serious consequences for you and your family.

The Kitsilano Family Law Group has a high rate of success spanning over three decades in cases involving international child custody and international parental child abduction.  Our lawyers have succeeded in the resolution of international child custody cases and recovering internationally abducted children and arranging for them to be returned home. 

We also have expertise in cases where the recipient and the payor of both child and spousal support live in different jurisdictions. This specialized area of law is one in which it is necessary to have familiarity with a number of different laws that most lawyers never deal with. We have success in enforcing foreign support orders in BC, in obtaining orders in BC and then assisting in enforcing in other countries and provinces, and in disputing jurisdiction when necessary.

Cléa Amundsen is a qualified cross-border mediator. Kitsilano Family Law is a member of Reunite International.

Cléa Amundsen is fluent in French. Jeremia (Jeri) Chow is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. Amber Cheema is fluent in Punjabi.

These difficult and complex circumstances need support, precision, and careful documentation. Our team coordinates with all relevant parties to ensure the court process is as seamless as possible.

Sometimes a person involved in familylaw needs a sort of contract to help protect the things that matter most tothem such as (but not limited to):

• Income

• Children

• Bank Accounts

• Investments and retirement savings

• Debt

• Property

At the Kitsilano Family Law Group we offer three types of Agreements, depending on the stage of your relationship:

1. Cohabitation Agreement (before or after you start living together);

2. Marriage Agreement (before or after you get married); and

3. Separation Agreement (after separation).

Cohabitation or Marriage Agreement:

No one expects a new relationship or marriage to end, but it can happen. Our firm can help you reduce uncertainty and conflict in the event of a relationship breakdown by drafting or advising you about your cohabitation or marriage agreements.

The purpose of a Cohabitation Agreement or Marriage Agreement is to help parties focus on what matters to them the most and what they are brining into the relationship. They also help parties work together to understand each others needs and wants in the event that the relationship breaks down. Think of it as a security blanket for your future.

Separation Agreement:

A Separation Agreement is a way for parties to keep their family law case out of the court process. Similar to a Cohabitation Agreement and Marriage Agreement, a Separation Agreement allows the parties to focus on the things that matter to them the most.

At the Kitsilano Family Law Group, our lawyers understand how important agreements are and what should be included in them. Through information gathering and discussions with our clients, we guide our clients to ensure their agreement protects what matters the most to them.

Sometimes a party can't afford to have full representation, however, they still require legal support to keep their family law case moving forward. At the Kitsilano Family Law Group, our lawyers and designated paralegal offer alternative cost effective services to those who need it

Consulting Services

Consulting services are for people who are representing themselves in a family law case and only require occasional legal support.

Think of this as an à la carte service, meaning you pick what type of help you need support with. Consulting services include:

• Reviewing correspondence (letters and emails) from the other party or opposing lawyer.

• Reviewing court documents that you have drafted.

• Drafting court documents specific to what you are trying to accomplish.

• Providing guidance on court procedures and legislature.

• Assisting with research.

• Answering periodic questions or concerns about your case.

Our lawyers and designated paralegal are members on the B.C. Family Unbundling roster.

Legal Coaching

Legal coaching is similar to consulting services where you represent yourself but require legal support, except this legal support is on-going and stays with you until your case resolves or you no longer require this service. Legal Coaches help Self-Represented parties with all the same type of support as unbundled as well as helping the party form plans to keep their case moving forward and keeping them focused on the end goal. Legal Coaches can also provide telephone support during mediations, court hearings, trials and conferences.

Our designated paralegal is a Certified Legal Coach and member (and roster member) of the Legal Coaches Association.