You might have heard of “prenups” thanks to American legal dramas, but here in Canada, they are more commonly referred to as a cohabitation or marriage agreement, they are one in the same. If you are reading this you may be moving in with someone, about to tie the knot or already living with a…
The one thing worse than a break-up is one where you discover, much to your surprise, that your partner is able to advance claims against you when you had assumed the contrary. Many people are aware of the fact that unmarried spouses have a right to claim spousal support and child support, usually because they’ve…
We are proud to welcome Michael Sinclair to the Pihl Law team! Michael was previously a partner in a Kelowna law firm. He has also practiced in Vancouver and Alberta. Michael is a qualified family law and civil mediator with extensive experience in all areas of family law, and estate litigation. Contact Michael if you…
Parenting a child who lives with mental illness or addiction can be heartbreaking, challenging and exhausting for parents and other family members. Once an adult, a child living with mental illness or addiction can create a lifelong emotional and financial commitment from the parents. When engaging in estate planning, a parent with a child living…
My family is very open about our story. We have been raising awareness and financial support for the Foundry Kelowna because we understand firsthand the challenge in finding the right care and resources for a young person to live a healthy and meaningful life. Many families include a family member with a mental, psychological or…
One of the more difficult parts of Estate Planning involves naming a guardian for your children. The task of appointing someone to care for your minor child (under 19 years in B.C.) after you are gone can be an understandably difficult decision to make. Nonetheless, this is a decision that will be critical in the…
There have been many articles written about the benefits of resolving disputes through mediation rather than litigation. Despite this, there is still a great deal of confusion about what a mediation looks like and whether it will assist parties to resolve their dispute. In family law disputes, there is often also mistrust between parties that…
Dealing with the emotional and financial aftermath of a separation can be overwhelming. There are concerns about where a spouse is going to live, what is going to happen to the children, and how the separation is going to impact the family finances. In addition to these concerns, each spouse is experiencing a loss and…
The number of blended families in Canada grows every year as the divorce rate and the lifespan increases. This trend means that these couples must manage the legal and financial challenges inherent in a blended family, which are particularly challenging when there are children from a previous relationship. Couples with blended families must balance between…
Cyberbullying has been in the news recently due to several heart-breaking suicides of young women who were the victims of harassment and bullying on the Internet. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter expose vulnerable people to communications from others who, perhaps emboldened by the lack of face to face contact or by quasi-anonymity, say…
