Families in Vancouver going through separations and divorces often face some of the toughest days of their lives.

As experienced family lawyers, we can help support and guide you through the process without it ending up in court.

By exploring alternative dispute resolution methods, such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration, we can help you come to amicable agreements that put you in the best position to move on with your lives.

Table of Contents

1. Vancouver Family Lawyers
2. BC Family Law Settlements
   1. Family Mediation
   2. Family Arbitration
   3. Separation Agreements
   4. Prenuptial and Postnuptial agreements
   5. Family Law Blog Articles

Vancouver Family Lawyers 

Resolving Family Disputes with Spectrum Family Lawyers

Whether you’re just starting out together in a family relationship or working out how best to end one, the challenges are always significant when emotions run deep.

Disputes are common, and it can easily lead to long, drawn-out battles that involve litigation and court appearances.

Most families want to avoid the stress, complexity, and expense involved with this.

So, whether you’re looking to draw up an agreement that sets you up in marriage or an agreement that sets you up for a separate life after divorce, we can help you do it correctly.

As a well-established and trusted family law firm with offices in Calgary and Edmonton as well as Vancouver, the top-rated lawyers at Spectrum Family Law can guide you with our renowned expertise, compassion and experience.

Together, we will help you make sound decisions so that you can move forward with your family matters while protecting your financial and personal interests.

Spectrum Family Law in Vancouver provides both alternative dispute resolution and litigation services across the entire spectrum of family law.

Our family law solutions are uniquely tailored to help you and your family address key concerns such as child custody, child support, spousal support, and property division.

Our commitment is to strive for agreements without conflict so that you can move on with your lives in the best shape possible after marriage or separation.

Family Mediation

Sometimes, negotiations between spouses and lawyers fail to reach an acceptable divorce agreement. 

Another option is to appoint a qualified, independent mediator, who can help you reach a final agreement that is in both parties’ interests and avoids the matter going to court.

As well as saving on time and expense, mediation is generally a conciliatory process that reduces the stress of an adversarial court trial. It is often a better option for the children if it means that the parents remain on good terms and are cooperative with each other.

Family Arbitration

The arbitration process is similar to mediation but with an important difference: with arbitration, a suitably qualified arbitrator will make the final decision, which both parties agree to abide by.

You can prepare arguments and submit evidence, like with mediation, but you have no control over the final decision. The arbitrator will decide on the key points of the agreement.

Usually, an arbitrator is a senior family lawyer appointed by the spouses to avoid the time and expense of litigation. 

Bear in mind that it may take over a year for a divorce case to go to trial – sometimes up to three years. Arbitration is often a quicker alternative.

Separation Agreements

If you and your spouse are parting on amicable terms, working on a separation agreement can help you manage the separation process before it becomes official in the courts.

Many couples find that the divorce process can drag on. Meanwhile, they have a life to live and this can be challenging when you are still legally married, especially if there are children involved.

With a separation agreement, you and your spouse will work out temporary arrangements for the key matters involved, such as child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, debt payments, etc. 

This can help you move on with your lives separately while still legally married, without worrying about how long your divorce will take.

Note that separation agreements must usually be drawn up by suitably qualified lawyers to be legally enforceable.

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements

Prenups are not only for very wealthy individuals who are remarrying. 

While that is the traditional perception of prenuptial agreements, more couples in Vancouver are now requesting them as they get married later in life, having already accumulated significant assets.

A prenup (or “postnup” if it is created after the marriage begins) protect your assets and help you and your spouse avoid a trial should your relationship break down. 

With a prenuptial agreement, you and your spouse negotiate the terms of property and debt division, spousal support, matters involving children from a prior marriage, etc.  usually with the guidance of a family lawyer

We can also help you challenge the terms of an existing prenuptial agreement if it was created unfairly.

We provide dispute resolution and litigation services across the entire spectrum of family law in BC, including:

Let us help you resolve your key family matters favorably so that you can move forward positively into the future.