Explore practical considerations for family law counsel, organized around key ethical and professional considerations that commonly arise when negotiating, drafting, and executing family law agreements. This on-demand program was originally presented as an in-person program titled Family Law Agreements on January 29, 2026. Total running time is 57 minutes.

Explore topics related to drafting, negotiating, or challenging family law agreements. These on-demand programs were originally presented as an in-person program titled Family Law Agreements on January 29, 2026. Total running time of each presentation is between is 50 minutes to 1 hour.

This presentation discusses seven core fundamentals family counsel should keep in mind when analyzing their clients’ right to claim support or their respective liability for support. This on-demand program was originally broadcasted as a webinar in January, 2021.

In the first few years of family law practice, lawyers can greatly benefit from both substantive law knowledge and practice management skills to assist them in effectively managing matters. In this on-demand program, experienced practitioners explore family property, child support, spousal support, family violence, and more. This on-demand program was originally broadcasted as a webinar in January, 2021. Total running time is 5 hours, 27 minutes.

Prepared by leading family law practitioners, the Alberta Family Law Practice Manual guides you through a family law file from start to finish, whether the file proceeds through collaborative law, mediation, arbitration, or court. Highlights include comprehensive information on divorce, matrimonial property, child and spousal support, and trials.

Family law counsel play a vital role in guiding clients through the negotiation, drafting, execution, and enforcement of family law agreements. This paper explores practical considerations for family law counsel, organized around key ethical and professional considerations that commonly arise when negotiating, drafting, and executing family law agreements. Each section identifies a specific area of risk, explains the underlying professional obligations, and offers concrete practice tips to help lawyers navigate these challenges effectively. These materials are part of a collection presented at LESA’s Family Law Agreements program in Edmonton on January 29, 2026.

While core concepts relating to the law of child support and spousal support may be straightforward, overlooking important considerations could impact clients in ways that family lawyers do not anticipate. This paper canvasses seven core fundamentals family counsel should keep in mind when analyzing their clients’ right to claim support or their respective liability for support.

This paper explores three approaches for attacking arbitration in court: (1) attacking the agreement or process, (2) attacking the arbitrator, or (3) attacking the award. Significant discussion of relevant case law occurs throughout the paper, and an included Appendix notes case law relevant to specific sections of the Arbitration Act for the purpose of further study. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s 52^nd Annual Refresher: Family Law program in Lake Louise on May 5–7, 2019.

The introduction of Bill C-78 represents, potentially, the first serious amendments to the Divorce Act in decades. This paper provides a brief historical overview of the evolution of divorce laws in Canada and emerging trends. It then discusses how key proposals in Bill C-78 respond to current societal trends within the family law context. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s 8^th Annual Law & Practice program in Calgary on October 5, 2018.  

This paper examines the law in Alberta as it relates to support for adult children. It provides an analysis of the entitlement to child support within the legislative frameworks of the Divorce Act and the Family Law Act. It also discusses establishing the quantum of child support. As well, common issues that arise when contemplating support for adult children are considered, including relationship status with parents, education savings plans, subsequent degrees, and re-establishing status. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Child and Spousal Support 2017 program held in Edmonton on April 4, 2017 and in Calgary on April 11, 2017.

Obtaining timely disclosure, from clients and from the opposing party, is often the secret to a successful file. This paper discusses tools available to family counsel seeking timely disclosure. Part I of this paper focuses on obtaining timely disclosure from clients. Part II of this paper discusses the options available for obtaining disclosure from the opposing party. It includes a review of the applicable legislation and case law, a discussion of litigation tools, and provides tips for best practices and strategies. The appendices to this paper include: a sample disclosure checklist, a sample disclosure index, and a sample response to notice to disclose. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Financial Disclosure in Family Law Matters program in Edmonton on October 18, 2016 and in Calgary on October 25, 2016.

This paper overviews the types of financial-based decisions made in one’s law practice when dealing with clients, such as ensuring money is available to clients from another party and ensuring money is available to counsel from the client. This paper was presented at the 46th Annual Family Law Refresher in April of 2013.