Collaborative Divorce Archives | Collaborative Divorce in Alberta

Collaborative Divorce

12/17/18

Posted by:
Sandy Miller MA, CPCC, ACC, CDC

Finding your best self in moving forward from a divorce or separation

Dorothy, in the movie “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” befriends three new companions on her journey to the Emerald City. To her dismay, she found that each new friend lacked the qualities needed to continue through the hardships and complete the excursion. Likewise, on this journey of divorce, and our quest to move forward through the pain, hurt, and grief; we must also embrace the deepest and best parts of ourselves. We need to find our courage, use our brains, and have a heart of compassion if we want to heal and transition well. As you know, on this painful expedition there is no Great Wizard who will make it all go away! However, you can choose to partner with a divorce coach, who can serve as a guide and companion through the pain and multiple changes you will experience. The process of separation and ultimately divorce is not for cowards or bullies. It is a solemn time when you want to be able to move through the dissolution of the marriage rising to be your BEST self. How do we heal a broken heart and begin again? The first step is to move past denial and accept our reality....

12/06/18

Posted by:
Agnes Leung CA, CBV

How Alberta Business Owners Calculate Child Support

Divorce can be a complicated and confusing process. Between the lawyers, the paperwork, the financial strain, tracking household information, and the potential emotional distress and strain, spousal separation can be very difficult indeed. When your children or family business are entangled in the divorce proceedings, this is doubly true. If you own a business and have to calculate child support, you may be confused as to how this should be done. Below, we will outline how child support is calculated for Alberta business owners. How is Child Support Calculated and What Are the Rules? The Federal and Alberta Child Support Guidelines...

11/27/18

Posted by:
Sandy Miller MA, CPCC, ACC, CDC

How to overcome the overwhelming feelings of divorce

If you’re as old as I am, you can remember well the 1991 movie, ‘What about Bob?’ Psychologist Leo Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss, gave the perfect advice to client Bob, played by Bill Murray. “Baby steps!” The same can be said with divorce. If we look at the big picture and see the mountain before us, one can get stuck in “the overwhelm.” Similar to the old joke, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!” If we’re going to scale the mountain, it’s best we spend time at base camp gathering our supplies and preparing...

11/20/18

Posted by:
Krista Lindstrom AMP

Separation & Divorce Can Be Tricky for Your Finances

There’s nothing enjoyable about a separation/divorce, regardless of who initiated the action. But life happens, and people need to move on. I began specializing my mortgage brokering business on servicing the needs of those going through separation/divorce after personally having to navigate the processes alone. It was a very humbling experience having to ask my parents to co-sign my mortgage in my 30’s. That was my driver to find another way, so nobody else had to go thru what I did. I help homeowners split their marital home and educate my clients so they can create financial independence and own...

11/12/18

Posted by:
Sandy Miller MA, CPCC, ACC, CDC

Why hire a divorce coach for your divorce?

Like happiness, a divorce coach is different things to different people. There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach. The beauty of partnering with a divorce coach is that they can take on a variety of roles depending upon where you are in the separation process, and what is needed at the time. First, a divorce coach is like a concierge; the go-to-person when you first realize you are about to embark upon the biggest change of your life. During your initial consultation, a divorce coach listens genuinely to your story and tries to unpackage where you are in the...

11/05/18

Posted by:
James Samaroden R.A.

Promptly exchanging all financial disclosure is key to a quick resolution

If your goal is to avoid court and come to a quick resolution about the division of the matrimonial property between you and your spouse, then it is important to know that you and your spouse must exchange a list of all your assets and debts, as well as any supporting documentation that either one of you would like to see. Under the Matrimonial Property Act (“MPA”) of Alberta you and your spouse can divide your property in any manner you agree, provided that: You understand the agreement that you have reached; and You follow the formal requirement of the...

10/24/18

Posted by:
Gordon Andreiuk H.

CBC Radio: “Breakup – We’re done. Now, what about the kids?”

In early October 2018, CBC radio broadcast a one hour show about the effect of divorce on children. The broadcast is called “Breakup,” and you can listen to it on the CBC website. The show covered many deep concepts of what is involved in a healthy divorce, and I will blog about each of them later. The lawyer in me needs to stress that we all use the word “divorce” regardless of whether the couple was married. The most important message of “Breakup” is that there can be healthy divorces with parenting plans that eliminate or minimize harm to children....

10/05/18

Posted by:
Deanna Koebernick B.Sc.Ag, LLB., Q.Med

Collaborative Divorce? Divorce Lawyers Collaborating? What is Collaborative Divorce?

I was at a social event the other night when someone overheard me say Collaborative Divorce. I was met with inquisitive facial expressions. Divorce lawyers? Collaborating? What is this Collaborative Divorce stuff? It seems the idea of divorce lawyers working together was quite amusing to them. The Collaborative Divorce process began in the United States by a lawyer by the name of Stuart Webb that was burned out and tired of fighting the fight. He and many others had long recognized that courtrooms were not the best place for families to resolve their disputes. The long,...

03/20/18

Is it possible to have a good divorce?

Is it possible to have a “good” divorce? Two family law professionals, Marie Gordon and Jean Paul Boyd, took part in the discussion in studio at the CBC and answered listener calls. Recorded on Monday, March 19, 2018. To read the full article and listen to the discussion, please visit the CBC website.

07/12/17

Collaborative Divorce video

This video provides a good summary and overview of the collaborative process.

Collaborative Divorce in Alberta

Collaborative Divorce Alberta Blog