Summary of Meetings: Family Law - Okanagan
Number of Meetings Held: 5
September 25, 2025
Registration Count: 51
Guest Speakers: Dr. Kim Stanton and Emma Ronsley
Meeting Title/Topic: Reflecting on the Report: BC Legal System's Treatment of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence
Synopsis: Join us as Dr. Kim Stanton and Emma Ronsley review Dr. Stanton’s Final Report on the legal system’s treatment of intimate partner and sexual violence in BC. Hear about the background of this milestone report, discuss the institutional barriers to justice faced by survivors and trace the roadmap forward.
October 15, 2025
Registration Count: 24
Meeting Title/Topic: Fall into Networking: A Family Law Gathering
Synopsis: Celebrate the start of the Section Term with other local family law lawyers. Reconnect with familiar faces and meet new peers over delicious pizza and stimulating conversation.
November 27, 2025
Registration Count: 28
Guest Speakers: Associate Chief Judge Sue Wishart, Natasha Gooch, Jon Stewart, and Munnarsh Vilvang
Meeting Title/Topic: Provincial Court Early Resolution Process Information Session
Synopsis: The Provincial Court Early Resolution Process (ERP) recently expanded to the Vancouver (Robson Square), North Vancouver, Richmond, Pemberton and Sechelt Provincial Court registries, joining the existing Early Resolution Registries in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Surrey and Victoria. The early resolution provisions apply to all parties seeking to resolve family law matters including parenting arrangements, child support, contact with a child, guardianship of a child, spousal support, and property division in respect of a companion animal under the Family Law Act. Learn about ERP from Associate Chief Judge Sue Wishart, Natasha Gooch, Jon Stewart, and Munnarsh Vilvang.
April 22, 2026
Registration Count: 124
Guest Speakers: Todd Bell
Meeting Title/Topic: Family Law Year in Review
Synopsis: Todd Bell analyzes the latest in family law trial and appellate decisions. Todd’s annual presentation delivers a year’s worth of knowledge, insight, and humor in 90 minutes and is not to be missed.
May 27, 2026
Registration Count: 85
Guest Speakers: Alex Boland and Derek Sanders
Meeting Title/Topic: O’Connor v. Mills: A Garden of Forking Paths
Synopsis: Join Alex Boland and Derek Sanders for a mind-bending discussion of exclusions, tracing, and changes in value in the wake of O’Connor v. Mills. Topics include:
- A summary and explanation of Mills v. O’Connor, 2025 BCCA 34, and the pro rata approach to tracing;
- A review of trial-level decisions applying O’Connor;
- A discussion of pro rata tracing from a financial expert perspective, including tracing approaches in high complexity cases such as Fleury v. Budd, 2025 BCSC 2035; and
- Practical tips to ensure clear and cost-effective reports where tracing requires the assistance of an expert.