As most people are aware, in 1997 Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule.  The change was supposed to allow Hong Kong to retain significant autonomy and freedom to elect local government - however, as the Chinese government has restricted that autonomy and freedom, many have protested what amounts to China ignoring the commitments made under "handover agreement" from Britain to China.  More recently, many people have been arrested under China's "National Security Law."  Of concern, specifically, to those of us who are lawyers has been the attacks on lawyers and legal scholars by the Chinese government.  My colleague and friend, Dr. Julie Macfarlane, had a specific response to these events due to her past work in Hong Kong and her acquaintance with lawyers and law professors still there who have been subjected to abuse by the government of China.  As a result, she reached out to me as a Board Member with CBA Alberta to see if I could perhaps seek a resolution of the Canadian Bar Association to add to the voices of many others demanding the Chinese government cease the oppression and abuse of lawyers and legal professionals in Hong Kong.

I was too happy to agree to do what I could to assist - and as a result, at the CBA AGM next week, we are hoping to put a motion forward to seek to demand that the Chinese government cease it's abuse of legal professionals.  In support of that motion, I did draft short explanation of what we are asking for, and why, and as it is not available to non-CBA members, I am re-publishing it here:

Lawyers Speaking Out for Fellow Lawyers - Is There Anything More Fundamental to our Role with the CBA?

China is a member of the United Nations.  It portrays itself as a member of the global community and wishes to do business as a partner in that community.

China is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, see here: 

https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx

More specific to our interests a legal profession, China as a member of the United Nations affirms the Unite Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers - adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, Cuba 27 August to 7 September 1990.

Articles 16 to 18 of those Principals state:
16. Governments shall ensure that lawyers (a) are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; (b) are able to travel and to consult with their clients freely both within their own country and abroad; and (c) shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.
17. Where the security of lawyers is threatened as a result of discharging their functions, they shall be adequately safeguarded by the authorities.
18. Lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients' causes as a result of discharging their functions.

The Government of China, beyond a host of other human rights abuses, has breached these articles, and specifically has targeted lawyers and law professors for intimidation, sanction and allegedly torture for simply doing their jobs in advocating for those charged with offending China's "National Security Law".

For more detail see the release from the International Bar Association here:

https://www.ibanet.org/Article/NewDetail.aspx?ArticleUid=3807b9de-44ab-4b69-a396-59e9322137cf

And the report of the Hong Kong Free Press here:

https://hongkongfp.com/2020/12/17/china-crackdown-on-rights-lawyers-shocking-un-expert/

As a member of the legal profession in Canada for some 35 years, it strikes me that where lawyers are threatened and punished for simply doing their job - wherever in the world that may occur - there is a threat to all lawyers.

I believe it is incumbent upon us, as lawyers in a free and democratic society, to stand up in solidarity to fellow lawyers suffering oppression and punishment in China.  I would appreciate the support of those attending the AGM in voting in favor of this resolution.

So - a couple weeks ago I was tasked with making a presentation to the Alberta branch of the Canadian Bar Association relating to my work as a Director with their Board.  The presentation related to how to screen for future initiative ideas.  How to avoid trying to do too much, and in the bargain, doing too little.

In my preparation for that presentation I came across a term which seemed to resonate with the group,  being the need for organizations to avoid falling into a "culture of swirl."  The concept was that by losing focus on your goals, and setting concrete steps to accomplish those goals, there is a tendency for large organizations to adopt a "culture of swirl" where they go around and around with discussions and meetings and data gathering...  all, ultimately, resulting in little accomplishment, wasting resources and leaving staff feeling exhausted and depressed.

The starting point to avoid a lack of focus in larger organizations has become known as creating a shared, "mission statement".  A clearly articulated, concise, statement of the fundamental goal or the organization.

So - then - imagine my surprise when last week I was having a conversation with fellow lawyer and friend Stephanie Dobson about a new project she has completed known as "Up Notch Learning" - a program providing support and advice for divorcing couples - where the concept of creating a "Mission Statement" was applied to divorce.

And after my initial surprise regarding the seeming incongruity of the board room and the intimacy of the breakdown of a relationship - as I thought about it more it struck me that the same considerations applied which would suggest the importance of a clear mission statement in a divorce.

The "culture of swirl" is something I see every day.  Lawyers, clients and judges going around and around, devoting time and resources to minutia, while avoiding positive movement towards a defined goal.  Tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees burned up like fall leaves, while the ultimate resolution of the clients' problems continues to be some illusive mirage.

The creation of a "Mission Statement" can help avoid that.  It can help focus the clients and the lawyers on what the client wants and needs. 

It's going to change how I interview my clients and should change how clients instruct their lawyers.

Clarity of purpose is the point.  And it should be tailor-made to you and what you want.  So - before you go charging off to your lawyer to set them off like a wild attack dog on your soon-to-be ex, prepare your own personal Mission Statement.

Here's a sample, starting with the first most important, simple, yet often ignored question:

What do I want?

I want resolution of our property issues in a manner which is acceptable.

I want to obtain a resolution of support issues that balances the economic consequences of our divorce in a manner which is also acceptable to me.

I want to be able to communicate in an effective, non-combative way regarding our children's needs, and to raise children to love and respect both of their parents. 

I want to NOT pay $50,000.00 to my lawyer when it could be better applied to our children's university expenses.

I want resolution in a timely fashion - no offense, but I would rather not spend the next three or four years joined to my lawyer's hip.

I want to get over the pain and anxiety of losing someone who used to be important to me in a way which makes it possible for me to feel joy and peace, instead of ongoing anger and resentment.

As the divorce progresses, you can then use this as your "touch stone".  Is your current lawyer's effort moving you closer to one of your goals?  If not, it may be best let go of.

After all, it is YOUR divorce.

In perusing the news today, I came across an article discussing "online divorces" in Utah. Which is a catchy concept - the idea that you can go online, fill out some forms, and abracadabra, you're divorced.

Of course, we can't do that in Alberta - or we couldn't, until now.

With the introduction of online filing of Court documents in Alberta, it is now possible to obtain an "online divorce" in Alberta.  Now - you can't do it completely online, but you most certainly don't have to go to the Court House.

All court documents can now be filed by email - and though you still have to personally serve the Defendant (by someone other than the Plaintiff themselves), in theory from that point, all documents can be handled online, right up to the granting of a divorce and obtaining a certificate of divorce.

In theory - because the Court of Queen's Bench website states that:

"Law firms, lawyers and court runners with existing charge account agreements or those lawyers and runners wishing to open a charge account agreement are permitted to file documents in all judicial centres through email."

Can a non-lawyer set up an account?  I don't know - you would have to confirm that with the Court, however, in theory I don't see why not.

So - assuming you can either charge up your Statement of Claim - or, if needed, once you have filed and paid for your Statement of Claim filing - you can file all documents from start to finish via email. 

So while putting the documents together can be a bit of a challenge, it is possible in Alberta to basically now obtain an "online divorce".

Just like Utah.

We keep reading and hearing that divorces are going up due to the COVID pandemic, largely based upon lawyers anecdotal opinions, perhaps influenced by a desire to drum up business, or a sort of sense that COVID makes for stressed relationships.

Is this true?

No. It's not true at all.  As reported in a Calgary Herald article, ironically titled "COVID-19 infecting marriages, driving up divorce numbers, say family mediators", while relying upon the idea of a non-lawyer largely displaying a complete lack of understanding of how divorce even works, the article quotes actual statistics which show:

"Figures provided by the province show the number of divorce application filings in Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench from March through June this year number 2,490, which is 29 per cent below the 3,503 in the same four months of 2019.

And this 2020 number is 35 per cent below the 2016 figure of 3,808."

What?  Divorces are actually lower post-COVID than in the previous two years?  Yes - that's correct.

Why?  Well, because it's a terrible time to get divorced.  For the primary income earner, current income is likely lower, but they run the risk of support being based upon 2019 numbers.  For the supported party, the uncertainty of COVID makes low-income arguments more tenable - and once support gets set, it can be difficult to change it.

Regarding property distribution - many investment portfolios are down, business values may be down, and so prudence might be a better course of action than charging into a divorce during a significant economic downturn - particularly in this part of the Country.

In the news this week - another article touting the fact that Divorce does not have to be a war where the only winners are the two lawyers. 

Have a look at this recent post in DivorceMagazine.com where the benefits of Collaborative Divorce are discussed.  If you're interested in pursuing your divorce in a collaborative fashion, Robert G. Harvie, Q.C. (former President of the Collaborative Divorce Alberta Association and Tyler S. Pollock (current Board Member with the Collaborative Divorce Alberta) are specially trained and ready to provide you assistance in working through a Collaborative Divorce.

Settling Property WITHOUT a Lawyer
 
First - Set Guidelines for you and your partner/spouse
 
Normalize Disagreement – disagreement is ok, and is to be expected…  neither of us will get excited or angry as a result of disagreement.  It’s simply an obstacle that we will address as part of the resolution process

Related to above – we will be respectful – we will speak to each other in a respectful fashion;
 
We will NOT allow ourselves to lose focus to issues not before us.  We are discussing property division, not parenting, not support, not personal issues...  and we each reserve the right to suggest to the other, respectfully, “I believe we’re getting off-point”
 
Understand that negotiation of an agreement is not a “one step” process but will involve a number of “agreements” that then lead to the main agreement.  Each one of those agreements, however, is a positive step establishing trust and a willingness to attack “the problem” and not each other.

Agreement #1 – Screw the Lawyers 

The most immediate agreement is that both of you wish to avoid giving money to lawyers if at all possible.Lawyers, while charming, lovely people will quite likely do just fine without the two of you contributing more to THEIR children’s university costs or the purchase of their new home in Scottsdale, Arizona.
 
I have yet to raise this issue and to have anyone say, “No, I would really rather give money to my lawyer than to have it in my own pocket.”
 
This seems trite – however, it is very helpful to come to this as “Item 1” in your agreement, and to return to that if things become difficult.
 
 
Agreement #2 – Valuation Date

Agree upon a valuation date – which could be the date of separation, or some other date if finances continued to be commingled for some time – if there is a disagreement, the first of the month immediately preceding the meeting should be the default absent other agreement.
 
This is usually not contentious, but it is very helpful to agree on the date to be used as you will likely be obtaining bank and investment statements and it’s very helpful to have a clearly understood valuation date.   Once this date is agreed to, you have Agreement #2.
 

Agreement #3 - Define the Assets
 
1. Decide who will begin – flip a coin if desired, and the first person will list what they believe to be the significant assets of the relationship – WITHOUT DISCUSSION OF VALUES – THAT COMES LATER

2. After that person is done – the second person is entitled to then:
- Add any assets they believe have been missed; and
- Make any comment regarding assets they believe are not properly included in the discussion – those assets not being “removed” form the list but followed by a question mark (“?”) to signify there is an issue regarding their relevance
 
3. The first person then completes their own response to signify whether any of the added assets are in issue, and marks those with a question mark.

CONGRATULATIONS – YOU HAVE JUST COME TO AGREEMENT #3… regarding what assets MAY need to be divided.
 
Agreement #4 - Removing Assets in Issue (Exemptions)

Under most jurisdictions, including Alberta, certain types of assets are not divisible (they come out of the “pile” of assets to be divided) – and we typically refer to those as “exemptions”.
These include:

1. The value of assets owned at the date of commencement of cohabitation IF traceable to presently existing assets.
 
 - For Example – a home owned pre-relationship, or savings that went to purchase a home that you still own… however, if funds were expended (Honeymoon, living expenses) the exemption is lost
 
2. The value of assets received by inheritance or gift from someone other than your partner/spouse as at the date of gift or inheritance – again, that must be traceable to presently owned assets;
 
3. Proceeds of an insurance settlement or legal claim for loss not related to loss of property (personal injury typically) – again, if traceable to presently owned assets;
 
If either party has assets falling into one of these categories – the value on the date in question (date of marriage, date of receipt) is not shareable, BUT increase in value IS shareable.

Other assets may also be in issue – for example, occasionally there are arguments over possible “future assets” (future inheritance) – if there is a serious issue, at that stage you will likely require additional legal advice… keeping in mind the cost of litigation to establish what might be a questionable claim (would you place $50,000.00 on the red square of a roulette wheel?)

With a little bit of work – you should be able to now come to agreement on what assets WILL be divided – and another block will be set by Agreement #4, which is what assets you agree ARE to be divided.
 
Agreement #5 - Asset Valuation

This is more difficult and more likely to result in disagreement – but as above, THAT IS OK AND IS NORMAL.
Go through the list, one item at a time, and provide either your opinion of value – or it is defined, the actual value (bank account balance as of the agreed valuation date.

As per the above, after person one does this, person 2 reviews the list and provides their opinion as to the items they agree to (YAY!) or the items they do not agree with (NORMAL), providing their own opinion of value – or, if they simply feel they do not agree, but don’t have their own sense of value, they can just put a question mark beside the value.

Once this is completed you will have a list of all assets, and an indication of which items are not yet in agreement.

Now the task becomes how to resolve items of disagreement.  At this stage, as a mediator, we would engage in “brainstorming” – each person giving ideas as to a process to resolve the differences… which could include:

• YOU just agree with ME;
• Pick a number in the middle;
• Hire an appraiser
• Jointly obtain online values of similar assets and see if that facilitates agreement
• Flipping a coin
• Etc., etc.

 
Then – the two of you review the ideas, and pick the one that the two of you agree upon – understanding that if you don’t agree on a process, you may need to hire a lawyer and go see a Judge (generally, a bad idea).
 
Certain types of assets are not easily amenable to valuation on your own – including businesses, pensions, minority interests in property (1/10 share of lakefront cabin)...
 
For example – particularly in Alberta where Government Pensions have changed, the “Commuted Value” the pension authority provides is NOT the value of the pension and you are well advised to hire an actuary to value the pension as commuted value could be less than ½ of the actual pension value.
 
As well, some assets include potential tax (RRSP’s, business property).

Where you have assets not easily amenable to valuation on your own, or that may require specific tax advice, you are best to table those assets for now and seek advice on the best course of action to resolve the valuation and tax issue.Often a jointly retained Accountant can provide assistance in this regard.
 
If you do come to a stalemate on any particular asset or assets – you are still not left to go to court and pay lawyers thousands and thousands of dollars.One possible solution would be to find a reputable, experienced family lawyer and ask them to “arbitrate” items of disagreement.This does not necessarily mean a full-blown lawyer/lawyer/arbitrator arbitration – you could hire a family law arbitrator to make an impartial decision without lawyers being involved.
 
DEBTS – as much as we would like to forget about debts, the assets to be divided are NET of liabilities.This is usually not a difficult process and requires production of statements to establish amounts owing at the agreed valuation date.
 
Once this process is concluded – with a little work and patience you will come to Agreement #5 – valuation of assets and liabilities, leaving you with the net shareable value (assets less debt).
 
 
Agreeement #6 - How do we divide? Who gets what?
 
At this stage it is worth noting in Alberta, there is a strong presumption of equal distribution of net assets.  Absent significant evidence of waste or wrongful use and disposition of assets (assets lost to gambling, drug use, etc.) most cases are going to result in a 50/50 distribution of net assets.

Who gets those assets is up to discussion – and to a great extent, this will often be easy to resolve – usually people will keep their own bank accounts, vehicles, etc… but you may need to have discussion on assets where both parties would possibly like to keep that particular asset.  In such a case – you can discuss (respectfully) why it would make more sense for you to keep a particular assets – but if there is a stalemate, you could simply agree to “sell it” to the highest bidder.  “I want the house, and I’ll agree to take it for $400,000.00!”   No – I’m willing to take it for $410,000.00… etc.

This is generally rather uncommon – however, keep in mind again, the cost/benefit of continued conflict vs. agreement.
Often once you align assets to the two of you – you will then end up with a balance owing to one person or the other.  This is where you should discuss how and when that will be paid.  Typically, parties separating do not wish to stay connected, and as such, if time is needed to complete payment it should be relatively short (less than 24 months typically) and should be secured against assets to prevent loss on bankruptcy.  It should also carry interest at something beyond normal mortgage rates, as neither of you wishes to be a bank – so quite typically we discuss something like two percent over the current prime lending rate for a major bank.

Once you have decided on who gets what, and what the difference is, and how and when it will be paid – you have basically settled your property division – Agreement #6.
 
7. NOW Comes the Lawyers – Paper the Deal

In Alberta, to have  a binding property settlement which is not subject to challenge down the road, you must have independent legal advice and as such, one you believe you have an agreement – you should write that down, and take it to TWO SEPARATE LAWYERS for independent legal advice on the agreement – and to assist in fine-tuning any issues that you may have neglected to consider:

• Did you discuss Canada Pension Plan credits?
• How is payment over time to be best secured?
• What happens is someone breaches the agreement?
• What is you find out later the other person lied or hid assets?

Typically, the revisions resulting from independent advice are modest and while this WILL cost some money, it will pale in comparison to what you would likely have spent if you hired lawyers to negotiate the whole deal.
 
CONGRATUALTIONS!!  You have avoided contributing to my next holiday in Mykonos – well done! 

I've been a divorce lawyer for about 34 years.  And in that time, I've been prone to navel-gazing about what it is I do, and how I can do it better.  See - the great thing about being a lawyer, is it's always a growth experience - if you let it.

So - as part of that growth experience, I found a link on Twitter to a book, "Lawyer Forward", by Mike Whelan.. and I found it particularly interesting and rather inspiring actually.  And it caused me to consider, in a more focused way, what it is that I do. 

Beyond that, Mike answered a particular question that I hadn't really considered too deeply until today:

Why do my clients need a lawyer?

Odd question, 34 years into a practice, no? I guess the answer seemed relatively self-evident.  I have a law degree.  I "know" the law (by which I mean, I have a general understanding of the law, which is then supplemented by my ability to research to gain a more current and specific understanding of the law).  Beyond that, I know about legal procedure - how the Rules of Court work, and how matters proceed from the issuance of a Statement of Claim, to trial, and then, occasionally to an appeal.

Isn't that it?  My law degree and my capacity to understand the rules and regulations make me indispensable, no?

Well.  Not necessarily.  And here's the issue.  It's why lawyers are failing to capture public trust and confidence and why more and more people are going to court on their own as self-represented litigants.

You see - the with the advent of "Google Law" - most people of average intelligence can do basic research and then from there, with the assistance of a system which is slowly becoming more "user friendly", they can find their way into court and on to trial.

So.  They don't need lawyers, do they?

Or do they?

And do lawyers understand what it is that our client's need?  I'm not sure I understood it after 34 years of family law practice, until I picked up Mike's book (highly recommended btw for any lawyer who is sick of "the same old, same old" and wants to be a better and happier lawyer.)

Here's the thing that Whelan points out (among other great insights) - what a good lawyer...  what an "expert" lawyer provides is this:

a) Experience - not just years behind a desk, not just some generic experience of running on the legal hamster wheel of legal practice, but experience in paying focused attention to a specific area of practice - in my case, family law;

b) Recognition of Patterns - if you're paying attention - to your clients, to the other party, to other lawyers, and to judges, you start to see "patterns" - things that aren't written down in a book or a statute anywhere.  Things that they don't and really can't teach in Law School, or anywhere.  Over time, you begin to see how people, lawyers and judges react when certain things happen...   when someone cries in court, when someone doesn't pay their child support, when someone lies in an affidavit, when someone quits a job for a good reason or a bad reason.... when someone has their heart broken by someone they used to trust...;

c) The Ability to Convert Experience and Recognition of Patters to Solid Advice and Legal Work - which isn't always in a courtroom - most often it's in their office, explaining to a client how the pain and anguish they're feeling may prevent them from making their best decisions so urging them to obtain counseling before they make decisions on how they wish to proceed.  Or it's on the phone with the other lawyer, knowing that asserting your position is more likely to be reasonably considered if you are both polite and measured in your language.  Or it's in a courtroom where you have learned how to tell your client's story in a manner which may resonate best before the judge. 

You can't get that in a law book, and while I'm here explaining it online, you really can't get that online with a Google Search.  You can get a flavor of it, perhaps.  You can get some sense of it.  But the value of having someone who has watched things happen - who more importantly - has "paid attention" to those things, is the real value of a decent lawyer.  That is what you're paying for.   And, if a lawyer is good at what they do, and can apply those patterns, quite often they can actually save you money - by facilitating settlement BEFORE litigation occurs. 

So - there it is.  And if you're  a lawyer, time  to start paying attention.  Grinding out work ("Churning" Whelan calls it) over many years, really doesn't make you a good lawyer.  it's about understanding, in a fundamental way, what's happening in and around you.  It's about being curious.  It's about always growing.  It makes life interesting, and makes us better lawyers.

It gives us "value" beyond a law degree.

Brian Greenspan has recently published an article, being rather critical of our former Federal Justice Minister, “Did Jody Wilson-Raybould understand her role as attorney-general?”

In his article, he suggests, rather strongly, that the concerns raised by Ms. Wilson-Raybould, and her supporters, reflect a “fundamental misunderstanding of the responsibilities of key participants in our justice system.” In his article he writes that to question the appropriateness of outside influences on prosecutorial discretion exhibits a serious misunderstanding about how “justice” works.

Perhaps.  Or, perhaps Mr. Greenspan’s article is a bit of “mansplaining” to coin a phrase.

To be sure, Mr. Greenspan is a criminal lawyer par-excellence – and to suggest that I - or anyone in Canada perhaps – would have a better understanding of the criminal justice system than Brian Greenspan would be questionable.

However.

I would be so bold, as someone who is only a family lawyer, to suggest he has perhaps glossed over the issue a bit.  And, in my opinion, as a lawyer who has spent some time working to improve access to justice and fairness in our legal system, the larger truth is too important to ignore or dismiss.

And this is the thing about that.

Mr. Greenspan is completely correct.  Prosecutors cannot live in a bubble, devoid of contact or influence by the world around them – including very direct influence by the actors involved.  As Mr. Greenspan writes, “isolation breeds tyranny” and advocacy – the testing of the Crown regarding their perspective on a prosecution - is healthy and fundamentally important to assure full consideration by the Crown of all factors to be considered as they engage their duties.

But.  And here’s the big “but”.

When our jails are populated by people without the means to hire someone like Brian Greenspan to assure that the Crown is challenged appropriately – particularly for example, by indigenous people in grossly disproportionate numbers - there is a fundamental concern about the efficacy of the Rule of Law.  About the reality of the theory that “all people are equal before the law.”

And it’s a growing and legitimate concern that Mr. Greenspan, with all respect, ignores completely.

It might be reasonable to ask yourself, for example, what are the odds than an impoverished indigenous person charged with a criminal offense in this country would have the pull to cause the Prime Minister himself lean on the Minister of Justice to, in turn, to lean on the prosecution to “cut him a break.”

Or, to use Mr. Greenspan’s example, what are the odds that that same individual might be able to hire Brian Greenspan himself to meet with the Attorney general to consider his case?

Zero to none are those odds.

And, perhaps, Ms. Wilson-Raybould – being a woman and an indigenous person – was somewhat sensitive to this reality.

So. It might do for some old white guys in our profession like Mr. Greenspan and myself to consider that perspective with a little more charity. 

With the greatest of respect to Mr. Greenspan, he ignores, completely the growing sense of frustration of many Canadians that there often appears to be two sets of laws in this Country – one for people with deep pockets or friends in high places (usually both), and one for everyone else.

Did Prime Minister Trudeau “lean” on Ms. Wilson-Raybould, or did he simply provide “perspective”?  Who knows? 

But the questions raised in this case are legitimate and undeniable. 

Or maybe, like our former Attorney General, I just don’t understand.

This Monday I'm opening up a new law office - Harvie denBok Pollock - along with new partners Allan denBok and Tyler Pollock.  This will be my fourth "home" in 33 years.  After starting my career with then Paterson North (now North and Company), I opened a humble little two man office six years into my practice with Parry McDonald - McDonald Harvie - and over time, grew to McDonald Harvie MacLennan, then Andreachuk Harvie MacLennan, then Andreachuk Harvie MacLennan Maxwell... until we merged with Huckvale and Company... becoming Huckvale Wilde Harvie MacLennan, then Huckvale LLP.

And it was a good run.  No complaints, really.  Obviously, like any marriage, you have your spats - but my former partners and our staff were good to work with, and were gracious in my departure.  In fact, they are treating my wife and I to dinner on Monday night.  Classy.

So - then starts my next journey, my next adventure, running a new office with two go-getter young lawyers..  and as we await our opening Monday morning,  we're adapting to new accounting (Cosmolex.. good-bye PCLaw and good riddance), a new system in the "cloud"..  all of which I'm sure will break down and cause headaches Monday. But this is the stuff of new business.

What pleases me, and gives me comfort through these stressful changes is knowing that in a few weeks, I'll be attending Lake Louise to chair a pre-conference panel on "How to Practice Family Law and Not Go Crazy"!  If you've never been, I would highly recommend it...  a more beautiful location to kick back and share some thoughts about retaining sanity in Family Law would be hard to imagine.

So there's that.  If you're a lawyer, and haven't yet signed up, please do - basically we have a very special group of people who are going to shift gears away from the usual "this is the law" sort of thing, to a more macro look at how family lawyers (and lawyers generally) can reduce stress and trauma in a challenging area of law.  Hope to see you there!