by Michael Butterfield on October 27th, 2014
Don’t fear the lease Many tenants are asked to sign a lease. A lease is a contract in which the tenant agrees to rent a property for a specific length of time. The most common one is for 12 months. If you move out before the end of the term,…
by Michael Butterfield on October 21st, 2014
The child and spousal support system is in crisis. With two thirds of all support orders being ignored, deadbeat parents in BC owe over half a billion dollars in back support. Spousal support orders are supposed to be enforced by the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP). But FMEP director Chris…
by Michael Butterfield on October 15th, 2014
Is Family Mediation right for you? This is an important question. Many people want to try family mediation because they fear going to court. This is understandable as court is expensive and time consuming. Is Family Mediation the answer? In most the answer is yes. The research shows that Mediation is successful…
by Michael Butterfield on March 15th, 2014
Court Procedure made simple After you have received your notice for a first appearance in Provincial Family Court, the next step in a court process is to have a case conference with a judge. This is normally arranged at your first appearance in court. A Family Case Conference (FCC) is…
by Michael Butterfield on November 20th, 2013
Victoria man, Brent Van Buskirk, recently lost his appeal of a sentencing decision which would see him serve a 17 year jail sentence for first degree murder, conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder. Mr. Van Buskirk argued that the sentence was unduly harsh and long. The court disagreed. In rejecting…