Where
This is an online event delivered via webinar.About the Presenters
Shelina Neallani is a mediator, lawyer and a consultant with over 25 years of combined training and professional experience. She started mediating in 2002, including serving two years as a Family Justice Counsellor. She is a member of the Family, Civil and Child Protection Mediation Rosters of Mediate BC, an accredited Family Law Mediator and Arbitrator with the Law Society of BC and a Registered Social Worker with the BC Association of Social Workers. In addition to her private practice, Shelina consultants with clients such as Mediate BC, Legal Services Society and the Province of British Columbia. She is a published writer and has taught at the post-secondary level, as well as coaching for mediation training at Continuing Legal Education of BC.
Wayne Plenert teaches transformative mediation, interpersonal conflict, and related courses, usually in the Peace River region. Since 2005 he's conducted over 500 mediations through British Columbia and Alberta. Wayne has just retired as a lawyer, and spends his time as a Lead Mediator, helping 5 associates develop family mediation practices has part of the Northern Navigator (a model of mandatory assessment/probable mediation through the Provincial Court). Wayne is the vice chair of Mediate BC; a member of their Mediator Complaints Committee; and the chair of their Roster Committee which oversees the various rosters of Mediate BC.
Kathleen Bellamano is a registered social worker, mediator, parenting coordinator, arbitrator, conflict management trainer and Executive Director of Communica Dialogue and Resolution Services. She has been working in both family and civil dispute resolution for 13 years and specializes in working with high conflict families and intercultural issues. Kat is a Certified Comprehensive Family Mediator by Family Mediation Canada and is also on Mediate BC’s Family Mediator Roster and Civil Mediator Roster and is a mentor for Mediate BC’s Family Mediation Program. She is on the Board of Directors of BC Arbitration and Mediation Institute and Family Mediation Canada.
Bob Finlay is a Registered Family Therapist, Registered Clinical Counsellor; member of the Family Roster and Child Protection Roster, Mediate BC; a Divorce Coach; Parenting Coordinator and Views of the Child/Section 15 report author; and a Family and Child Protection Mediation mentor. He specializes in separation and divorce work with families including a specialty in child estrangement and parental alienation cases. Bob has been a keynote speaker at a number of conferences including the first ever Canadian Symposium on Parental Alienation and appeared as the mediator in the CBC Documentary, “How to Divorce so you don’t Wreck the Kids”. He is currently working on a project to establish therapeutic collaborative teams to service child estrangement and parental alienation cases.
Lisa Alexander has been mediating all types of family issues for well over 10 years - prenuptial and cohabitation agreements, parenting arrangements, complex asset divisions, mobility issues, post litigation adjustments to agreements and separation agreements. In addition to her mediation practice, she is an active collaborative lawyer. Lisa is a former Director of the BC Collaborative Roster Society, one of the past co-chairs and member of the executive of Collaborative Divorce Vancouver and a founder of the Collaborative Centre. She is on the international training faculty of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She trains other professionals in collaborative process and dispute resolution skills both locally and internationally. She actively mentors newer dispute resolution professionals.
Family law changed significantly as a result of the introduction of the Family Law Act in March 2013 to replace the Family Relations Act.
Mediate BC hosted a webinar series to help address significant aspects that you need to know when you are assisting families resolve their disputes through mediation processes under the Family Law Act.
This update to that webinar will bring you up to speed with 3 years' worth of development:
Part 1: Key FLA Issues - What has Changed for Mediators?
Moderator: Shelina Neallani
Panel: Wayne Plenert, Kathleen Bellamano, Bob Finlay
Participants will gain an understanding of:
- the challenges and successes mediators face when complying with their duty to assess for family violence and inform clients of appropriate dispute resolution options
- how the removal of the presumptions regarding parenting time and the new parenting concepts have impacted the process
- the challenges and successes of bringing the voice of the child to the table
- the practical changes at the mediation table under the FLA
- the fundamental culture shift that was anticipated under the FLA and share ideas on where mediation is going
Part 2: Financial Matters - How are the Judges Applying the FLA to Property, Debt & Support?
Presenter: Lisa Alexander
Participants will gain an understanding of:
- the current state of the law as it relates to excluded assets
- how judges are dealing with family debt now that it is included in the FLA
- how spousal support is being dealt with
- how the FLA is being applied by families who choose to stay out of the litigation system
Who Should Attend
This webinar is designed for mediators and professionals who deal with families in conflict, including lawyers, parenting coordinators, social workers, paralegals, arbitrators, counsellors, therapists, ministers, and advocates.
Each part of the recorded version of this webinar counts for:
LSBC: 1.5 hours of CPD and 1.5 hours toward annual requirement for members already accredited for the Family Law ADR - both provided the registrant watches the webinar with another lawyer or articling student who also purchases it.
Mediate BC: 1.5 hours of CPD.
Click below to register and receive a link to view the recordings.
General registration: $169 + GST
Mediate BC Roster Registration: $149 + GST
Refund & Cancellation Policy
Mediate BC is unable to refund registration fees. Substitutes are always welcome. Registration will remain pending until full payment is received. Refunds of any type will be made in the form of a cheque, regardless of the method of initial payment, from Mediate BC Society and sent by post to the mailing address provided on the registration form. Mediate BC reserves the right to cancel or reschedule events, refuse admission, or change speakers, location, or content. Unless Mediate BC specifically states a course has been pre-approved for the Law Society of BC or Mediate BC Roster CPD, registrants should ensure that it meets their PD requirements. It is also the responsibility of registrants to make sure the course they register for counts toward the accreditation pursued.