Evans Family Law – Year in Review 2020

As 2020 inches towards its end, it’s safe to say that we can agree to describe it as a year like no other. The past several months have been trying for most families and much worse than that for some. Few, if any of us, could have foreseen what the world would encounter in January and beyond. Like everyone else, our team at Evans Family Law (EFL) has had to overcome challenges to navigate the pandemic.

While working from home is an impossibility for some, including most significantly our essential services workers, for us it is now the new normal. Juggling kids learning online and the stressful uncertainty of the virus while keeping our law practice moving forward involved a learning curve none of us expected. How things will change over the long term is anyone’s guess.

Despite the global upheaval, EFL has managed to continue to grow. We welcomed Alyssa Bird to the firm, a new lawyer who completed her articles this past spring. We found ways to translate in-person legal counsel to effective online practice. And to accommodate our growing team, we are now in the midst of significant office renovations.   

Without a doubt, we could not have realized these achievements without our principal, Greg Evans and the expertise of associate Chau Tran. Their leadership and hard work during this unprecedented time deserve acknowledgement. So too does the contribution of our support staff (Crystal, Hailey, and Ashlyn) along with our office manager April Friesen who have all meaningfully contributed to our firm’s growth. Our team is fortunate to work at an exceptionally supportive and encouraging law practice. 

Together Blog Posts

Now that you have heard me out—longwindedness aside—if you have not had the chance to peruse our EFL blog in 2020 (understandable considering the countless distractions), here are the posts from 2020 in order of first to last: 

1. What to Expect in an Uncontested Divorce in Manitoba: To start the year, associate Kelly Riediger walks you through the actual divorce process once all other matters are settled;
2. What’s our stuff worth? How to value assets in a divorce? Kelly Riediger delves into a question family lawyers get all the time;
3. Together – Collaborative Family Law in Manitoba: In February 2020, I reviewed some of the content the EFL Blog has posted on this site since its inception;
4. COVID-19 and co-parenting: How to resolve conflict: Many conflicts arose and continue to emerge due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Seeking the appropriate expertise and exercising some patience are vital to keeping matters from escalating;
5. Staying in touch with seniors in the time of COVID-19: Kelly explores an important topic—children/grandchildren staying close with their elder relatives when in-person contact is not recommended or disallowed;
6. Evans Family Law Practice during COVID-19: In April 2020, I wrote a short post about how we at EFL were handling the pandemic from a workplace perspective;
7. Saluting Brave Moms on Mother’s Day: Our brave mom (though she wouldn’t admit it), Chau Tran, salutes the many different moms out there;
8. Should you retain the divorce lawyer your spouse’s lawyer recommends? This was my favourite post to write of the year.  I collaborated with Kim Soul to explain the importance of trust between lawyers (and a few other topics) in a family law context;
9. Transitioning from articling student to lawyer while working from home: Alyssa Bird, our newest lawyer at EFL, gives you a firsthand look at her unique call-year experience;
10. The Role of Father’s in 2020: James didn’t want to leave out all the dads out there, so he prepared a nice Father’s Day post;
11. A Checklist for Estate Planning After Divorce: Kelly Riediger, who practices both family and estate law at EFL, takes you through an important checklist for estate planning after your separation;
12. Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Impact of COVID-19: I took a look at whether alternative dispute resolution (ADR) may become more prominent due to the impact of the pandemic;
13. What “the best interests of the child” means in divorce: People often use this phrase, but its meaning is sometimes lost.  Alyssa Bird examines this term’s meaning in greater detail;
14. How to manage Halloween when co-parenting: Alyssa Bird took a refreshing look at this exciting, yet sometimes stressful, celebration for separated parents.

We hope you enjoyed the EFL blog this year as we endeavour to provide (hopefully) valuable content going forward.

By

Richard Pollock

If you have questions about this post or collaborative law in general, contact me today at [email protected].