Liar Liar is a comedy that skirts the line of being for both kids and adults – with the high energy and animated performance of Jim Carrey making the kids laugh, and the more adult jokes and mature themes that fly over kids’ heads. It wasn’t until I rewatched as a lawyer that I realized that family law themes make up the entire plot of the movie. Plot Summary To summarize, after a string of unkempt promises and unchecked white lies, Fletcher Reede’s (Jim Carrey) son Max makes a birthday wish that for just 24 hours, his dad couldn’t tell a lie. With no explanation, which adds to the charm of th ..read more

The holidays are approaching and while the holidays are an exciting time, they often come with lots of obligations, planning and coordinating. For those who are co-parenting there is an extra layer of planning to ensure your kids get to enjoy time with both parents and extended family. Here are some tips for making the holiday period go smoothly: Plan Ahead The holidays happen at the same time every year and we know they are coming! So, it should be easy to plan ahead, but there are always day-to-day things that come up and planning can get pushed to the side. Discussing in October or November ..read more

This past Saturday marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, coinciding with the launch of the Law Society of Manitoba’s Indigenous Intercultural Awareness and Competency Training for lawyers. The mandatory training combines the Canada Bar Association’s The Path with Manitoba-specific content, responding to the calls for actions for lawyers and addressing crucial gaps in legal education. Reflecting on two insightful presentations at our office this year, the gaps in my education are quite apparent. In May, Alyssa Bird, a fellow EFL associate, discussed family law from an Indigenous ..read more

Meet Our Furry Friends – Otis, Cedar and Chalupa. A captivating trio that has captured the hearts of clients, staff and lawyers at Evans Family Law! Otis, a, well we are not really sure, joined the firm in January 2021. Cedar (aka Lil’ Munch), a beautiful little pug, followed in early April 2021. They welcomed a new friend Chalupa, of unknown heritage, in May, 2023. These fur babies have become integral members of our team, putting a smile on the faces of clients, staff and lawyers. Fortunately, each of our beloved mascots reside with both parents. What would happen if Otis’, Cedar’s  or ..read more

For many families, back-to-school is the biggest transition time of the year!  There is some sadness that summer has come to an end but also excitement and eagerness to settle back into routine.  For children, back-to-school can be exciting as well, but often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and nervousness about what to expect.  For parents, this can be a time of tension, and financial stress. Here are some tips for making the transition easier on everyone in the family: Have a plan Sometimes parents follow a different or more flexible parenting schedule over the summer month ..read more

Myth: Law students must pass a bar exam before practicing. Busted: In Manitoba, as well as other provinces in Canada, there is no such thing as a bar exam. After graduating law school, the most common question I got asked was, “so, when do you write the bar exam?” While this would be the right question to ask if I was planning to practice in, say, Ontario or Quebec for example, the requirements for being called to the bar differ substantially between provinces. A common requirement is the requirement that graduates complete a period of articling which can range from 6 months (in Quebec, for ex ..read more

What We Saw and Family Law I recently saw a short article in the Globe & Mail about the changing divorce rate in Canada. The article had another fascinating piece of information: Divorce divides marital assets in half (in theory at least), whereas living costs fall by just 30 per cent or so. That number seems to align with our anecdotal understanding of the re-organization of the family’s finances after a separation. Separated couples often move from one household with two incomes to two households with two incomes (or one household with one income to two households with one income ..read more

Celebrating 15 Years of Evans Family Law Values Fifteen years ago, I embarked on a journey to establish my own law firm. My goal was to practice law the way I thought could best help my clients. Central to my goal was the belief that families deserved compassionate and empowering legal assistance during times of great emotional turmoil. My goal was to use processes that provided dignity, education, and support to clients, enabling them to make informed decisions that made sense to them. Looking back, I am proud to see how the firm has evolved and grown, helping numerous families navigate their ..read more

Phew! You did the hard work of getting everything related to your separation settled and you have a separation agreement. Great job on that by the way! Whether it was a simple agreement, or it took some time to get everything just right to address the unique needs of your family, it is all tough and emotional work. After all the dust has settled, you might be asking yourself “What’s next? Is that it? I’m sure I’m forgetting something!” There is actually one more step in order to completely finalize legal matters between you and your spouse – obtaining a divorce from the court. Getting a divorc ..read more

Editor’s note: In this article we refer to all non-heterosexual weddings and marriages as “same sex”. We understand that gender is a spectrum and we support our trans, non-binary and gender-non-confirming community members. The host and guest of the podcast referenced in this post use the term “LGBTQ”. We have substituted that out with the Canadian acronym, 2SLGBTQIA+, for continuity purposes. What We Saw And Family Law: Bad With Money – (Gay) Divorce with Alana Chazen (Podcast) I recently listened to the (Gay) Divorce with Attorney Alana Chazan episode of Gabe Dunn’s Bad With Money podcast on ..read more