Explaining complex family law concepts and procedures in a jargon-free style, this resource includes detailed information on how family court works, offers easily understandable case examples, and describes alternatives to litigation that are designed to help prevent families with children from entering the legal system to resolve disputes. Exploring subjects that apply to all parties involved in resolving separation, divorce, and custody conflicts-judges, lawyers, mediators, parenting coaches, psychologists, family counsellors, and social workers-this reference demystifies the role of lawyers and judges, debunks the myth that parents can represent themselves in court, and examines each parent’s responsibility to ensure that post-separation conflicts are resolved with minimal emotional stress to children.
This book is written by Ontario family court judge Harvey Brownstone, specifically for the general public. It is not a legal textbook or self-help manual. Rather, it provides much-needed information for every separated couple contemplating going to family court to resolve parental disputes. The book explains what family court is, and equally importantly, what it isn’t. The author uses many real-life anecdotes to show the reader how harmful family court is for families, and how bad litigation is for children. Family court litigation is not like the court cases we see on TV, and the judge gives strong reasons why people need legal representation from a lawyer who specializes in family law. There is a strong desire on the part of the author to convince people to use family court as a last resort, and consider dispute resolution alternatives such as mediation or collaborative law.