People often ask me how many substantial divorce cases I handle, I tell them "every divorce case I handle is substantial, because all the person has is at stake".

Once a divorce is commenced, the goal of the Court is to end the marriage and decide such issues as child custody, access, support, property and debt division and deal with responsibility for legal costs.

Roughly 90% of divorces end up proceeding on an uncontested basis. This means that all, but 10% of family cases are settled between the parties, whether by separation agreement or by embodying the agreement in a divorce order with consented to corollary relief.

In a recent decision, the British Columbia Supreme Court examined the question of whether a decision reached at trial could be reopened and changed without an appeal taking place on the basis of new evidence having been discovered after the trial had ended.