After a 12-day trial that involved the setting aside of a separation agreement, based on Mr. Block’s failure to disclose his vast business interests, the trial judge made several property and support orders in favour of Deborah Ann Block, with payments to be made to her by her husband, Cyrus Paul Block. See Block v.
Georgialee Lang Attorney & Arbitrator
Georgialee Lang has practiced as a trial and appellate lawyer in Vancouver, Canada for 30 years. She has been blessed with great clients, wonderful colleagues and exceptional cases. Her website is at georgialeelang.com. Her present focus is on appeal work, litigation strategy, arbitration, mediation and writing legal and political pieces.
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Allegations of Judicial Bias Face High Evidentiary Bar
In yet another high-conflict case, Eccles v. Eccles 2025 ABCA 418, the Alberta Court of Appeal considered an appeal of a case management judge’s order, where the appellant mother sought to have the case management judge recuse himself on account of an alleged reasonable apprehension of bias.
The parties’ relationship started in 2007 and ended…
Why Hire a Lawyer but Ignore Their Advice?
I could never understand why someone would hire a high-priced, hotshot lawyer but refuse to take their advice. It happens more frequently than you might realize, sometimes the result of an uneducated neighbour or friend, who after going through their own divorce, deigns to give (bad) advice to all who will listen. Other times it’s…
WHEN DOES SPOUSAL SUPPORT END?
As retirement approaches, one of the most common refrains from elderly clients to their family law lawyers, is “when does spousal support end?”
Having finally completed their child support obligations, with the adult children now independent, the longing for a complete divestiture of financial entanglements from a marriage long past, is now on the agenda.…
When Will Parental Alienation Lead to Reduced Child Support?
When does a parent’s deliberate obstruction of court-ordered parenting time justify the cancellation or reduction of child support? That question was addressed by the Supreme Court of British Columbia in K.A.N. v. N.L., 2025 BCSC 2477.
The litigation arose from a seven-year marriage, the birth of two children, and a divorce finalized in 2019. The…
Self-Rep Fails to Convince Appeal Court to Cancel $270,000 of Support Arrears
A case involving more than $270,000 in accumulated child and spousal support arrears highlights several recurring issues in applications for retroactive variation of support, including chronic non-compliance, evidentiary shortcomings, and the impact of significant arrears on both variation and appellate relief.
Dr. Vahid Garousi and Shilan Garousi were married in Alberta in April 2007. Their…
What to Do When Counsel is Never Available for Urgent Court Applications?
One of the recurring frustrations in family law practice is the increasingly common tactic where opposing counsel is mysteriously “unavailable” for any proposed hearing date. The pattern is familiar: counsel ignores written requests for dates, follow-up correspondence is required, and only after a week or more does opposing counsel finally respond — typically to declare…
Court Provides Detailed Analysis of Income Determination for Corporate Shareholders
Justice Briana Hardwick of the British Columbia Supreme Court, formerly highly respected family law counsel, released her Reasons in S.D.N. v. E.G.N.,2025 BCSC 1994 on Oct. 10, a treatise on the determination of income of a party who is a majority shareholder of multiple corporations, in the context of a child support application.
In yet…
Hague Abduction Case Pits BC Supreme Court Against Bulgaria’s District Court
In Zahariev v. Zahariev 2025 BCCA 35 the British Columbia Court of Appeal considered a Hague Convention case which featured a contest between Bulgaria’s District Court and the British Columbia Supreme Court, in relation to the parties’ infant daughter, Neva.
Neva’s mother, Yana Zahariev, and father, Filip Zahariev, met in 2021 and married in November 2022,…
Exploring the Tort of Conspiracy in Family Law Cases
In a ten-year marathon of family litigation between 2009 and 2019, the battling Michie’s were in the Court of Appeal six times and visited the Supreme Court 13 times. (Waters v. Michie 2011 BCCA 364) Ms. Michie’s litigation arsenal included a claim in conspiracy where she alleged that her former husband’s transfer of two properties…