1.877.602.9900Divorce is always a serious matter, even more so when the spouses involved have significant assets. Relationship exit strategies can be challenging.
The MacLean Family Law Group helps individuals of medium to high net worth obtain a divorce in British Columbia. We bring tenacity and strategy to divorce. Our goal is to maximize your financial awards on support and property division issues, help you succeed on BC child custody guardianship and contact and access issues, and address any tax concerns you may have.
Lorne MacLean QC is one of Western Canada’s most experienced family law lawyers concentrating in BC family law and BC divorce. Since 1983, he has worked exclusively in the field of family law, and has successfully represented clients all the way to appearances in the Supreme Court of Canada in cases of spousal and child support, property division, custody and access and common law relationships.
Legal Team
Lorne MacLean QC has focused on building a strong team of associates including Shelagh Kinney, James Cudmore, Michael Jakeman, who will handle cases involving family law and criminal law issues, Surrey Office associate Sumit Ahuja who is fluent in Punjabi and Hindi and will be handling family law and immigration related cases Ronak Yousefi, fluent in Farsi and Spanish who will handle family law and immigration related matters, Ari Wormeli who is spearheading our family law and criminal law expansion into our state of the art new Surrey office, Jennifer Lin our Cantonese speaking family immigration and criminal law associate, Subreen Bedi who is fluent in Punjabi and Hindi to help our Surrey and Okanagan office client and articled student Nancy Chen who is fluent in Mandarin for our Mandarin speaking family law, immigration and immigration clients
The MacLean Family Law Group now has 4 offices that are located in downtown Vancouver, in South Surrey BC, in downtown Kelowna and in Fort St. John in the North Peace region of British Columbia. Appointments are also available in Penticton, British Columbia.
A firm is more than just lawyers, and quality legal support staff are often the most important contacts for our clients on a daily basis. For that reason Lorne MacLean QC has hired intelligent and empathetic support staff including paralegals, Rosanna Lin and Eunice Tan and legal assistants Julie Dadgar, and Candice Pappenberger as well as Office administrator Tamara Dawson and administrative assistant Lori Olsen and.
Supreme Court of Canada Representation
The winning counsel in Young v. Young, which he argued before the Supreme Court of Canada as the lead counsel for the plaintiff, Lorne MacLean QC was instrumental in establishing the modern rules for how Canadian courts decide custody, access and guardianship cases.
Mr. MacLean had the rare honour of making a second appearance before the Supreme Court of Canada on November 18, 2005 in Leskun v. Leskun the highly controversial spousal support case that set the law on spousal support and misconduct, on how capital relates to the payment of spousal support, on what a review order for spousal support is and on what the duty of a spouse to be self-sufficient should be.
Both of these cases are leading precedents across Canada governing the issues of custody guardianship and access and spousal support, property division, family debts and costs awards.
Legal Publications
MacLean is an established expert who has both written and taught on BC divorce case law. A frequent guest on Television, radio and television, including live interviews on Canada AM in Vancouver and from the Foyer of the Supreme Court of Canada Mr. MacLean has earned a reputation as a tough yet thoughtful advocate for his clients.
Mr. MacLean donates his time to the Legal Advocacy Program for the MS Society of Canada, the Access to Justice pro bono program, is a past member of the Court of Appeal pro bono program, and was a committee member for the BC CBA REAL program which helps encourage young lawyers to consider careers in rural communities.
His publications and lectures have included:
- “Uncontested Divorce at Crisis in B.C.” Lawyers Weekly, 1987
- “Recent Case Developments Divorce Act 1985. Joint Custody and Access”, (CLE) 1987.
- “Protection of Children Under 11 (1) (b) of the Divorce Act of 1985″, (CLE) 1987.
- “Restraining Orders on Removal of Children from the Jurisdiction”, (CLE) 1987.
- 1987 Update on Injunctive Relief Under Section 53″, (CLE) 1987.
- 2003 Pacific Legal Technology Conference lecturer on cutting edge delivery of legal services to family law clients.
- Best of Show award from the LMA 2003 in San Francisco for “Most innovative in a Niche Market”.
- 2004 lecturer on complex attacks on BC Family Law Trusts for CLE of BC.
- 2004 article “Attacking or Securing a Family Trust Against Family Relations Act Claims” for CLE of BC.
- 2004 article “Trusts and the Family Relations Act Chart” for CLE of BC.
- 2004 article “Valuation of Contingent and Discretionary Trusts” for CLE of BC.
- 2004 People’s Law School lecturer on differences between common-law and married spouses.
- “Family Law: Trusts and Tax Issues PAPER-TITLE: Â Attacking or Securing a Family Trust Against FRA Claims,” by Lorne N. MacLean, Shawna Specht, and Alison Ouellet, November 4, 2004.
- 2005 lecturer on spousal maintenance and misconduct, on self- sufficiency and spousal support, on capital assets and BC spousal support and on review of BC spousal support orders.
- 2005 Article Spousal Misconduct and Spousal Support CLE of BC.
- “Family Law Conference – 2005 PAPER-TITLE: Factum on Leskun,” for the Continuing Legal Education Society, July 7, 2005.
- UBC Law School guest lecturer on spousal support.
- “Same Sex Marriage Seminar,” May 26, 2006.
- Family Law: Adv Financial Issues; Trusts and the Family Relations Act Chart,” by Lorne N. MacLean, Shelagh Kinney, Alison Ouellet, and Shawna Specht for the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, September 29, 2006.
- Family Law: Adv Financial Issues; Trust Update Valuation,” for the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, September 29, 2006.
- Family Law Basics II:The Impact of Leskun on Consideration of Capital and Reviews under the Divorce Act,” for the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, October 19, 2006.
- Solo and Small Firm Conference: Mission, Vision, and Values: The Best Tools for Keeping Your Law Firm on Course,” complied by Lorne N. MacLean and Allison Wolfe, February 23, 2007.
- Presenter and paper at the 5th Annual CBA National Law Firm Leadership Conference Mousetrap 2.0? —– Guiding Principles for the modern, win-win law firm/ client relationship.
Panel Speaker and Presentation on fixed fee billing and social media and its role in marketing October 2009 Toronto - Featured Guest Lawyer on Family Matters TV with Judge Brownstone on the topic of Parental Alienation July 2011 airing across North America
- Regular contributor of free legal information on Legal Advice Scene
- Regular Blog Post Contributor to legal advice Scene
- Multiple YouTube Video presentations on BC Divorce and Family law matters
The Vancouver Province: Cheating Financially
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The Lawyers Weekly: Oh Mann! Modified support formula may lead to trouble
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