September, 2016

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
Welcome to fall! I always feel at this time of year, even though school for me is long past, that the beginning of the school year is really the beginning of the year - and I know many of you feel the same way!

I hope you all have had a good summer. September is the time for proactive decisions. One of these may be, if you've been "sitting on the fence" regarding your relationship and feel it's time to make a decision. In that regard, I am reprising here an article I wrote as follows:

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover!"
In my view, it is crucial that clients entering into the separation process know that they have many options available to them when they separate. As in the Simon and Garfunkel song (although there are not quite 50 ways!), I've described the  various options on  my website  www.annefreed.com I advise my clients of the various process options available to them in the important Initial Consultation. Together we decide, based on the facts, their objectives and the emotional aspect (more on that in my next issue), which process would work best for them.
 
My practice focus is on Alternate Dispute Resolution processes , including Mediation, Mediation /Arbitration and Collaborative Family Law. I use the Courts only as a last resort.

I've attached here, with the kind permission of the Honourable Mr. Justice Harvey Brownstone, a Book Report prepared by my office about his Honour's best selling Book:   "Tug of War. A Judge's Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles, and the Bitter Realities of Family Court".   What more valuable message than from a family court judge himself, to use such processes as mediation and collaborative law,  and to use the Courts only as a last resort!

Please feel free to pass my Newsletter on to your colleagues or friends who may be interested in having an Initial Consultation regarding this.

'Til next time!

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Attorney Spotlight

Anne Freed is a lawyer and a skilled mediator who believes in solving family law issues without her clients' lives being torn apart and with the children's best interests paramount.
 
Anne has been practising law for 35 years. Her  credentials include:
  • BA (Honours Sociology), McGill University
  • JD (Juris Doctor, Law Degree), University of British Columbia 
  • Master of Laws Degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Osgoode Law School, York University, Toronto
  • Advanced Training in Mediation, Arbitration and Collaborative Practice