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There are more and more true alternatives to going legal these days.  Most courts, in fact, now require you to try an alternative dispute resolution pathway before you can even make an application to court. Other courts, after you make the initial application require a court ordered alternative dispute resolution process.  We call it ADR for short. The earlier you can do...

In a more traditional approach (which people worry about) is that a person with a problem goes to a lawyer and the lawyer just takes a traditional approach. This involves some negotiations to begin with, usually letters backwards and forwards. And if that doesn’t narrow the matter down to where it can resolve, there’ll be court proceedings filed. A more alternative approach...

If you are starting a negotiation, who should open first, and how you should open? There is a myth that says that the person who opens in a negotiation is often disadvantaged. So, no one really wants to open. This is a myth that is not necessarily true, and can actually work against you …

There are many benefits of alternative dispute resolution, particularly for women.  There are a whole lot of biases built into the legal system that operate against women, so if we want a better result, maybe we don’t use the system itself.  Maybe we should look for an alternative. So there are lots of alternative dispute resolution methods, and most of them: ...

The best way to keep a deceased estate out of court is to talk directly to your family, if you can, and don’t let lawyers escalate any issues into disputes. Traditionally, lawyers will work out your rights, and then help you enforce your rights. But they do this without consideration to the actual costs to you.  Not only do the lawyers benefit by increasing their own legal fees, at your cost,...

The death of a loved family member, particularly when they are the glue that keeps the family together, can sometimes cause a family to fall apart. Here are 3 tips to help keep your family together after a death of a loved one. Talk openly, without holding it against anyone The death of a spouse, parent or child can be hard to come to terms with. People may say or do things that are out of...

When a family member passes away, sometimes there is anxiety about whether everyone will be happy with the contents of the Will. Instead of anticipating the worst, be well prepared with these 7 important considerations: Is the family all aware of the Will contents? The family may not have even seen the Will yet. It may be all speculation.  Make sure that everyone who is a beneficiary in the...

Facing a dispute over the Will when someone dies is what many families dread. Here are 3 of the most common challenges that families face in a dispute after someone dies, along with some ways to avoid or deal with those challenges. Holding the family together While everyone is grieving, anger can flare when someone in the family does not think the Will is fair. This anger can lead too quickly...