Katherine L. Fraser
#205 - 1024 Ridgeway Avenue V3J 1S5 Coquitlam, BC, Canada

I've been back in the office full-time for a few weeks now, doing appointments mainly by phone and Zoom. Grateful, however, to have a large boardroom with a door that opens outdoors for those times when an in-person mediation session or meeting is the only option. Never imagined I'd see a day where spray disinfectant for hard surfaces and a plastic cover for the Moneris machine would become vital office supplies, not to mention the addition of masks into the picture. We live in interesting times.

Just announced today: BC Supreme Courts are closed, and all regular operations suspended. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS March 18, 2020... Supreme Court of British Columbia - Closure of Courthouses and Suspension of All Regular Court Operations As part of the Court's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia has ordered the suspension of all regular operations, effective immediately until further notice. All regular hearings are adjourned. Further details concerning urgent and emergency matters and the running of timelines will follow shortly.

These are scary times. That said, I'm aware that at any point - with everything happening so quickly - I may need to close my practice for a time for the health of the community as a whole. I'm very aware that people can carry the virus with no symptoms, and I don't want to unwittingly become a Typhoid Mary myself; my concern is for all those people out there who are at risk due to underlying conditions who might be exposed. Please don't come into my office if you've returne...d from travel outside Canada in the last 14 days, may have been exposed to Covid-19 or are awaiting test results, or were diagnosed with it and haven't yet got the 'all-clear' from the provincial health authorities. We all need to do what we can to keep everyone safe and healthy, and that means preventing the spread. Worst case scenario is waiting a few weeks to get things done. See more

Receiving a parcel from the Law Society is enough to make any lawyer’s heart rate go up. Turns out it was a card and gift thanking me for teaching PLTC last summer. All is good.

I’m not always in on a Saturday (especially a sunny one) but I can’t complain when my boardroom looks so pretty in the dappled sunlight

Here’s what I was doing today....

Outside, it's a gray, rainy day. Inside, a little more cheerful thanks to this gift from a client.

Heading downtown to teach part of the family law section of the Law Society’s Professional Legal Training Course for articled students. Should be an interesting morning!

A little celebration of sorts in my role as a family law mediator: I have surpassed 400 hours of mediation time. To put it into perspective, back when I wanted to join the Mediate BC Family Roster, they required 200 hours of mediation time (meaning face-to-face mediation only, and not any other work that's involved with the mediation process). By the time I hit that mark (and joined the Roster), I discovered they'd changed it to 80 hours, presumably because it's so hard to hit 200. Now they require 40 hours only, which can also be co-mediation or as part of a practicum or mentoring program. So I now have ten times the mediation time required to join the Roster, which makes me feel very experienced indeed!

So many changes! My office is in the Austin Heights area of Coquitlam, an area that's in transition. One big change affects Como Lake United Church, which is being torn down and replaced with a building that will include 75 rental units and a new home for the church. Today the fencing went up; demolition cannot be far behind.

Great advice - I personally like the "mutual spoilage".

You can't give a baby too much affection.

In the past, the behaviour shown by newborn babies separated from their addicted mothers had been seen as withdrawal symptoms. Turns out it was likely something else altogether.

Love this decision, which focuses on the best interests of the child, rather than the parents' views. (A medical team had determined that it was important to start the transition in order to save the child from committing suicide. The parents opposed the transition for religious reasons.)

Interesting article that addresses the impact of "family economics" upon family dynamics, and the power imbalances that come with it.

Another reason to cuddle your babies (as if we ever need an excuse!).

John Gottman has done some very interesting research on marriages. Worth a read.

Sometimes a stamp is so great that you have to share it....

Great piece - and accurate on what it says about children of divorce, based on research by Dr. Joan Kelly.

There's so much truth to this - my kids and I have happy memories of outings to local places (Burnaby Village, Fort Langley, Stanley Park) that mean so much more than any "stuff" could have. Have you had special family outings that still make you smile?