Stephanie Dobson

Another episode of Think Local! Rachel Lambert, Owner & Operator of CWT Vacations Lloydminster shares with us her passion and love for the travel industry and for taking care of her travel customers. We talked about all the advantages of planning that post-COVID getaway now to lock in the amazing deals being offered by resorts and tour companies, and cancellation policies are at an all-time most-relaxed. She describes the benefits of using the knowledge of a travel agent. ... Check out this amazing local Lloydminster business! https://www.cwtvacations.ca/lloydminster Discover Lloydminster Think Lloyd First

This week's Prime Time Local News interview is Part 1 in a 3-part series about process options that families have in their divorce transition. There's divorce court, and then there's the less-known out-of-court process options. Learn about the do-it-yourself option, divorce mediation, and Collaborative Divorce. What are the benefits of choosing an out-of-court option? How do you know if it's right for you? Since 2008, I have focused my legal and mediation practice exclusive...ly on families who choose these options. Check out our interview to learn about the options at https://henkadivorce.ca/divorce-re/our-family-in-two-homes/.

Consider what you have learned from your previous relationship that could be useful going forward into the next stage of your life. I would guess that you equally learned things that you would never do again, but also things that you would absolutely do over.

This week's TV spot with Prime Time Local News explains the innovative Workbook I use in my legal & mediation practice called Our Family In Two Homes. Separation and Divorce can be overwhelming to many families - most people have never embarked on this process and don't know where to get started. The Workbook helps separating families to ... - learn the foundations of effective co-parenting, - anticipate the various questions that I will need answers to in our work together and - learn the basics of the laws in your province (separate workbooks for Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories). We know that the most sustainable way to make decisions is to have time to think through your answers, and to "sleep on it". Use the Workbook to think through how you would like your future to look co-parenting in two homes. Every workbook comes with 3 hours of time with me to help you work through the tough spots. Learn more at https://henkadivorce.ca/divorce-re/our-family-in-two-homes/.

Let's see your hilarious video conferencing picture with your pets! We had a good laugh when we came across this post, our wonderful family pets can be quite the distraction during meetings.

OMG so much fun!!! Can’t be in Toronto for the Collaborative Divorce conference but they still brought the Saturday night party to us!!!!!! Woop woop!!!

Children should never be the messenger between their parents. Not only may they get the message wrong, they will also witness any negative feelings either parent expresses when delivering or receiving it. Not only may they get the message wrong, but they will also witness any negative feelings either parent expresses when delivering or receiving it. t's inappropriate messaging strategy. You may wish to address mutual expectations around messaging directly with your co-parent confidentially, out of the kids' earshot.

Acceptance comes from acknowledging that your marriage is over with no hope or wish for it to continue. Acceptance allows you to live in a way that reveals a freedom from the past. It means living in the present and the future. It takes work. But before you can do this work, you must put in place new rules that will lay the groundwork for a completely new relationship with your former spouse. These rules are there to protect you from any further hurts or upsets.

If you are co-parenting from two homes, communication will become even more critically important than when you were in one home. The more effective the communication, the more it can benefit your children. Have you ever had the experience of your children using the lack of communication between you and your ex as leveage to get what they want? This can be devastating to parents, yet inevitable if the communication is poor or lacking. Communication is a standard topic with all our clients. We want to ensure that you set out into two homes being able to communicate as best as possible. Effective doesn't have to mean frequent; it means to the point, question & answer, without the drama that can be associated with divorcing families. We are here to help you have a healthy and thriving divorce. Need assistance? Let us know.

When you’re going through a divorce having empathy for your ex and what he or she is going through can make all the difference in the world. It’s not easy, especially if your ex is bitter, angry or hurt and takes those emotions out on you. However, psychologists suggest that understanding that your ex’s capacity for suffering is the same as yours is vital. Not only is it better for your own sanity, but it’s an integral part of having what you could call a successful divorce.... Aside from the mental health aspects, it’s a good idea to put yourself in your ex’s shoes for several reasons. You’re more apt to be kind to someone with whom you can empathize, and if you have children, you’re setting an example for them. Empathy doesn’t necessarily mean you have to like your former spouse when it comes to your divorce. It can mean, however, extending a proverbial olive branch.

You don’t need to pretend you are happy when you aren’t. It’s about making a choice and putting your best foot forward, especially when it comes to your children. That’s why we work in collaborative divorce which is a family-focused decision-making process whereby parties work together with us to find creative solutions to divorce issues while committing to avoiding court. If you think this is right for you, contact us. We are happy to offer a 10-minute phone call to talk about the process and gauge if it’s right for you and your divorce.

Here are a few great tips to make the most out of your Thanksgiving from two homes! - Have a holiday plan in place well before the long weekend arrives. - Keep family traditions going. - Minimize conflict.... - Think long-term. - Focus on the children. - Establish a plan for when you won’t be with your children. See more

I’m looking forward to a few days of professional development later this month at the 21st Annual Networking and Education Forum at the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Attending the conference? Join me virtually on Tuesday, October 27th at 6:00PM (PDT) for my session: You Had Me At Hello: Increasing Your Collaborative Practice Through Effective Intake and Initial Consultation.

Once living in two homes, what method of communication do you use with your co-parent? Text? Phone? In-Person? Have you looked into any co-parenting apps? They're amazing for communicating, and keeping information organized. Maintaining effective communication, for the children's sake, is vital to an effective co-parenting relationship. Have you found any that you like? Our Family Wizard is my favourite! What about others? Coparently? 2Houses?

The success of your separation is dependent on how you treat one another. Try treating your partner like your business partner. Be courteous. Answer emails, text messages and phone calls. Don’t badmouth your coparent to friends, family, co-worker, and especially not to your children. Do what you say you’re going to do. Communicate important information. Request and provide documents in a timely matter. Do not treat the other person as your enemy. Demonstrate that you can be t...rusted and that you do not want to participate in a race. You do have to continue to work together on the resolution of all issues arising out of the end of your relationship.

Hard day at the office for these two!!

This September we started the school off different than we ever have before. What has the return to school been like for you and your family?

The right mindset matters in moving forward with a successful separation or divorce.

It's World Gratitude day! We are grateful that we get to work with healthy thriving families everyday. What are you grateful for?

Family Mediation is a family-focused decision-making process whereby parties work together with a neutral Mediator to find creative solutions to their issues while avoiding court. For separating and divorcing families, the focus is on the future not the past in order to build your new two-home family picture. There is a commitment to providing all of the information necessary to make decisions. Family Mediation is not limited to negotiating a separation, it is also often use...d for couples who are living together and want to negotiate a cohabitation agreement. If you think Family Mediation may be right for you, contact us to book a free 10-minute phone call for each party separately with Stephanie. Once Mediation is determined to be the right process, then we will schedule a full initial consultation for each party and the process will begin. Visit Henkadivorce.ca/work-with-me/family-mediation/ to book your free phone call today

When couples start out their lives together, they typically do so with the intention of it being "forever" - maybe buying a house, having kids, couple pets, growing old together. When unhappiness, conflict, or other events lead to a couple deciding to separate, it sets off an avalanche of events as you move into two homes. If kids are involved, every parent intends to PUT KIDS FIRST! Many studies over the past few decades show that kids are resilient - but the degree of th...eir resilience is partially in the hands of the parents! How well will your children adapt? What effect will you see on their grades, social adjustment, or mental health? Our goal at Henka Divorce Law & Mediation is to work with clients who want to achieve Healthy Thriving Families - that means healthy kids AND parents! What does "putting kids first in divorce" mean to you? How do you help your kids to be resilient and to thrive while living in two homes?

How would you fill in the blank? I would say you owe yourself some "me" time.

This selfie selfish kinda post doesn't happen often, but I'm feeling so great today I just had to do it! . I had a day so full of gratefulness and gratitude... I was able to get resolution on a few of my clients' matters, and a couple hard meetings that ended in positive resolution for the families I serve. . So many divorce lawyers & mediators get burned out from their practice because of the incessant conflict that they are absorbed in. ... . If you think about it... a divorcing family is involved in only their one family in conflict. A divorce professional is juggling 50-100 cases at any given time, most of which are fraught with conflict. . I am thankful every day that I have focused my practice exclusively on families who choose to divorce differently from the "usual". They may have conflict, but my clients choose to work together to overcome that conflict, to avoid it escalating. . Given this focus on families, I will be able to maintain a sustainable family law practice for decades to come. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my professional life! . . . #divorcelawyer #divorce #law #lawyer #sustainable #familyiseverything #yll #lloydminster #alberta #canada #mediation #mediator See more