Both the Provincial and Supreme Courts in BC have suspended services barring emergency matters in reaction to the public health emergency resulting from the spread of Coronavirus. These actions are unprecedented in the history of the province. For family law clients the only services available are protection orders and those related to the health and safety of a child or family.
I recently taught a workshop on drafting affidavits to law students taking a clinical semester at Rise Legal Clinic, where they mostly practice family law. Affidavits are essential to presenting evidence in chamber’s applications for interim orders in Supreme Court family law matters, as well as at various stages of Provincial Court family law matters. Making your client comfortable and able to share the intimate details of their lives with what amounts to a stranger, no matter how well intentioned, is critical to getting the client’s narrative in front of a judge. Clear and precise drafting free from hyperbole and sentimentality ties the narrative to the facts and supporting evidence and gives the judge, along with a concise legal argument, a well reasoned basis from which to make a decision in your client’s favour. It was exciting to see future family lawyers honing their craft.
