Melissa Bourgeois, an Edmonton family lawyer, is offering amicably divorcing couples the 'one family, one lawyer' model to act for both parties to save them money.
Lawyer Melissa Bourgeois of One Family Law is pictured in Edmonton on Tuesday September 12, 2023. Bourgeois has come up with a new divorce model that allows couples to share one lawyer through the process, saving money as a result
The concept at the time was untested in Canada, where conflict of interest rules have traditionally dictated that each divorcing spouse must retain their own lawyer, Bourgeois said."It just seemed to me really brilliant," she said. "I think what most couples today are looking for is a way to navigate the legal system, but in a way that helps them preserve a decent relationship with one another.
The process can take between four and six months, and still traditionally requires each spouse to hire their own independent legal counsel. That's why she decided to seek permission from the Law Society of Alberta to offer what she calls her "one family, one lawyer, one fee" model as a first-of-its-kind-in-Canada pilot project.
"A separation and divorce doesn't need to ruin a family. We tell our daughter we still love each other, we just love each other differently," Sali said. "Given the concerns that we as lawyers always have with conflict of interest, if you're representing both sides of a matter, that's something you always have to keep in mind," he said.
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'One family, one lawyer' model promises to save divorcing couples time and moneyEdmonton lawyer Melissa Bourgeois had been practicing family law for more than a decade when she had what she calls her 'lightbulb moment.
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'One family, one lawyer' model promises to save divorcing couples time and moneyEdmonton lawyer Melissa Bourgeois had been practicing family law for more than a decade when she had what she calls her 'lightbulb moment.'
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‘One family, one lawyer’ model could save divorcing couples in Canada time and moneyEdmonton lawyer Melissa Bourgeois says hiring one lawyer to act for both parties allows divorcing couples to ‘preserve a decent relationship with one another’ as they navigate the legal system
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