XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
      
   No more "that's mine, that's yours" when one of the partners is walking out   
   the door.  The   
   question of whether someone is on the hook for child support is also one that   
   will be   
   answered through this legislation.   
   ____________________________________   
      
   July 19, 2010 - By CBC News   
      
   B.C. common-law couples to get marriage rights   
      
   The B.C. government is proposing the first overhaul of the province's family   
   law in 30   
   years.   
      
      
   The B.C. government wants to extend laws governing the division of property to   
   common-law   
   spouses who have lived together for two years or who have children together.   
      
   The proposal is part of a package of major changes to the province's family   
   law put   
   forward by Attorney General Mike de Jong on Monday morning.   
      
   De Jong said the package is intended to modernize the province's Family   
   Relations Act for   
   first time in 30 years by making it less adversarial and easier to understand.   
      
   The changes cover a wide range of issues such as separations, child custody,   
   support   
   payments, division of property and pensions, access responsibilities,   
   children's   
   participation in the legal process and family violence.   
      
   Equal division in common-law separations   
   One of the most significant changes is a proposal to extend laws governing the   
   division of   
   property in separations to common-law spouses who have lived together for two   
   years or who   
   have children together in a marriage-like arrangement.   
      
   Georgialee Lang, a family lawyer from Vancouver, says it's a revolutionary   
   proposal   
   because the current property-division laws don't generally apply to common-law   
   separations.   
      
   That means couples that choose not to get married to avoid the marriage   
   property division   
   laws may need to reassess their arrangements, and that may include drawing up   
   written   
   agreements.   
      
   "Being a common-law spouse now, if these recommendations are enacted, is no   
   longer   
   protection against your property," she said   
      
   "All these people that don't get married because they don't want to deal with   
   property ...   
   they're all going to need agreements, because you can opt out like married   
   people do now,   
   you can opt out of the law that says property is divided 50-50," she said.   
      
   But the proposal also seeks to exclude pre-relationship, gifts and   
   inheritances from   
   property that would be divided 50-50 in any separation.   
      
      
      
   Out-of-court resolutions favoured   
      
   The far-reaching package of proposed changes also includes reforms to create   
   more options   
   for out-of-court dispute resolutions and improving the tools for enforcing   
   court rulings.   
      
   "A fundamental shift is needed that encourages and assists parents and spouses   
   to resolve   
   disputes co-operatively where appropriate, with courts being a valued, but   
   last resort,"   
   said de Jong.   
      
   Under the proposed reforms, family court professionals would be required to   
   advise couples   
   on how to resolve their differences out of court.   
      
   There are also measures meant to curb domestic violence, including a proposal   
   to replace   
   restraining orders with protection orders that would be enforceable under the   
   Criminal   
   Code.   
      
   Tracy Porteous, the executive director of the Ending Violence Association of   
   B.C., was   
   enthusiastic about the changes.   
      
   "I think the minister is taking a big step to increase the safety of women and   
   children,"   
   said Porteous.   
      
   The public will be able to contribute comments on the proposed changes until   
   Oct. 8   
   through the B.C. government website.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)