Galbraith Family Law Partners with Starting Over Show

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Brian Galbraith

Barrie ON Divorce 'Expo' Eases Stress of Breaking Up!

“The Starting Over Show,” an event dubbed as Ontario's first Divorce and Separation Expo is being staged to give separating and newly single people access to the professional services needed to move on with life.

Advice, Seminars and Professional Expertise all in one place. This is the occasion to have access to all of the experts all in one place.

Galbraith Family Law will be joining a team of Professionals addressing every aspect of the Divorce and Separation Process.

                                 www.StartingOverShow.ca

"When I first separated, it was horrible! I didn’t know where to turn, who to talk to and how to move forward. Along with my self esteem, my finances were devastated and my credit was severely damaged. I was seeing a lot of my friends going through the same as me and yet there was very little help available. What shocked me was that there was really no one place to seek out help for ALL of the issues I was facing!!”


“The Starting Over Show” will offer information on coping with stress, dealing with children and legalities and advice on various issues such as finances, credit counselling and property issues. It will be held at the Allandale Community Centre in Barrie Ontario on Saturday Nov 5th and Sunday Nov 6th 2011.

“Divorce and Separation is not just about the obvious legal documents and child custody issues,” says Carol Matthews, event coordinator, but it is also about financial issues, coordinating the move, maintaining your credit, and ultimately reinventing yourself as a single person again.”

According to Stats Canada almost 80,000 Canadian couples divorce each year, as well as many thousands of co-habiting couples. People are needing to extricate themselves from joint finances, real estate, investments and lives.

Divorce is one of the top contributors to Bankruptcy, credit damage and stress induced health issues. The Starting Over Show will host hourly Seminars addressing such issues. “Often people who are separating or divorcing think they need a lawyer, but they don't think about the need for a home appraiser, tax planner, moving company, realtor etc.,” says Ms. Matthews. “The goal of the fair is to bring together all kinds of professionals and services that people WILL need when they are facing a divorce or separation,”

“It's the first-time such a forum has been held in Ontario,” said Darren Gingras, President of Canadian Separation Services, a sponsor of The Starting Over Show. "We are most certainly not promoting divorce or separation, instead we recognize that Divorce and Separation is a very stressful period in individual’s lives and we are making the professional services and options available to individuals in one location.” "It is about bringing together experts who will help people get through a break-up in the best way possible."

The Starting Over Show will be held Sat Nov 5th and Sunday Nov 6th at the Allandale Community Centre, 190 Bayview Avenue in Barrie ON. Show hours are 10am to 6pm both days. Entrance to the Expo and seminars is $20.00 at the door.
For more information contact: the Galbraith Family Law, Darren Gingras at: 1(866) 748-6363 or Carol Matthews at ccmatthews@rogers.com. www.StartingOverShow.ca
 

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Divorce Fair in Barrie?

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Brian Galbraith

We need a Divorce Fair in Barrie, Ontario!

Recently, Halifax hosted it's first divorce fair. It was an opportunity to learn everything you need to know about getting carnivala divorce, and how to prepare for life after divorce. Wow! What a great idea.

The fair was two days: one day for men and one day for women. You wouldn't want to bump into your spouse, especially if your spouse doesn't know you are thinking about divorce, hence the division of days by gender. Makes good sense to me.

Michael Niren in his most recent blog at www.divorcesupport.ca suggests that with the divorce rate over 40% this sort of fair may become common place in Canada. I hope so.

A similar fair was held in the UK in the spring of 2009 for the first time, and it was well received according to article in  The Telegraph. A second one is scheduled for March, 2010. I like the name they are using in the U.K. It's called the Starting Over Show which of course makes the acronym SOS. Very appropriate.

There are exhibitors and speakers at these shows. For example, lawyers, mediators, financial planners, yoga teachers, dentists (to improve your smile), cosmetic surgeons, psychologists, real estate agents, counselors, dating agencies, life coaches and anybody else who might be of interest to people going through a divorce have booths or do presentations. It's a place to get more information, new contacts and get inspired as you begin your new life.

Oliver Moore in his article in The Globe and Mail about the Halifax fair quotes the main speaker at the Halifax fair, Justice Harvey Brownstone as follows:

Mr. Justice Harvey Brownstone, author of Tug of War: A Judge's Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles, and the Bitter Realities of Family Court, is speaking on both days. He noted in an interview that he's seen first-hand the “emotional carnage” that can result from divorce.

“It bothers me as a judge that by the time we see parents they're in front of me geared up for a fight,” he said. “I have long thought that I'd like to be able to reach them in advance. These people need counselling, they need financial advice, they need help coming up with parenting plans.”

The divorce fair provided the kind of information Justice Brownstone suggests, so people can make an educated decision about their choices. Too often people considering divorce end up meeting with traditional divorce lawyers who simply urge them to go to court.

I believe divorce is not just a legal problem. It has emotional, financial, parenting and many other aspects to it. An interdisciplinary approach to divorce best meets your needs. A divorce fair sounds like it would give the public the perspectives of many different disciplines and professionals which is a good thing.

We suggest clients use Collaborative Team Practice to resolve their divorce-related issues. It is an interdisciplinary approach to divorce. Financial specialist help with the financial issues; Divorce coaches help with the emotional aspects; and, parenting coaches help with the parenting issues. Lawyers deal with the legal aspects, offer their help resolving difficult issues and ensure the resulting agreement is legally binding. It works well. Both parties and professionals agree that they won't go to court and will put all their energies into reaching a mutually agreeable settlement.

"Divorce Fair"... I even like the name! Fairs always have roller coasters and everyone who has been through a divorce knows it can be like a roller coaster ride some of the time! 

So, who wants to help me organize a Divorce Fair for Barrie? 

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