Thanksgiving is a time not only of gratitude, but of reflection. Looking back on the last year we have much to be thankful for even as we continue to face the challenges of COVID.

We are grateful for family and friends and the support of our communities.

Our Doctors, Nurses, and other Front Line Workers have provided us with outstanding service and compassion over the last 12 months. We are so lucky to be living in Canada, which now leads all the G7 nations in terms of Vaccinations. We are extremely thankful for the science that has given us several vaccines since our last Thanksgiving.

Giving thanks and gratitude has been scientifically proven to aid in the regulation of negative emotions. During our Thanksgiving Weekend lets bask in the warmth of family and friends and give gratitude for their love and support.

In June of this year, our team of lawyers did their annual retreat.

As much as it's been lovely to have retreats at remote destinations in the past, this one was still its own version of memorable.

Here's your chance to see a glimpse of our team out of the office, (or behind the camera of their home office) and enjoying each others company.

From: Emily Koch

This article discusses the often asked question: whether the engagement ring is a gift to the recipient, or family property to be divided.

As this is often on the minds of new / potential clients, we've done up a quick answer that we hope will be helpful for other family law firms as well as clients.

Here's our reply:

"That's a great question. Your buddy isn't entirely wrong, but it's not a "fee per email" situation. When you hire a lawyer, you are billed for the time they spend working on your file. So when you email your lawyer, it does take them time to read and reply, and that will be billed at their hourly rate."

An additional note to clients:

"It's natural to feel overwhelmed with questions as you're going through legal proceedings. To save your self stress and some legal costs, don't feel the pressure to send every thought and question as it occurs.

Compose your email when a question pops up, but wait until you have a few more questions or thoughts to add before you hit send. This will help save you from sending 20 emails that could be 1 email. This will also help you avoid generating higher costs due to excess communications."

Kyla Dupuis recommends: Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations by Richard Wagamese : This book shares grounding storytelling meditations through a brilliant poets Ojibway lens.

Emily Koch recommends: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson: this is a hilarious story about a woman who is hired as a nanny for two children who spontaneously combust when ever they're upset.

Lainie Chan recommends: Squid Game: If you can get past the gore (and you really should because the drama is so worth it), Squid Game ought to be your next must-watch show. While the premise of this drama has been done before by movies like Battle Royale and Hunger Games, what sets this story aside is the detailed characters, amazing (but creepy) sets and strong acting from the ensemble cast.