Duncan Craig LLP | Carolyn L. Seitz, KC

When there’s a lot at stake and emotions are high, clients turn to Carolyn Seitz for her extensive experience resolving complex family law disputes. Carolyn’s experience covers all areas of family law, including custody disputes, division of property, child and spousal support, matrimonial property, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, and related estate planning needs. Business owners and high-net-worth families benefit from her in-depth understanding of corporate ownership structures and buy-out options and tax implications, and strategies for addressing international assets and their impact on family law settlements.

Carolyn listens carefully to clients and actively involves them in the dispute resolution process. No matter how fraught and emotional the conflict, Carolyn remains focused on her clients’ long-term best interests. She dedicates her time to and seeking out opportunities that will bring about a successful resolution and allow her clients to rebuild and move on.

Clients take great confidence from Carolyn’s guidance and carefully considered assessments of their dispute, the options available and the potential outcomes at each phase of the proceedings. She is pragmatic and committed to delivering realistic solutions that can move a dispute towards resolution. Regarded by clients and opposing counsel as ‘tough but fair’, Carolyn is always prepared and represent her clients in trial if negotiations and mediation do not result in a satisfactory outcome.

When she isn’t dedicating her time to family law cases, Carolyn is active in the Family Law Subsection of the Canadian Bar Association, a Law Society Mentor, and a Child Support Resolution Officer. She has also been a lecturer at the University of Alberta and for 10 years was an instructor for the Parenting After Separation courses. Born into a military family, Carolyn settled in Alberta after living in different parts of Canada and Europe. In her personal time, Carolyn loves sports and the outdoors, including skiing and golfing – she also loves to cook, read, and travel.

Publications

Legal Status Changes Ahead for Unmarried Couples

At the end of 2018, the Alberta government passed the Family Statutes Amendment Act. Among the notable changes brought in with the Act were new rules that will affect unmarried couples who live together. The Act specifies when unmarried couples will be deemed to be in a ‘common law’ relationship and how the couples’ assets will be divided should the relationship end. The changes, which impact t Read Full Article

Pensions and Divorce

The end of a marriage also means the end of expectations about your future finances and addressing how to divide the property you accumulated together as a couple. Whether both you and your ex have worked your way up within a company or in government or worked at all during your union, the issue of pension splitting will arise. Initial considerations when dealing with pension splitting include: Read Full Article

Step-Parents and Child Support Obligations

The Brady Bunch was ahead of its time. The blended family sitcom of the early 1970s is increasingly common. According to the 2011 census, 12% of families in Canada are in a blended or step family. So, what would have happened if Mike had left Carol? Would he have had child-support obligations for Cindy, Janet and Marsha? There are no clear-cut, easy answers to these cases as the circumstanc Read Full Article

Arm Yourself with Knowledge

Real-life stories of family law 'negotiations' gone wrong Most people do not enter a marriage thinking that it will end. But, as we all know, relationships do break up, and couples negotiating that split often find themselves dealing with detailed, essential information at a time when they are stressed and overwhelmed. These cases offer a few examples of how important it is to obtain your own l Read Full Article

Who Gets What? Divorce and the Division of Marital Property

When couples separate and divorce, one of the issues that must be settled is the distribution of joint property. In Alberta The Matrimonial Property Act creates a regime which governs the division of property between parties on divorce. It directs that property accumulated during the course of the marriage is to be divided equally between the parties except in rare and exceptional circumstance Read Full Article

Protecting the Family Businesses From Marital Breakdown

While nobody likes to think about the consequences of a failed marriage before walking down the aisle, the risks faced by shareholders in a family business can be high. After all, without the proper protection mechanisms in place, a divorcing spouse could be entitled to half their partner's shares in the family business or half the monetary value. Through a combination of corporate and family l Read Full Article

Our People

Carolyn L. Seitz, KC