Canadian Lawyer

32 www.canadianlawyermag.com LEGAL REPORT McCarthy says the apps can reduce anxiety for people who dread interacting with their former partner. " They're mostly designed for high- conflict people – people who are fighting all the time. But they're also good for people who are maybe anxious or get stressed out by the communication," she says. They also benefit individuals with a histor y of inappropriate or abusive communication. "They're good for people who are badly behaved or abusive to their former spouse, but only if no one's watching," she says, adding that these apps usually include fail-safe features that prevent users from deleting messages. The apps also provide accountability. " There's a permanent record of how many times you ask the person to pay for the skating lessons for the child. Sometimes, you are not fighting, but unless you send the bill four times, the other person never pays for the kid's skating lessons," McCarthy explains. Virtual tools are making law more accessible Legal technology has improved both effi- ciency and accessibility – particularly over the past five years, says Chaiton-Murray. "That's a big difference from how a lot of legal practice – certainly family law – used to be. Everything was very paper-heavy," she explains. The ability to meet clients and attend court virtually, combined with electronic records and digital signatures, has made the process more accessible. "You can now have a quick meeting with your lawyer without taking half of your day to come into the office just to sign a document," she says. Clients no longer have to find and deliver physical copies for evidence collec- tion. "Now, clients can collect and share documents electronically, and we can easily HOW TECH IS CHANGING FAMILY LAW Faster evidence collection "If the tone is negative or inappropriate, it flags the communication and encourages the user to reframe or to rewrite," she says. While she says the apps are not perfect, she sees a clear benefit in having a single, dedicated channel for communication with a former spouse. "I think that's helpful for people who maybe don't want their personal email or text messages clogged up with communication from their former spouse," she says. FAMILY LAW Moderated communication apps can reduce conflict McCarthy and Chaiton-Murray both say that courts and lawyers often recommend using apps designed for co-parenting communication to help address civility. Chaiton-Murray says these apps stream- line exchanges and give lawyers easier access to records when needed. Some also include built-in filters to flag hostile language. Easier courtroom presentation Virtual access to lawyers Lower legal costs Smarter co-parenting apps

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