COVID-19 has thrown the world into a state of uncertainty, The pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of our lives and work, and the Canadian legal system is certainly no exception. How has the virus affected family law, how will this affect you, and how can you face the uncertainty…
One of my favourite bits of humour to come out of the pandemic is a photo of a long line of weary men and women– of every age, shape and size– snaking along a sidewalk and up several steps of a massive building. At the top of the steps stands…
A recent case from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice highlights the dilemma being faced by some separated parents over time sharing of their children in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Justice Pazaratz, of the Hamilton Superior Court, a very experienced jurist, was faced with an urgent motion…
If you think that you get “half” of your spouse’s property when you separate, you are not going to like this article. Many of our first time separated clients come to our offices thinking that property is physically divided and shared half-and-half upon separation. To make matters worse, many think…
You probably won’t be too excited about this. But I am. As a family law lawyer, I have waited for a merger of our two present family law courts into one (hence the title “Unified Family Court” or “UFC”). The first and only UFC was set up in Hamilton in…
It’s Friday afternoon on a very steamy summer day. I have had a monumentally busy week drafting documents, meeting with clients, speaking with other lawyers, preparing for court and… just being my usual dedicated, hardworking family lawyer self. Our office staff have served us well as always. Time for a…
To get a ‘simple, uncontested’ divorce still involves a court application, although it is largely paperwork. If you have settled “kids, money and property” fairly and legally – for example by way of a Separation Agreement – your divorce application should be straightforward. If there are dependent children, you will…
Many recently first-time separated clients come to my office in Kitchener-Waterloo thinking about “divorce”. I often tell them that divorce is no big deal. The top separation issues are “kids, money and property”. If these have been settled fairly and legally, and the dissolution of the marriage is the only…
In the last few weeks, it seems as if everyone has jumped on to the cannabis bandwagon. The news media is full of stories with Canadians ($$ in their heads) gleefully rubbing their hands together in anticipation of new opportunities to profit in a whole new sector of the economy….
Even the most amicable divorce proceedings can hit a roadblock when it comes to the issue of child support. The reality is that it’s complex, and based on a variety of factors under provincial and federal law. While we can’t tell you what your support obligation or entitlement will be…
