Family Law

On January 1, 2020 the new Family Property Act came into effect. While there has long been legislation deciding how married spouses will divide their property when they separate, there has not previously been legislation for dividing property between unmarried […]

When you face an unexpected problem where do you turn for advice? Increasingly we as a society turn to the internet – Google, Youtube, Reddit, and so forth – for our first point of contact when we face the unexpected […]

One of the most important parts of a parenting plan separated or divorced parents should consider is how to divide the holiday times with their children.  Holiday times are often times spent with extended family and when important childhood memories […]

The law about the division of property between separating common-law couples in Canada has long been a source of confusion.  Many, if not most, people believe that they have the same rights to the division of property acquired during a […]

In May, the Federal Minister of Justice, introduced a Bill to amend the Divorce Act.   According to the Department of Justice, the reasons behind the changes are to promote the best interests of the child, address family violence, help reduce […]

Lawyers are often faced with common questions from clients: “If I add my child as a joint owner to my asset, can I avoid probate of my estate?” “As I get older I may need help paying my bills. Will […]

How much input should your children have into your post-divorce parenting plan?  When I first started practising family law, the conventional wisdom was that children should really know little or nothing about their parents’ divorce.  It is still true that […]

For most of the last 20 years it has been the agreed upon practise to involve children in their parents’ divorce as little as possible.  The thinking was that children were not good determiners of what was in their best […]

Most of us are aware of Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) and Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) as they are highly promoted by our financial institutions. There is a lesser known registered plan which can be of great assitance in […]