Recent Blog Posts
Understanding Restraining Orders
Whether it occurs at the beginning of a relationship or after the relationship has begun to deteriorate, a negative shift in the behavior of a spouse is almost always unexpected and it is often difficult to understand where to turn. Fortunately, part of the reason why family courts exist is to empower compromised victims… Read More »
Does Child Support Only Apply to Children? Retroactive Child Support in Ontario
Most of us can agree that child support can provide an irreplaceable source of income to help financially support a child as he or she grows up and it is typically not a surprise when a court requires the noncustodial parent of an underage child to pay. However, the question of whether child support… Read More »
Understanding Annulments in Ontario
The realization that a marriage is over is never an easy concept for anyone to accept. Regardless of how miserable both spouses may be at the tail end of a marriage, almost no one enters a marriage with the idea that it will ever end and the realization that a permanent separation is imminent… Read More »
Understanding Canada’s Family Class Sponsorship
Sometimes Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents have to leave behind loved ones in order to move here, but these separations are never intended to be permanent. Fortunately, they don’t have to be because of Canada’s laws concerning family class sponsorship. Family class sponsorship is one of the most important ways for people to… Read More »
The Potential Consequences of Being the Lesser Involved Parent
The majority of parents love their children, a fact the law does not dispute. However, due to a variety of factors such as a time-consuming career, distance, or a lack of cooperation from the other parent, individuals who are not in a relationship with the other parent sometimes end up playing a lesser role… Read More »
The Recent Case Addressing the Special Child Custody Challenges Faced by Divorcing Same-Sex Couples When International Borders Are Involved
We all know that the “traditional” family unit has evolved over time. One of the biggest evolutions has been the legal recognition of same-sex unions in the form of the legalization of same-sex marriage. In 2005 the Civil Marriages Act was passed by parliament and expanded the definition of “spouse” to gender-neutral terminology in… Read More »
What You Should Understand About Purchasing a Home as a Cohabiting Couple
If you and your spouse have decided you want to purchase a house together, the last thing that either of you will probably want to bring up is how the house would be handled should either of you decide that you no longer want to cohabitate. As an unmarried couple, you may even think… Read More »
What You Should Understand About Your Parental Rights and Responsibilities in Ontario
Whether planned or unplanned, many people who find out that they are having a child take steps to establish parentage and care for him or her. However, a recent case spotlighted the fact that not every Canadian feels the same way about unplanned children. What Unusual Case Made an Ontario Appellate Court Consider Whether… Read More »
The Recent Case Addressing Your Ability to Reduce Your Spousal Support Obligation Later On
If you have been the primary financial source in your marriage and you are facing a tough divorce, it may be tempting to sign an agreement without considering how it might be disproportionately unfavorable to you. You may want to be finished with your spouse and this might seem like the simplest way to… Read More »
Understanding the Impact of Emails and Social Media in a Family Law Matter
Social media and the internet play a significant role in the lives of most people these days. According to the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of Canadian adults use social media sites and the internet. And the overwhelming majority of Canadians are at least using the internet. In fact, only nine percent of Canadians… Read More »