My brother-in-law is destroying my family
“A reader writes: My mother and my sister have never gotten along and most of the family believes that it stems from my father’s death 20 years ago. I was two and my sister was nine. Since then, things have been rocky between them, and I, the only other member of the family, have always been […]
Finding a ‘lifeline’ through divorce
When Miriam and Andrew Grenville’s 20-year marriage ended in 2006, they agreed on one thing – protecting their children from collateral damage was their utmost priority. So when Miriam’s friend recommended she look into collaborative law instead of taking the traditional adversarial route, they both listened. They believe it saved them a world of pain. […]
New Legal Changes for 2012
The following is a pot pourri of recent changes to a number of different laws. Residential Landlord and Tenant Law A landlord can legally increase rent once every 12 months, provided the tenant is given 90 days notice in writing and that the increase does not exceed the guideline. The guideline increase for rents for […]
The Case of the Undeclared Assets
Mary Ann and William had been married for 16 years when their marriage came to an end. They made the decision to write up their own separation agreement. Neither consulted a lawyer prior to signing the agreement. After the agreement was signed, William began to feel that the agreement did not favour him and sought […]
The CIBC Overtime Case: Chapter III
In the fall of 2007, we told you about a class action lawsuit against the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). The lawsuit, led by CIBC teller Dara Fresco, alleged that CIBC non-management employees are forced to work unpaid overtime since they are assigned heavy workloads that cannot be completed within standard working hours. In […]
The Wage Earner Protection Program
Several years ago, the federal government made a number of changes affecting Canada’s bankruptcy laws. One of those changes was to implement the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP), which came into force in 2008. The Program The purpose of WEPP is to pay up to a maximum of $3,400 to eligible workers, whose bankrupt employer […]
An Employer’s Duty to Report Fatal and Critical Injuries
The Divisional Court of Ontario has issued a “heads up” to employers with respect to their duty to report to the Ministry of Labour when there has been a death or critical injury at the workplace. In essence, the Court has concluded that all fatal and critical injuries to a person, whether a worker or […]
When is Lump Sum Spousal Support Appropriate
When a marriage or common law relationship breaks down one of the issues that must be addressed is spousal support. In addition to deciding whether spousal support should be paid, and in what amount, a decision must be made as to whether the support should be paid in one lump sum or in the form […]
A Family Joint Venture
The number of couples choosing to live together outside the bonds of matrimony is steadily increasing. Many of the benefits and legal protections afforded to married couples are now being extended to couples living common law. One of the main exceptions to this rule however, is in the case of the relationship ending. When a […]
Clarity is Everything
Drafting a will on your own can lead to some unintended results. This is what happened in the estate of Margaret G. Margaret had spent her life accumulating an estate worth $300,000. Over the years, Margaret made two wills as well as many subsequent changes to them. While she did use a lawyer at one […]