Marriage Contracts: The Necessity of Full Disclosure
Marriage Contracts: The Necessity of Full Disclosure The Family Law Act sets out many of the rules that govern relationships in Ontario. When a couple decides to marry they are entitled to create their own rules if those set out in the Act do not suit their situation.1 With a few exceptions, a couple who […]
The Child Support Guidelines
The Child Support Guidelines In the late nineties, the federal government made sweeping changes to how child support was calculated by introducing the Child Support Guidelines. The goals of the Guidelines were to make child support fair, predictable and consistent. To this end, certain rules as well as tables were created to assist in the […]
Did you know…Family Medical Leave
Did you know…Family Medical Leave Did you know that you may be entitled to job-protected leave from your job if an immediate family member falls gravely ill?! Last year, the provincial government amended the Employment Standards Act 2000 to provide employees up to 8 weeks of family medical leave. This leave allows the employee to […]
LIVING TOGETHER: Not the Same as Being Married
LIVING TOGETHER: Not the Same as Being Married One of the most common misconceptions in family law is that common law spouses have the same rights upon separation as married couples. In Ontario, the property rights of marries couples are governed by Parts I and II of the Family Law Act. The Act defines spouse […]
Parental Responsibility
Parental Responsibility The law has always recognized that parents have a duty to supervise their children and that they could be held liable to those suffering damage as a result of a parent’s failure to properly supervise. However, in 2000 the government of Ontario passed legislation to make it easier for victims to recover the […]
Living Together Does Not Equal Marriage
Living Together Does Not Equal Marriage The only real difference between living together and being married is a piece of paper – right?! Although the number of couples who are living together is on the rise, they do not always benefit from the same rights as those who are legally wed. There is a misconception […]
Same-Sex Relationships: A Few Legal Rights and Obligations
Same-Sex Relationships: A Few Legal Rights and Obligations Up until recently, those who were involved in a same-sex relationship had very little in the way of legal protections. However, during the last year, the provincial government passed legislation defining same-sex partners and extending certain rights and obligations to same-sex partners. In this article we will […]
Collaborative Family Law
Collaborative Family Law Cooperation not Confrontation For a while we pondered whether to take a vacation or get a divorce. We decided that a trip to Bermuda is over in two weeks, but a divorce is something you always have. —Woody Allen A new way of doing divorce, called collaborative family law, has been quickly […]
Do Grandparents have a right to access?
Do Grandparents have a right to access? As the ultimate goal of access is the continuation of a relationship which is of significance and support to the child, access must be crafted to preserve and promote that which is healthy and helpful in that relationship so that it may survive to achieve its purpose. Madam […]
Joint Bank Accounts
Joint Bank Accounts As a parent grows older, particularly if they are in poor health, a bank account may be opened by the parent with an adult child. The purpose is generally for convenience so that the child can look after the parent’s bills and banking. Before such an account is opened it is important […]