A Manner of Thinking: Real Estate – May 2022
Tell/Don’t Tell – Disclosing the Contents of Your Will
I am often asked the question of whether the will-maker should disclose the contents of their will to their beneficiaries. In some situations, the will-maker simply states that this is what they intend to do, without asking for any comment from me, going so far as to ask me to make copies for their beneficiaries. […]
Bill 109: A Key to Home Ownership
The More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022 (“Bill 109”) received Royal Assent on April 14th, 2022. Some sections of Bill 109 will come “into force” later this year on July 1st, 2022 and January 1st, 2023. The Province of Ontario is responding to a need for housing by modifying current legislation that regulates land development […]
A Helping Hand: Assisting Children With a House Purchase and its Effect on Estate Planning
As we all know, house prices are skyrocketing in the region, and this in turn has resulted in parents providing assistance to children who are entering the housing market. This assistance can take several forms, but the most common are providing a guarantee for a mortgage; becoming a part-owner of the house; and providing money […]
This Conversation May Be Recorded for Litigation Purposes: Secret Recordings in the Workplace
The mediator’s reaction to my client’s disclosure that she had secretly recorded her conversation with her boss was one of dismay. He made it clear that he thought her conduct would be frowned upon and would likely hurt her at trial. He (strongly) recommended settlement. More than a decade has passed since that mediation but […]
Uneven Playing Fields in Family Law: Advanced Litigation Costs
Family law litigation can be a particularly complicated and expensive legal endeavor exacerbated by the emotional difficulties of a fractured relationship. These matters become even more difficult where one spouse earns significantly less than the other, and as a result, does not have the financial means to afford ongoing legal costs. Such facts create the […]
The 2022 Federal Budget: A National Response to Housing Affordability
What is the Federal Budget? Every year the Department of Finance is tasked with balancing the revenue and expenses of the Government of Canada. As part of this process, the Department analyzes different sectors of the economy to create an annual fiscal plan. The Budget provides the economic “blueprint” as to how the Government will […]
What to Consider when Your Commercial Landlord is Insisting on a Relocation Clause
When negotiating a commercial lease, a landlord often seeks to include a relocation clause that would allow the landlord the right to move the tenant from the original leased premises to a different location, most frequently in order to accommodate new tenants or to allow for the renovation, alteration, re-merchandising, or demolishing of the commercial […]
Considering Occupation Rent
Occupation rent arises when the person who remains in the home is required to pay rent to the person who left the home to compensate the vacating party. It is a particularly tricky area of family law and is often raised as a means to combat claims for post-separation adjustments sought to compensate a spouse for […]