Wedding Bells: Can They Ring During COVID-19?
Wedding season is upon us, but it’s looking quite different this year. Weddings take a lot of advanced planning and coordinating with venues, vendors, and guests. With COVID-19, couples now either have to make the difficult decision of postponing their plans, or concocting a creative alternative plan. Yes, there are Alternatives… Alternatives, the news has […]
Marriage Contracts: Have You Signed Under Duress or Undue Influence?
Many couples who are getting married talk about having a marriage contract. These contracts allow a couple to outline what happens to each of their property should they ever separate, even when that separation is due to death. A marriage contract also lets couples address the issue of spousal support, a claim that could be […]
Contingency Planning in Business: Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?
When you are busy building a business, planning and preparing for the unexpected may be the last task on your long to-do list. It is a task that is easy to push into the future when there are seemingly more pressing and urgent matters to manage and address. Succession and contingency planning, however, is something […]
Married vs Unmarried: What’s Mine is Not Necessarily Yours
One of the biggest differences between married and unmarried couples relates to the division of property in the event of separation. Along with marriage comes the right to a special regime of property division. The matrimonial home Defined under the Family Law Act as the home that was ordinarily occupied by the married spouses as […]
Married vs Unmarried: Not All Spouses Are Equal
The misconception that common law partners have the same rights and obligations as married couples is not uncommon. Despite the similarities between common law and married couples, the two relationship are not treated the same in Ontario for all family law purposes. Misconception #1 “Common Law” After One Year of Cohabitating No single definition of […]
Whose Ring is it Anyway?
With Valentine’s Day approaching, many contemplate the idea of proposing to The One. While the engagement ring is all about romance, everlasting love and a life-time commitment, it is somewhat tainted with legalities; for it carries legal contractual concepts one should know about before getting down on one knee. Consider the following : what becomes […]
The Right of a Common Law Spouse to Occupy a Family Home Post-Separation When Not a Registered Owner
Does a common law spouse have a right to continue to occupy a family home post-separation, when not a registered owner? Usually, the answer is no. Common law spouses are not afforded the same rights of possession that married spouses are under Ontario’s Family Law Act. However, there may be certain cases in which a […]
Saying “I Do” To a Prenup
You and your partner are moving in together or, you have just set a wedding date. These are both happy events, so why wreck the moment with discussions regarding a prenup? Prenups, or “domestic contracts” as they are called in Canada, are a difficult topic to bring up with your partner. They can deal with sole […]
Social Media and Family Law
We’ve all heard stories about the use of social media gone wrong – a politician tweets something inappropriate, an embarrassing photo of a celebrity goes viral, a business person gets caught in a compromising situation. Social media has changed the way we communicate; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Concerns around privacy and […]
