A Model Court Experience
Harvey and Jane had a good marriage for 31 years, but over time they both changed, and their relationship broke down. Each went to a top family law lawyer. They were not able to resolve a lot of their property and spousal support issues, so Jane had to start a court proceeding. They had amassed […]
Investigations in Municipal Workplaces
Municipalities, just like all employers, have an obligation to investigate complaints of workplace harassment under the Occupational Health and Safety Act as part of their duty to provide a safe workplace. Municipalities also have similar obligations pursuant to the Municipal Act. Although municipal workplaces are similar to all workplaces in that there is always a […]
Family Courts in Ontario and How They Work
If you live together with another person in a romantic relationship of any kind, you may find yourself in Family Court if that relationship breaks down. According to statistics kept by the Department of Justice, Canada, in Ontario in the fiscal year of 2022 to 2023, 45,170 family law cases were commenced in the Superior […]
Why Arbitration and How Does It Work
Sports fans often hear in the media that a pro athlete has “gone to arbitration” with the owner of his or her team to settle what their compensation package. Often, corporations become involved in arbitration over contract disputes with other corporations. Labour unions sometimes agree to “go to arbitration” to settle contract disputes as was […]
An Employer’s Duty to Conduct Workplace Investigations
It is well established that an employer owes its employees various duties and obligations. Most obviously, an employer must provide the employee with work and must provide them with pay for that work. Less obvious, perhaps, is an employer’s duty to provide a safe work environment. Tied to this duty, and maybe even less obvious, […]
Thoughts on Mediation vs. Court in Parenting Disputes
In a reported fairly recent decision, (W.S. v. P.I.A. [2022] O.J. No. 11) following a lengthy trial in the Superior Court of Ontario, the mother and father filed documents with the court which showed that they had spent a total between them of $1,552,987 in legal fees. This figure did not include the fees of […]
Evaluative or Interest Based Mediation
If you want your family law or estate litigation dispute resolved, then mediation can be a fast, cost effective and creative way to do so. However, everyone involved should consider whether an evaluative or interest-based approach is better (or maybe a combination of the two). To understand why, it’s important to understand the differences in […]
