The mother in a recent Ontario case sought her costs of litigation, which amounted to $456,411.14, inclusive of disbursements and HST. The court had to determine whether the father’s conduct had been so unreasonable that it warranted ordering him to pay those costs. The Parties’ Story The parties were involved in acrimonious litigation for two …
Read MoreOn May 22, 2018, the federal Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-78, a Bill that proposes to amend, among other legislation, the Divorce Act; Canada’s federal family law statute governing divorce, separation and parenting. The amendments are designed to respond to the public (and the legal profession’s) desire for the law to better reflect the …
Read MorePlease see my latest interview on the Hague Convention and the newly expanded habitual residence test: https://www.advocatedaily.com/jennifer-samara-shuber-scc-family-law-bar-divided-on-habitual-residence-test.html
Read MoreThe rights of the child and their best interest should trump a parent’s “right” to shared parenting. Read my article at http://www.advocatedaily.com/jennifer-samara-shuber-childs-rights-trump-parents-in-custody-arrangements.html.
Read MoreMany of the clients I see have not yet separated. They are having problems in their relationships and they consult with me to discuss their rights and obligations in the event of a separation. For parents, the issue of the children is front and centre. Parents invariably ask me how and what to tell the …
Read MoreI am pleased and proud to announce that I have been granted certification as a Certified Specialist in Family Mediation by the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario. I am glad to be a member of the FDRIO organization which is working hard to promote excellence and accountability in family mediation. I am trained …
Read MoreIn an earlier blog post, I made reference to a November 2016 decision of the Honourable Mr. Justice Pazaratz and his denunciation of the parties’ practice of videoing each other with the child. In re-reading the Reasons in the Whidden and Ellwood case, I discovered commentary by Justice Pazaratz on a wealth of other relevant …
Read MoreHave a look at my piece on access by grandparents to their grandkids on the Lawyer’s Daily website. https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/articles/2776
Read MoreCellphone videos and photos have become an epidemic in family law cases. Almost every client who comes in the door wants to show me a video of his or her spouse behaving badly. This is particularly so in custody cases. One parent videos (often surreptitiously) the other parent’s interactions with the child, in the hopes …
Read More“The dog is man’s best friend.” (Ogden Nash)“ “The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” (Charles de Gaulle) “Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.”(Dean Koontz) People love their dogs. Dogs are treasured members of the family. Some people even …
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