Getting a divorce is a difficult decision for anyone to make, and arguably even more challenging when there are children involved. When actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin announced they were separating after being married for 11 years, she popularized the term “conscious uncoupling” in an effort to put a positive spin on …
Read MoreHigh profile divorces make for great headline fodder, but when one of the wealthiest couples in the world announce they are divorcing, discussions around the couple can really heat up. Last week, Jeff Bezos, the founder of retail giant Amazon, announced he and his wife MacKenzie were divorcing after 25 years of marriage. The couple …
Read MoreAn Ontario court recently considered the interesting question of when it may grant a party’s application to annul their marriage (instead of getting a divorce). The Parties’ Story The parties got married on August 16, 2016. They separated on January 10, 2017. On March 9, 2018, the wife commenced an application, seeking an annulment …
Read MoreCanada recognized marriages and divorces in the performed in other parts of the world. However, determining whether a couple has been properly married, or in the case we are about to discuss, properly divorced, is not always an easy task. In a recent case before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the court was tasked …
Read MoreOn Thursday I embark on a residential move. I am staying in mid-town Toronto – this isn’t a cross-country or cross-continent endeavour. I am moving to a wonderful bungalow. It is in a lovely neighbourhood just to the west of where I am now. I decided to take advantage of the move to downsize. I …
Read MoreDivorce coaches are a relatively new phenomenon in the divorce/separation universe. Coaches have been used with much success in other areas to assist individuals in achieving professional and personal goals. There are career coaches, executive coaches, marketing coaches, life coaches, leadership coaches… the list goes on. If you are going through separation and/or divorce, you …
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 MoreAn Ontario court recently ruled on a motion filed by a wife who wanted to sever her claim for divorce from her claims for collateral remedies. The husband in question opposed the motion, arguing that he would no longer receive medical benefits from the wife’s insurer once they were divorced and wanting all outstanding issues …
Read MoreHappy New Year to everyone. I hope the holidays treated you well and you have survived the deep freeze. I spent a week at a cottage on the shores of beautiful Georgian Bay. I learned a lesson my mother tried to impart for years: Hats keep your head warm. But I digress… There has been …
Read MoreA recent Ontario decision serves as a reminder that emails, text messages and other forms of social media can be introduced as evidence in family law proceedings. Judges may consider – and rely on – the content of these communications when determining important matters before them. What happened? The parties were married in June 2004, …
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