A judge criticized the “irresponsible” behaviour of a self-represented mother in a divorce case that had spanned roughly ten years. Among the mother’s inappropriate actions was the failure to show up for a motion date she had requested. The Parties Justice Rempel made a point of emphasizing the “relentless pace and complexity of the protracted …
Read MoreA recent decision by the Ontario Superior Court provides divorcing parents with a cautionary tale about allowing outstanding disputes to get out of control and racking up huge costs. What Happened? Following their separation, the parties at issue resolved many of the outstanding financial issues on their own. The remaining issues all related to parenting …
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 MoreThe Ontario Superior Court recently commented on interference with a party’s choice of counsel in family law disputes, and dismissed a request to remove counsel from the record. What Happened? The parties signed a separation agreement a number of years ago, and a divorce was later granted in 2007. Both parties were now seeking variations …
Read MoreThe British Columbia Supreme Court recently ruled that a man who was misled into believing he was the biological father of a child does not owe any continued child support for that child even though he was found to have assumed the role of a parent during the early years of the child’s life. The …
Read MoreThe Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently had the opportunity to review a lawyer’s role in the collaborative process when the husband in a family law matter (Mr. Elliott) brought a motion to have the lawyer acting for his ex removed as solicitor of record. Mr. Elliott argued that the lawyer should be removed on the basis …
Read MoreTreating your pet as if they were part of the family has become the status quo in North American homes. However, in the context of divorce, what do the Courts have to say on the subject? Recently, Justice R.W. Danyliuk of the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan, in the Saskatoon Family Division decided to tighten …
Read MoreA Manitoba Court recently examined the relationship between mental illness and parenting when it was asked to rule on the issue of custody with respect to the children of a divorced couple who were dealing with the mother’s Delusional Disorder diagnosis and the father’s violent temper. In Ulloa v. Ulloa, the parties each took the position that the …
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 …
Read MoreI just read an excellent paper on retirement and its impact on the payment of spousal support which I thought might be of interest to my readers. The paper is entitled “Can a Support Payor Ever Retire?” by Jodi R Fleishman. I would be happy to provide you with a copy of the paper – …
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