The holiday season can be a challenging time of year for both the parents and the children of a separated family. While there is no real one-size-fits-all handbook for parents to follow on how to survive the holiday season with as much quality time and holiday cheer as you can, here are some tips that [...]
I am happy to report that I have now moved into a new office - same building, just a few floors up. I am at 345 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville, Suite 506. The move was prompted by the need for more space, so that my colleague, Margot Hallman, and I could be in the same [...]
The Ontario Court of Appeal, in Stevenson v. Smit, 2014 ONCA 521, upheld an agreement by parents that they would share the children's expenses instead of having Table child support paid under the Child Support Guidelines. This was not what the father wanted. At the time of separation, the father had very low income as [...]
When parties enter into a mediation process, one of the first things that I usually hear is, "We don't want to use lawyers, we've heard horror stories..." There is no doubt that the legal profession has a bad reputation when it comes to family law. However, many lawyers do work well to support clients who [...]
Mediation is an excellent way to have the tough talks about "what if". Let's face it, most people deciding to spend their lives together aren't planning to separate. However, we don't plan to have our house go up in flames when we buy insurance either. We plan for the worst and hope for the best. [...]
Advances in technology have brought huge opportunities for family mediation. Video and audio conferencing, and shared document and calendar programs provide options to separating couples that help them come to agreement and minimize conflict. In negotiating separation agreements, it is usually best to have the parties together in the same room, as the subtleties of [...]
It can be helpful when separating to consider different options and perspectives. I've put together a library of some resources that may be helpful. These are in no particular order, and different ones will resonate with different people. Parenting After Separation The Truth About Children and Divorce: Dealing with the Emotions So You and Your [...]
Many jurisdictions do not allow same sex couples to marry. Ontario does not differentiate between same sex and opposite sex marriage. Families are more and more mobile, and may move from one type of jurisdiction to another. This leads to interesting issues. If parties come to Ontario from a jurisdiction that does not allow them [...]
An Evening of Film, Refreshments, Appetizers, & Discussion of Family Law Dilemmas For: SOCIAL WORKERS, JUDGES, PSYCHOLOGISTS, MEDIATORS, LAWYERS AND COUNSELLORS Wednesday November 21st, 2012 5:00pm – 7:00pm Oakville Conference Centre 2515 Wyecroft Road Oakville, Ontario L6L 6P8 NO CHARGE TO PARTICIPANTS Lawyers are eligible for 1.5 substantive hours towards CPD requirements. The Program will [...]
The Ontario Court of Appeal, in Grosman v. Cookson, 2012 ONCA 551, decided that the fact that a support recipient files a separation agreement with the court for enforcement does not mean that the court can decide whether the amount of support should be changed if the parties have previously agreed to mediation/arbitration. In this [...]