Legal Materials: Articles - personal - Family Law
Dispatches from the family law sector: Limited Scope Retainer
Author: Anita Lerek – Planet-Legal
According to York University law professor, Trevor Farrow, “Almost half (48.4 per cent) of Canadians over 18 will experience at least one civil or family justice problem over any given three-year period.”
(Everyday Legal Problems and the Cost of Justice in Canada: Overview Report.)…[+]
Adoptions: To review or not to review
Final or Not?
Author: Robert Shawyer – Shawyer Family Law & Mediation
The issue of adoption has recently made headlines across the country. In Prince Edward Island and now in many other provinces, questions are being raised as to whether unwed parents were coerced either psychologically and/or physically into giving up their children for adoption. The accounts of those who are coming forward, if true, raise many troubling questions… [+]
Legal Separation: some factors for consideration
When am I legally separated from my spouse?
Author: Sina Hariri – Hariri Law
One of the most common questions in family law is “when am I legally separated?” Like many things in law, the answer to this question depends on specific facts and circumstances.
Although many would believe that parties are “legally separated” when they stop living together, the legal reality is not so simple. Admittedly, living in separate residences is a very strong indicator that a couple may be separated. However, many couples continue to remain living under the same roof even though they are separated for many reasons…[+]
Co-Mediation: conductors in tandem
When two mediators are better than one
Author: Sina Hariri – Hariri Law
Mediation is an interesting alternative to court that provides an arena for a unique interplay between the parties, and the dimensions of their dispute. It brings the parties together for a discussion of their issues, which often consists of legal, emotional, and financial dimensions to name a few. Reaching a settlement is dependent on many of these dimensions and on the parties at the table – whether they are the parties involved, their lawyers, family members who exert influence, or the mediators themselves… [+]