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Dispatches from the family law sector: Limited Scope Retainer

Dispatches from the family law sector: Limited Scope Retainer

Category: Family Law

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

Adoptions: To review or not to review

Category: Family Law

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

Legal Separation: some factors for consideration

Category: Family Law

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

Co-Mediation: conductors in tandem

Category: Family Law

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… [+]