Family
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April 08, 2025
The need for co-operation between separated parents
In the recent Ontario Court of Justice decision, Skiffington v. Parsons, 2025 ONCJ 66, para. 9, Justice Jennifer Daudlin addressed multiple parenting issues, including summer parenting schedules, structured travel provisions and transportation responsibilities. The decision underscores the necessity of co-operation between parents and facilitating parenting time to safeguard the children’s best interests, consistent with s. 24 of the Children’s Law Reform Act.
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April 08, 2025
Built by steel, held by hands: Canada’s persistent betrayal of care workers | Nicola Simpson
What does it say about a country’s immigration values when it fast-tracks permanent residency for undocumented tradesmen while caregivers, mostly women, are forced to race against time and bandwidth for a limited number of pilot program spots?
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April 07, 2025
B.C. court certifies class action over public guardian’s failure to secure benefits for children in care
The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class action against the province's Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT), alleging that it was negligent and breached its fiduciary duty to children in care by failing to obtain no-cost federal and provincial education benefits for them.
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April 07, 2025
More on mental health and the practice of law | Gary S. Joseph
I want to get onboard with the movement to bring more attention to the problem of mental health issues in the profession. In my view, it is undeniable that the practice of law has become more stressful in my almost half century of practice.
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April 04, 2025
Ontario court injunction bars solicitation of claimants in $32.5 billion tobacco class action
In a rare move, the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court has granted an injunction preventing lawyers, law firms or other entities from soliciting potential claimants in the mediated $32.5 billion class action settlement involving three tobacco companies, Canadian provinces and territories, and victims of tobacco use.
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April 04, 2025
New report finds businesses not succession ready as many owners retire
Canada is facing a wave of small business closures amid “economic uncertainty and tariff wars,” partly driven by the number of retiring baby boomer entrepreneurs, according to a new report by consulting firm MNP, which found that nearly two-thirds (64.1 per cent) of Canadian businesses have no succession plan.
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April 04, 2025
New Brunswick investing in start of courts’ digital upgrade
New Brunswick is spending $5 million to kick-start the digital transformation of its courts. In what is being called an investment in greater access to justice, New Brunswick’s government will spend more than $32 million over six years for the technological revamp of the province’s court system, which will include various digital upgrades to the courts, as detailed in an April 3 news release.
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April 03, 2025
Sexual assault and IPV survivors sue Ottawa, argue Jordan fallout violates their s. 7 Charter rights
Fourteen sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors have sued Ottawa for $15 million in Charter damages and systemic remedies for the federal government’s alleged unjustified breach of their Charter s. 7 right to fundamental justice by not responding effectively to R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27 and its fallout.
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April 03, 2025
Canada’s immigration reset: Why cutting numbers isn’t the answer
In the latest chapter of Canada’s evolving immigration story, political debate is heating up. With the next federal election looming, all eyes are on how each party plans to shape immigration in the face of economic uncertainty, housing crises and shifting demographics. One thing is clear: reducing immigration isn’t as straightforward — or as wise — as it may seem.
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April 03, 2025
Some thoughts on mental health and civility in practice | Gary Joseph
Some of you (or maybe more of you than I think) must be tiring of my writings on the issue of civility. I understand, but the longer I practise, the more I see the importance of civility in our family law practice. Today I wish to reach a little further into this aspect of practice, go somewhat granular, and link civility with the issue of mental health.