On Monday of this week, a 12-year-old girl was tasered and arrested after assaulting several people at her elementary school, while a few kilometres away, at almost the same time, a 14-year-old girl stabbed another student at her high school,…
Children having a strained relationship with one parent, or even refusing to spend time with one parent, is one of the biggest issues in Family Courts. It can fully occupy the court’s attention and prevent any meaningful progress on any…
When parents have big fights over parenting after separation, it is common for one of them to say that children of a certain age have the right to decide where they want to live. Sometimes it is the parent with…
In Ontario, section 55(1) of the Family Law Act says that for a separation agreement to be a separation agreement, it must be in writing, signed by the parties and witnessed. However, the considerations do not end there. There are additional factors…
Parents involved in a separation and divorce often wonder if the children should be involved in the process of creating the new reality for the family. On the one hand, the change has profound impact on every aspect of a…
When deciding which parent should have custody, judges and arbitrators give almost no weight, perhaps no weight at all, to what the parents want. The law requires that when a judge or arbitrator makes a decision in relation to a…
Many parents send their children to Ontario Private (or Independent) Schools because they want to make sure their child gets a “superior education.” There are many private schools that do offer very good or excellent education or that have programs…
A lot of common law spouses ask about how their assets are divided when they break up. In Ontario, the law is different for common law couples than it is for married couples. For common law couples it is more…
John Schuman on The National The scandal at St. Michael’s College surprised many parents, and many more were shocked at how basic rules the apply to public schools, do not apply to private school. John Schuman appeared on CBC’s The…
Many separated spouses want to save money working out their affairs and getting their divorce. Some have heard mediation is a way to save money, which it often is. However, a mediator supplements the parties each having their own lawyers,…