by Howard Nightingale | Feb 28, 2020 | Wills & Estates
Do you have a family member with special needs who is receiving benefits through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)? If so, it’s important to know that if you are planning to leave that loved one an inheritance, it will be considered an asset and disqualify... 
by Howard Nightingale | Feb 5, 2020 | Wills & Estates
Family Law Legislation: Federal, Provincial and Territorial A trust can be a smart move to protect your estate and provide for your beneficiaries. It’s a way to make sure your wealth is shared equitably amongst your heirs, and avoid potentially countless headaches... 
by Howard Nightingale | Nov 20, 2019 | Family Law
Family Law Legislation: Federal, Provincial and Territorial The nuclear family is no longer the norm in Canada, with common law relationships on the rise. In Ontario, two people are considered common law if they are unmarried, but have been continuously living... 
by Howard Nightingale | Sep 30, 2019 | Family Law
Family Law Legislation: Federal, Provincial and Territorial According to the Government of Canada Department of Justice, the federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada share responsibility for family law. Some child support guidelines are under federal... 
by Howard Nightingale | Aug 13, 2019 | Mediation
Mediation is becoming the legal equivalent of “the next big thing.” It probably is all ready. We are long familiar with it as a means of settling labour strikes by resolving union/government disputes peacefully when strikes have failed to bring about an agreement. Now... 
by Howard Nightingale | Jun 18, 2019 | Family Law
Our previous blog (May 2019) examined the issue of separated and divorced parental alienation – the attempt by parents to gain their children’s love by turning them against the other parent. Sometimes both parents are guilty of some form of parental alienation,... 
by Howard Nightingale | May 17, 2019 | Family Law, Federal Court Legislation
Who is most guilty of parental alienation, the custodial parent, usually the mother, or the access parent, usually the father?Answer: In his Globe and Mail essay, Judge Harvey Brownstone writes, “We judges often see high conflict-cases where both parents badmouth each... 
by Howard Nightingale | Mar 27, 2019 | Real Estate Law
Commercial tenants and their residential counterparts have different needs and accordingly are governed by different legislation. Landlords, whether residential or commercial, have a similar objective, that being a sound investment, part of which is determined by... 
by Howard Nightingale | Feb 6, 2019 | Family Law
Yes, it’s the law! Pot addiction – or to use more precise language – addiction to cannabis – can indeed be grounds for divorce. As we adjust to a new aspect of societal order in which using “pot” is legal, this connection of cannabis to divorce likely... 
by Howard Nightingale | Oct 12, 2018 | Family Law, Federal Court Legislation, Ontario Legislation
In Ontario, what many people casually refer to as a “prenup’ is legally termed a marriage contract. Its purpose is to allow either or both of the partners, prior to the marriage, to set aside and protect specific wealth assets that would otherwise be subject to the...