Category Archives: Family Law

Book Review – Without Honour: The True Story of the Shafia Family and the Kingston Canal Murders by Rob Tripp

Posted on May 23, 2013 by

[Originally posted at Canadian Lawyer] “My children did a lot of cruelty toward me.” – Mohammad Shafia, testifying at his trial for murdering his first wife and three daughters His daughters’ “cruelty” manifested itself in several ways: wearing revealing and immodest … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Child Welfare, Criminal Law, Family Law, Media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Crime doesn’t pay. Criminals do.

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

So your income went down after you were convicted of a criminal offence, and now you can’t pay child support?  Too bad: When it comes to paying child support, courts won’t sympathize with parents who are the authors of their … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Family Law | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The unlikely champion of same-sex marriage

Posted on March 28, 2013 by

Ted Olson, the lawyer arguing in favor of marriage equality before the Supreme Court of the United States – the sixtieth time he’s appeared before America’s highest court -  has the background you’d least expect: Certain law partners no longer call Theodore B. … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Law (USA), Family Law, Same-Sex Marriage, Supreme Court of the United States | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mom of the year

Posted on February 21, 2013 by

A New York court has ordered a woman to stop posting anything online about her children: There’s not much to “like” about this woman’s Facebook habits. A mean upstate mom who cyber-bullied her emotionally-disturbed 10-year-old son on Facebook by calling … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Law, Freedom of Expression | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Divorce gets ugly

Posted on February 7, 2013 by

No comment: When Feng’s wife gave birth to a girl, he was convinced it could not be his as he believed their daughter would be as beautiful as her mother, so he concluded his wife must have been unfaithful. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Divorce, Family Law, Weird | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“17 Common Mistakes To Avoid In Divorce Proceedings”

Posted on February 7, 2013 by

From family lawyer Sherry Donovan in the Huffington Post.  I agree with all of them, and I’d add an 18th: concentrate on what’s best for the children and yourself, not what might punish your ex. I’ve warned many clients that they’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Divorce, Family Law | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Who gets the RRSPs?

Posted on February 7, 2013 by

The Globe and Mail on division of Registered Retirement Savings Plans following the breakdown of a marriage: While family law across Canada calls for a 50-50 split of matrimonial property, couples don’t necessarily need to split each asset right down … Continue reading →

Posted in Division of Property, Family Law | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book review: A Cruel Arithmetic: Inside the Case Against Polygamy by Craig Jones

Posted on January 22, 2013 by

[Originally posted at Canadian Lawyer] When s. 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada was referred to the British Columbia Supreme Court, I wrote that I believed the law was clearly unconstitutional in its current form: If this case was about legal recognition … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Canadian Politics, Family Law, Freedom of Religion, Human Rights, Marriage, Polygamy | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nova Scotia’s Maintenance Enforcement Mess

Posted on January 16, 2013 by

The Dexter government’s inexplicable decision to move the Maintenance Enforcement Program from Halifax to Cape Breton is creating massive headaches for support recipients: More stories of confusion and uncertainty emerged Tuesday over the NDP government moving the offices and staff … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Support, Family Law, Nova Scotia, Spousal Support, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“This is the judgment day for your children. It’s not about you.”

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

Every child custody/access litigant should read these words, from South Carolina family court judge Paul W. Garfinkel: A custody case is much different than any accident case or a criminal trial. In those cases, an attorney is only asked to prove … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Custody and Access, Child Support, Child Welfare, Family Law | Leave a comment