Separation and divorce are never easy. Disputes regarding ownership (or care of) of the family pets may add additional emotion to an already difficult separation. In Ontario, the question of who retains possession of the family pets during a separation or divorce has been a topic of evolving legal discourse. …
Common-Law Separation and the Family Home
In Ontario, two people are considered common-law partners if they have been continuously living together in a conjugal relationship for at least three years or living together in a relationship of some permanence if they share a child together by birth or adoption. Common-law spouses have fewer legal rights compared …
Domestic Violence and Mandatory Charging Policies
Charges of domestic violence are perhaps surprisingly common, even when couples involved would prefer to avoid them. Many charges are laid because our laws and policies require police officers who receive a report to file charges, without first exercising their usual discretion, on the theory that dangerous escalation could follow …