In an earlier blog post, Samantha Cain commented on the law that is often applied to grandparents who might wish to preserve their relationship with their grandchildren after the grandchildren’s parents have separated.  As Samantha indicated, there is no automatic right for grandparents to maintain their relationships with their grandchildren – whether it is

“He is a lying, cheating, blankity blank and I can prove it!” I sometimes hear this type of statement (blanks usually filled in) with the client sitting across from me and looking at me expectantly … almost as if waiting for me to put my feet up on my desk and declare, “Well, that’s it then: case closed!!”. While it would be strangely satisfying to be able to resolve a matter with that degree of simplicity, in reality, it just doesn’t work that way.
Continue Reading Adultery: Finding the Proverbial Lipstick on His Collar

“Billy has decided not to live with his Dad.”

“I’m not sending Suzy for access anymore. She doesn’t want to go to her Mom’s.”

I frequently hear comments such as these when speaking with clients about their children’s living arrangements after separation.

And when I do, I am faced with these questions:

  • Can a child

Many people consider pets to be members of their family. When discussing the break-down of a family unit we may comment on who should have “custody” of the pets. However, the Canadian judiciary is reluctant to engage in such discussions. In Canadian courts pets are treated as property; little different from the dishes or the