Catherine Hyde, Family Law Clerk.
The commercials have already started advertising the upcoming Christmas season, displaying those warm fuzzy families. Now that you are separated or divorced, you can’t help but wonder how you can still have the best Christmas for yourself and your children.
Even though it is still just over a month away, it
By Evelyn Thompson, Family Law Clerk
I recently attended a Mandatory Information Program session, also known as a “MIP”. I was on a fact-finding mission. I wanted to experience, first-hand, the basic information that is given to both parties so I might better prepare my clients as to what they could expect. What surprised me
Have you ever heard the expression – “Blew the case wide open”? This might seem more relevant to a murder trial where they find the smoking gun or perhaps you have watched a CSI episode and suddenly they find that one piece of evidence that magically solves the case.
Believe it or not that can
In Ontario, there has been much discussion in the media and amongst various legal groups about ‘access to justice’ and how, in particular, the high cost of litigation prevents people from ‘accessing the justice system’. Recently, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Chief dealt with this issue in her remarks at the
One of the ‘four pillars’ of court reform announced by Ontario’s Attorney General, Chris Bentley, last year (2010) was to provide up front information for people who were suffering from marriage breakdown. The way in which Minister Bentley’s strives to provide this information is the “MIP”. Many separating couples simply do not know the range
In the majority of Family Court proceedings, the case conference is the first time the parties will appear before a judge. As a result, some people feel pretty nervous going in to it – they may not really know what to expect. Hopefully this overview will provide some general and practical information …. and help
Ontario is now committed to reforming the family court system in Ontario. To make that happen the government intends to change the attitude of all participants. Those of us who deal with family breakdowns have long understood that the adversarial system is really not the best system to deal with family breakdown. That system often
For several years, the Ontario Superior Court, Family Division in our County and through the province have faced administrative challenges in dealing with ever increasing numbers of files. The challenge has been further exacerbated by an increasing incidents of self represented parties who are, understandably, not familiar with the court procedural rules and necessary pleadings