Archive for April 2019
DurhamRegion.com and Pickering Mayor Ryan recognize Luke’s Place
Earlier this month, Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan took a tour of Luke’s Place before presenting us with a cheque for $5,000. The donation came from proceeds from the Mayor’s Gala. Thank you, Pickering Mayor’s Gala, for the great support! Following the tour, reporter Reka Szekely interviewed Luke’s Place staff about our services for DurhamRegion.com. “We…
Read moreHow do I make a complaint about a lawyer?
It is not uncommon for a woman to experience difficulties with her family law lawyer. The lawyer may not understand the unique dynamics in a case involving family violence. They may be good at the legal aspects of their work but not so good at communicating. They may not explain their fee arrangement well. They…
Read moreEmpowerment over disempowerment: OBA Awards Gala
The King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto is not a usual hangout for violence against women types. Nonetheless, on April 17th, Luke’s Place Executive Director, Carol Barkwell and I, along with four of the founding sisters of Luke’s Place got ourselves dressed up and headed to the Crystal Ballroom, where the Ontario Bar Association awarded…
Read moreCase law: Property division and spousal support
Halliwell v. Halliwell, 2017 CarswellOnt 6391, 2017 ONCA 349 (Ont. C.A.), varying 2016 CarswellOnt 108, 2016 ONSC 182 (Ont. S.C.J.). The parties in this case were married for 32 years, during which time they were involved in several successful businesses. After they separated, the husband started new businesses and purchased numerous rental properties. They were…
Read moreHow can I prove to the family court that I was abused in the relationship?
Track the abuse throughout your relationship by thinking about what went on at key points. Write this down; point form is fine. Take some time to organize this information before any meeting where you may have to talk about it; for instance, before you meet with duty counsel or a mediator or before your first…
Read moreTwo articles about domestic violence
Luke’s Place Legal Director, Pamela Cross, is featured in two articles this week. The murder of Dr. Elana Fric-Shamji by her husband two days after she filed for divorce “is a text-book case of what we already know. This is when women are most likely to be killed,” Pamela tells The Toronto Star. This tragedy…
Read moreCase law: Domestic contracts and financial disclosure
Virc v. Blair 2014 ONCA 392: The wife in this case is a lawyer. She met her husband when she became involved as litigation counsel to his company. They began living together in 1992. In 1993, the wife left her law firm to assist with her husband’s litigation. They were married in 1994 and had…
Read moreFamily court fee increases
As of April 1st, 2019, the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) has implemented increases to some of the fees payable in a family court case. Most, but not all, of these fees are related to divorce applications. MAG has also increased the financial eligibility ceiling for someone wishing to seek a waiver of family…
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