Virtual mediation an effective option for the legal profession

/ Employment/Labour /

By LegalMatters Staff • Video conferencing is proving to be an effective tool that needs to be embraced by the legal profession, says Toronto-area employment lawyer and mediator Stuart Rudner. Rudner, founder and principal at Rudner Law, says while he considered the technology for his practice in the past, the coronavirus lockdown hastened its introduction […]

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Full financial disclosure can save everyone time and money

/ Family Law /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Failing to make full financial disclosure in the context of family law needlessly prolongs the process and results in greater costs, yet that failure happens all the time, says Toronto lawyer Gene C. Colman. “Disclosure should be full, detailed and timely. A partial effort will just not hold up,”

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Meng Wanzhou’s release should not be tied to the ‘Two Michaels’

/ Uncategorized /

Much has been made of the open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from the “Notable 19” suggesting what amounts to a prisoner swap: Meng Wanzhou for Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.  The letter informed the prime minister what I have been yelling to deaf ears for a year and a half: that the minister

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Obtaining the identification of the person who doored you is important

/ Personal Injury /

In the past, the Toronto Police Services Board refused to release the identities of drivers who door cyclists by maintaining that it is considered an “incident” as opposed to a reportable motor vehicle accident and by relying on the personal information exemption found under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990.

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What happens if you are falsely accused of sexual assault?

/ Uncategorized /

No one wants to be unfairly accused of any crime but the negative stigma attached to sexual assault charges can easily destroy reputations while tearing apart families and livelihoods. Those caught in this situation are consumed with fear and anger as they face a daunting legal process that can drag on for years, with no

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Settlement conferences important to Small Claims Court process

/ Paralegal /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Most actions launched in Ontario Small Claims Court never make it to trial thanks to settlement conferences held in advance, says Toronto paralegal Joyann Oliver. “Anywhere between 80 to 90 percent of cases are resolved at these meetings,” says Oliver, co-founder of JNR Legal Services. “Since trials are very

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Unions provide essential protection during difficult times

/ Employment/Labour /

By LegalMatters Staff • Recent events demonstrate the effectiveness and necessity of organized labour despite criticism from some, says Toronto employment lawyer Jeffrey M. Andrew. He says several unions have found themselves in the media spotlight lately and have navigated through some difficult times while continuing to make strides for their members and earning the

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Boarding school class action raises issues about systemic abuse

/ Class Action /

By LegalMatters Staff • A recent judgment that found a former boarding school breached the duty of care owed to its students provides several key takeaways, says Toronto class-action lawyer Margaret Waddell. In Cavanaugh et al. v. Grenville Christian College Justice Janet Leiper ordered that the school must pay yet-to-be-determined damages to former students for

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Suggested changes to Legal Aid do not make it ‘smarter or stronger’

/ Legal Services /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Proposed amendments to the provincial Legal Aid Services Act seem to be driven more by a desire to cut costs than to service the needs of the disadvantaged, the Toronto Lawyers Association says in a letter to Attorney General Doug Downey and the Justice Committee. Section 1 of the

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