Electronic monitoring policy may have an unintended consequence

/ Employment/Labour /

A recently enacted requirement that Ontario employers draft and maintain a written policy detailing the electronic monitoring of employees accomplishes very little, though it may lead to one unexpected result. In April, Bill 88, Working for Workers Act updated the Employment Standards Act, 2000 by adding language to protect workers from employers that track their use of […]

Electronic monitoring policy may have an unintended consequence Read More »

Many details may need to be worked out before a divorce is granted

/ Family Law /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Divorce is the final step to ending a marriage and whether the process will be simple or complicated will depend on the circumstances, says Toronto family lawyer A. Julia P. Tremain. “I have had many clients contact me saying they want to get a divorce. They are legally married and

Many details may need to be worked out before a divorce is granted Read More »

Keep taxes in mind when structuring your wrongful dismissal claim

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Knowing how to structure a wrongful dismissal claim can help to reduce tax obligations and put more money in your pocket, says Toronto-area employment lawyer and mediator Stuart Rudner. “Whether I am acting as counsel or mediator, much of the discussion when it comes to termination packages centres not

Keep taxes in mind when structuring your wrongful dismissal claim Read More »

Strong connection between chronic pain and mental health issues

/ Disability Law /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The link between chronic pain and mental health issues is often marginalized or ignored, especially when it comes to long-term disability (LTD) claims, says Toronto and Markham-area disability lawyer Rupa Karyampudi.  Karyampudi, a partner at MK Disability Lawyers, points to a Harvard Medical School study that reports the “overlap of anxiety, depression, and

Strong connection between chronic pain and mental health issues Read More »

Third-party records ruling by the SCC is disappointing

/ Criminal Law /

The decision by the nation’s highest court to uphold rape shield provisions that were ruled unconstitutional by two lower courts is disconcerting to many defence counsel as it limits our ability to defend clients. In June, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that the accused in a sexual assault trial does not have the

Third-party records ruling by the SCC is disappointing Read More »

Negotiation is always better than litigation in family law

/ Family Law /

Settling family law disputes through negotiation rather than litigation saves money and leads to a quicker resolution. If your divorce is amicable, we can help you negotiate a settlement that will be approved by the courts. If that is not possible, the lawyers at Demas Schaefer know how to achieve the best results for clients

Negotiation is always better than litigation in family law Read More »

TLA seeks input to enhance professional development sessions

/ Legal Services /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • With 2022 drawing to a close, the Toronto Lawyers Association (TLA) is offering two more noteworthy educational programs and looking ahead to see how to better serve members’ professional development needs in the coming year,  says executive director/library director Joan Rataic-Lang. “We are trying to be really in tune with what our

TLA seeks input to enhance professional development sessions Read More »

Children and estranged parents benefit from supervised visits

/ Legal Services /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • Parents entangled in legal proceedings after a relationship breaks down quickly realize the benefit of working with a service that coordinates and oversees the visits of the child with the non-custodial parent, says Techenia Archer, service support coordinator with Renew Supervision Services. “We are a child-centred organization made up

Children and estranged parents benefit from supervised visits Read More »

Suing for accident damages? You may be in for special attention

/ Personal Injury /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • People suing for damages after being injured in an accident may feel that someone is watching them. That suspicion could be justified, says Ontario personal injury lawyer Joshua Goldberg. “Since personal injury claims can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, insurance companies have a real incentive

Suing for accident damages? You may be in for special attention Read More »

Fraud is a ‘high-volume’ crime that has moved online

/ Criminal Law /

You can be charged with fraud if police believe you committed an offence where a person or the public was defrauded of any property, money or valuable security or service. Statistics Canada reports there were nearly 40,000 incidents of cyber-related fraud across the nation in 2021. The StatsCan report adds that “while fraud is not

Fraud is a ‘high-volume’ crime that has moved online Read More »