Family

  • May 01, 2026

    Bill C-223 won’t ‘fix’ relocation law, it’ll ruin it

    I wrote about Bill C-223’s proposed relocation changes in October 2025 (“Bill C-223: Bad ideas on child relocation”). Law360 Canada published a two-part defence of the bill by Suzanne Zaccour and Joanne Moser on April 22-23, 2026 (“Relocation law is stacked against mothers — Bill C-223 can fix it”; “Relocation law is stacked against mothers — Bill C-223 can fix it: Addressing bias”). Zaccour is one of the architects of the bill, in her role at the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL).

  • May 01, 2026

    Bar says it ‘likely’ will appeal B.C. ruling that lawyer independence doesn’t require self-regulation

    Heralding a significant shift in the Canadian legal landscape, the British Columbia Supreme Court has rejected the legal profession’s constitutional challenge to the B.C. Legal Professions Act — legislation that would end more than 150 years of lawyer self-governance and self-regulation by benchers elected from the provincial bar.

  • May 01, 2026

    CUSTODY, PARENTING, AND ACCESS - Primary residence - Removal of child from jurisdiction

    Appeal by D.S. from interim parenting order placing the parties’ nine‑year‑old child in the primary care of K.C. The 2021 Trial Judgment denied K.C.’s prior relocation request and required the child to reside primarily with D.S. in a specific Saskatchewan town, with detailed parenting time provisions and joint decision-making.

  • April 30, 2026

    B.C. expands early resolution program for family law matters

    British Columbia is expanding its early resolution process for family law matters to 35 additional provincial court locations, aiming to help more families resolve disputes outside of court and reduce pressure on the court system.

  • April 29, 2026

    B.C. ministers urging federal government to bring in online harms bill, rules on AI chatbots

    B.C.’s attorney general is calling on Ottawa to take immediate action to protect the public — and especially young people — from online harm. In a letter addressed to the federal ministers responsible for AI and Canadian Heritage, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma says Ottawa should bring in online harms legislation that sets minimum safety standards for youth using the internet as soon as possible.

  • April 29, 2026

    On the move to in-person motions in family court, I have been moved

    After reading rebuttals from Russell Alexander, Gary Joseph, Roslyn Tsao and Aaron Franks to my article on the recent return to in-person motions in Toronto’s family court, “The Zoom paradox: When a judge’s words and his court’s actions collide,” I have been moved.

  • April 28, 2026

    Typography for lawyers

    In my last article, I wrote about visualization in law. But visualization is not limited to diagrams or tables. Text itself is visual, and its organization can improve reader engagement and comprehension. This is typography.

  • April 28, 2026

    Court finds appeal moot after vesting order registered on title

    In a property ownership case, the Ontario Court of Appeal has held that an appeal from a vesting order was moot once the order was registered on title, despite the appellant pursuing a stay motion pending appeal.

  • April 28, 2026

    B.C. extends funding for program supporting domestic abuse survivors in family court

    British Columbia has announced it will continue funding a program aimed at supporting survivors of intimate partner violence as they navigate family law matters in court until at least March 2028.

  • April 28, 2026

    Cultural humility and empathy in the legal profession

    Over the past several years, Indigenous issues and reconciliation efforts have started to move out of the shadows and into the forefront of Canadian minds. However, the heightened attention following the May 27, 2021, media release by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, which revealed a ground-penetrating radar discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, has since steadily declined, despite the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the legal system, continued inequities in child welfare and persistent barriers to accessing culturally appropriate supports.