Family

  • June 03, 2026

    Ahluwalia: Why did three SCC judges disagree?

    In one of the most closely watched family law decisions in recent Canadian legal history, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a fractured ruling in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2026 SCC 16, a case arising from a marriage marred by intimate partner violence.

  • June 03, 2026

    New U.S. green card rules: What Canadian companies, professionals and families need to know

    The issuance of USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199 has generated significant concern among foreign nationals living and working in the United States on temporary visas, particularly Canadian professionals employed in the U.S. The memorandum has also raised questions among Canadian citizens sponsored for permanent residence through marriage or close family relationships with U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Much of the concern centres on whether the memorandum signals a shift away from adjustment of status inside the United States and toward mandatory immigrant visa processing through U.S. consulates abroad.

  • June 02, 2026

    A Quebec judgment shows why Bill C-223 matters

    Much of the debate around Bill C-223 has been framed at the level of principle. Critics argue that the bill’s prohibition on parental alienation evidence will harm children. Supporters argue that parental alienation allegations have become a mechanism for silencing protective parents.

  • June 01, 2026

    Public engagement now open to gather input about future of child care in B.C.

    The B.C. government is asking for public input on the future of child care in the province.

  • May 29, 2026

    Separation agreement varied, stay denied in multimillion-dollar case

    In Block v. Block, 2026 BCSC 386, after a 12-day trial that involved the setting aside of a separation agreement based on Cyrus Paul Block’s failure to disclose his vast business interests, the trial judge made several property and support orders in favour of Deborah Ann Block, with payments to be made to her by her husband, Cyrus.

  • May 29, 2026

    Ahluwalia: Doctrinally important, but with modest practical impact?

    The reaction to the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2026 SCC 16 has been immediate and intense. Supporters of the decision have celebrated the recognition of a new tort of intimate partner violence as transformative for survivors, while critics have warned that the decision will fundamentally alter family litigation, reintroduce fault into family law and dramatically increase acrimony between separating spouses.

  • May 27, 2026

    A declaration without a remedy? Not quite: Late challenges to separation agreements

    A spouse who waits years to challenge a separation agreement may discover that even a successful application under s. 56(4) of the Family Law Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3 gets them nothing. The application to set aside is timely. The equalization claim is not.

  • May 27, 2026

    Family court system continues to fail Ontarians

    There are moments in legal practice that leave a lasting impression — not because the law was difficult, or because the facts were complicated, but because the system itself failed the very people it was designed to protect.

  • May 27, 2026

    AI v. immigration lawyer: Playing ‘Beat the Champ’

    These days, there is a lot of chatter about AI replacing jobs — even those of professionals like doctors and lawyers. But the role of AI isn’t really to prepare a case for someone; there is far too much nuance to the practice of immigration law, and to what makes most cases successful, than can be boiled down to a formula that can be followed by AI. That said, more and more of the initial vetting of ideas regarding what kinds of status one might qualify for is being done through AI, with mixed results.

  • May 27, 2026

    More concerns about the SCC’s Ahluwalia decision

    I have a friend (yes, indeed, I have a couple) who practises personal injury law. This past weekend he called me after reading about the Ahluwalia decision (Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2026 SCC 16). He visited and over tea, he asked me a simple question (really, a couple).