Family
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February 06, 2026
B.C. launches free platform for virtual court services help
B.C. has introduced a new centralized virtual counter service for people to receive free help and advice in navigating the court system from anywhere in the province.
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February 06, 2026
Twice as good for a quarter as much: Are fathers held to a higher standard in family court?
My friend Jason asked me — casually, the way people do when they are pretending they are not carrying a question around like a stone in their pocket — “Hodine, why I don’t write an article about women having more rights in family court.” He didn’t ask it like an accusation. He didn’t frame it as an argument. He asked it the way people ask things they’ve heard too many times to ignore.
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February 05, 2026
The Trump immigration ‘Gold Card’: What we know, what we don’t
For high-net-worth persons, a blossoming opportunity has sprung to the surface to obtain U.S. permanent residence by signing over a lot of money to the U.S. government without having to prove or demonstrate skills, education, a job offer or a qualifying family relationship to a U.S. citizen.
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February 04, 2026
Alberta seeking greater role in judicial appointments, threatens to withhold funding for judges
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is asking the federal government for a greater say in judicial appointments and has threatened to withdraw funding to support any new judicial appointments in the province unless a more collaborative process is set up. In an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Smith also said Ottawa needs to relax bilingualism requirements for judicial appointments “that do not reflect Canada’s broader linguistic diversity in Western Canada and alienates Albertans and western Canadians alike.”
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February 04, 2026
Alberta Court of Appeal weighs need for police, relocation, special needs in child support case
Naim v. Zawawi, 2025 ABCA 386 is a November 2025 decision of the Alberta Court of Appeal addressing the issues of parenting time, relocation and imputation of income for child support purposes.
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February 03, 2026
Gift or loan? Courts weigh in on nature of financial support given by parents to adult children
When parents provide financial support to their adult children, is it a loan or a gift? While the question might seem straightforward, the assessment can be much more nuanced where clear documentation is lacking.
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February 02, 2026
Access to Justice Week B.C. speaks to importance of system that evolves, listens and learns, AG says
British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma is marking Access to Justice Week by reaffirming the province’s commitment to building a justice system that is “responsive, inclusive and accessible.”
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February 02, 2026
Ontario appoints 4 new judges to Court of Justice
Ontario has appointed four new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Jan. 29: Justice Joanne Michelle Marie Clouston, Justice Archana Arun Medhekar, Justice Jesse M. Razaqpur and Justice Mary Meta Elizabeth Warren.
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January 30, 2026
Feds giving New Brunswick funding for tenants’ rights program
Canada’s government is supporting a new initiative providing renters in New Brunswick with free legal advice and education in navigating their “housing challenges.”
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January 30, 2026
Werbeski v. Werbeski: ONSC decision a reminder of principles of property division and child support
There are certain fundamental principles of family law practice in Ontario that are enshrined in the consciousness of family law practitioners. Two of these principles are set out in Werbeski v. Werbeski, 2026 ONSC 57. These are: (i) family property will be equalized between spouses at the time of separation absent unconscionable circumstances as set out in s. 5(6) of the Family Law Act and (ii) parents must pay support for their dependent children; no excuses.