September 03, 2026
Upcoming conferences listed by Saskatchewan’s law society will include a look into the emotional challenges in estate disputes, French terminology in family law contracts, and the current state of AI in the legal profession.
September 03, 2026
A Jan. 13 issue of the Ottawa Citizen reported on the sentencing of Alam Buoc, who had been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder. Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger described the crimes in exceptionally harsh terms, calling Buoc a “homicidal maniac” and “a monster.” He characterized the July 2017 killings as “cold-blooded and ruthless” and said the motive appeared to be trivial. It involved an alleged dispute over a bullet that Buoc believed one of his friends had taken. The sentence imposed was the same as if the crime had been first-degree murder: life imprisonment without parole eligibility for 25 years. Buoc appealed, and the Ontario Court of Appeal delivered its reasons on July 6, 2026 (R. v. Buoc, 2026 ONCA 492).
September 03, 2026
Appeal by Fan from a judgment enforcing a written divorce settlement agreement respecting family property and debt. Fan and He cohabited for 10 years, married and divorced four times, and acquired a family home and business in British Columbia.
September 02, 2026
Alberta has announced that applications are now open for service providers to access $15 million in grant funding to expand services and supports for those experiencing family violence.
September 02, 2026
An estate freeze puts tax liabilities on ice, but heated family dynamics can melt away the tax benefits of the freeze.
September 02, 2026
There is something profoundly unsettling about a society that regards prolonged solitary confinement as unconstitutional in prison yet appears prepared to tolerate the same isolation when the person behind the locked door is a psychiatric patient.
September 01, 2026
Appeal by appellant from decision denying retroactive child support. The chambers judge found there were two material changes in circumstances warranting an increase in ongoing child support but concluded that a retroactive child support order was not warranted based on her application of the factors set out in DBS v SRG (DBS).
August 31, 2026
A task force combatting gender-based violence in Newfoundland and Labrador is developing an engagement plan involving the “diverse perspectives” of various stakeholders, including survivors, newcomers, youth, 2SLGBTQIA+ people and those with “lived experience.”
August 31, 2026
This past July, the Ontario Bar Association’s family law section executive held its annual planning and insights meeting to help prepare for the year ahead. One of the questions we were asked was: What issues keep you up at night? As someone who has struggled with insomnia for basically my entire adult life, this wasn’t a straightforward question. But it did get me thinking about some of the serious challenges facing family lawyers today. This is not my typical research-heavy article. Instead, I wanted to share some of my reflections on my top three issues.
August 31, 2026
Alf Mamo has retired from the London, Ont., office of McKenzie Lake Lawyers, effective Aug. 28, following a legal career spanning more than five decades.