Family

  • July 09, 2026

    B.C. to expand family law network with 2 new clinics

    British Columbia has announced plans to open two new family law clinics to bring more in-person legal services to survivors of family violence. The new clinics, which will support people in Kamloops and Prince George, B.C., are part of the Family Law Centre network, a provincially funded service that provides free, trauma-informed legal support to people experiencing family violence.

  • July 09, 2026

    Privacy commissioner, G7 counterparts release statement on privacy-preserving age assurance

    On July 8, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) released a statement on privacy-preserving age assurance. The statement, adopted at the G7 Data Protection and Privacy Authorities (G7 DPAs) Roundtable, emphasizes a commitment to children’s privacy and raises several key data protection issues being considered globally.

  • July 08, 2026

    How to decide between arbitration and litigation

    Mediation doesn’t always end with a handshake. After 39 years of handling commercial and employment disputes, I can tell you that a failed mediation is not necessarily a failure of the process; often, it is useful information. It tells you something about where the parties actually stand, and it forces a decision that matters as much as anything that came before it: arbitration or litigation?

  • July 08, 2026

    A day wasted driving to court

    Last week, I had a settlement conference scheduled at the Milton, Ont., courthouse on one of my “remaining” litigation files.

  • July 08, 2026

    P.E.I. library hotspots could help residents access virtual court: province

    Prince Edward Island is bringing internet access to those who lack it with portable hotspot devices available through the library — and there is “no reason” they could not be used for virtual court appearances, says a government spokesperson.

  • July 07, 2026

    Legal Aid CEO Charlene Moore joins N.S. Supreme Court

    The federal government has appointed Charlene J. Moore as a judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division) in Sydney.

  • July 06, 2026

    Prime minister appoints new chief justices of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice & Federal Court

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed new leaders to head two of Canada’s major trial courts. On July 6, Justice Alan Diner was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court, the national superior trial court that decides disputes in the federal domain. He succeeds Paul Crampton, who retired from the post Oct. 31, 2025.

  • July 03, 2026

    When case management decisions become constitutional challenges: Eccles v. Eccles

    In-person litigants Kelly Eccles and Justin Eccles are racking up more travel miles in Alberta’s Court of Appeal, following Ms. Eccles’ latest appeal — appeal number seven, but who’s counting?

  • July 03, 2026

    Family judge exhibited ‘reasonable apprehension of bias’; lawyer warns judges must maintain fairness

    Trial judges must be careful with their comments to lawyers and other parties to avoid the appearance of bias — particularly with family law matters, which often involve “difficult facts, difficult personalities and emotionally charged circumstances,” says a lawyer. The June 16 Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling in Stronach v. Stronach, 2026 NSCA 47 involved a parenting and child support dispute.

  • July 03, 2026

    Milestones and practice: Commentary on the IBA’s Canada report on women and equality

    The International Bar Association’s (IBA) recent report marks a meaningful demographic milestone: women now form a majority of the Canadian legal profession. Combined with the historic female majority on the Supreme Court of Canada, it signals progress that deserves recognition.