Our Take On Things
Employment Law – Check with us first
I always find it funny the cycles that our law firm goes through. It could be a few weeks, a few months, or even sometimes a year before we deal with a certain type of law. Whether it be Construction Liens, registering a Certificate of Pending Litigation...
The Good Lawyer (Part 4) – Judgment
Welcome back to our segment of “The Good Lawyer.” One resolution everyone should be making for 2019 is to not settle for less than what you deserve – and since we are a law firm, of course we mean in terms of your legal services! We’ve already discussed the importance...
Balancing the Balance
I love the first couple of weeks after January 1 - it is the time of year you get to see which resolutions are sticking for those who made them. Many lawyers I know were resolving to have work/life balance for 2019 and finding it hard to keep. I will not...
Residential Landlords, This One’s For You!
There have been many stories from tenants who claim that their landlords terminated their tenancies, claiming personal use, only to turn around and re-rent it for a much higher rate of rent. In 2017, the rules around a Landlord’s ability to terminate a tenancy based...
The Good Lawyer (Part 3)
I know it’s been a few weeks (during which time we’ve eaten all of our Halloween candy and done a lot of black Friday shopping) but here we are again for our third installment of “The Good Lawyer.” During our previous discussions on what makes for a good lawyer, we...
It’s Never a Good Idea to Drag Your Heels
It always surprised me when a debtor would contact our offices after we garnished their wages, or their bank account. I never understood why they would ignore the claim that we served. Did they think we were kidding? We are a law firm, we don’t believe in jokes. ...
Access to Justice – watering down the lawyer relationship is not the answer.
Warning - rant ahead. Worse, it's a rant that only lawyers probably care about. Read on at your own peril. There are many days, well frankly all of them, that I'm glad I refused to take Family Law in law school so I couldn't practice it. I admire my many friends...
Yes Virginia, You Do need to Prove your Damages
Our firm recently dealt with a Small Claims Court matter where our client was sued for alleged damages, which the amount sought was an amount that was not supported by the other party’s evidence. Over time, the claim was amended, the amount increased, but was still...
Working Both Sides of Business Law – Litigation & Transactions
When I started practicing law over 26 years ago, I was a purely Business Law litigator. About three years into my career I became tired of litigating on poorly drafted materials, so I began adding "the boring desk work" to my area of practice and have not looked back...
What did your lawyer just say?
Do you understand what your lawyer just said? No? Can your lawyer explain to you those complicated terms in the contract they just drafted for you? No? Well, if you can’t understand your lawyer and your lawyer can’t explain to you what they mean, then I think there...
Nothing is More Terrifying Than Being Left in the Lurch
No, we don’t mean the 6 ft 9-inch, awkward, gloomy butler from the Addams Family. We are talking about being left in a financial bind when your commercial tenant, or someone you do business with, decides they no longer intend to keep their part of your business...
When do you need to Sue?
When you are owed money for your services or products, how long do you wait until you sue a customer who doesn’t pay? Did you know that you only have two years from the date that you are owed your money to do so, and if you don’t, you’re out of luck? The Limitations...
The Night Before Legal Pot in Canada
‘Twas the night before legal pot and all through the nation, Big law firms were churning out Cannabis Policies and charging a fortune. When what to small businesses’ eyes should appear, but a law firm more practical, They’ll take it from here. OK, so we’re not...
Shareholders’ Agreements. Do you need one?
Usually, the only time that the answer will be no to the question in the title of this Blog is when there is only one shareholder. Once your company has issued shares beyond the one shareholder (presumably you), you should have a shareholders’ agreement. I know what...
Before You Sue, Make Sure Your Hands are Clean
No, the Blog title does not mean you need to take extra care scrubbing your hands before going to Court, though we do recommend Hand Sanitizer after going through Court Security. This is about the legal concept of "Clean Hands". When I took my first college course...
The Good Lawyer – Part 2
Here we are again for another installment of “The Good Lawyer” …Yes, the wait is over! Last time, we began our discussion on what it takes to be a great lawyer by looking at the importance of communication. Today’s trait of choice is …RESOURCEFULNESS. Most people only...
The Cost of Being your Own Lawyer
Some Blog topics come up over and over again on our site. It's not because we've run out of ideas - believe me WE have ideas. It's because the issue keeps coming up over and over again. Recently, we helped a client with a lawsuit involving a contract they drafted...
Always Forward, Never Straight
The title of today's Blog is attributed to many people, so I'm not sure who to actually credit for it. I personally learned of it recently when Lance Armstrong's wedu.team adopted it as one of their inspiring quotes. As applicable as the quote is to endurance...
Always Read the Terms of your Contract
When you are running a business and you require the services of another company, most likely that company will have you enter into a contract with them. Before you sign that contract, always read the terms and make sure you understand them. If you don’t – call us,...
The Good Lawyer – Part 1
Nowadays you can’t drive a block or two without seeing a sign for a law firm. They are (what seems like) in every strip mall in the GTA. We are bombarded with lawyers faces splashed on billboards and transit buses on our morning commutes. With the legal profession as...
You can run, but chances are you can’t hide from us!
As the law clerk in the office, one of my responsibilities is to conduct searches on individuals and corporations. To be honest, it may be one of my favorite things to do. The harder it is to find someone, the more exciting it is for me. Outside of the Google and...