Our Take On Things

Recently I've read about "unbundling" legal services to allow clients to do certain tasks on their own and like everyone who listens to the radio, I've also heard the ads for companies that provide legal document templates for people and quickly point out they don't...

So, in case you have not heard, Toronto got a lot of water on Monday, July 8, 2013. The West End of Toronto was hardest hit and our firm is located in that end. Thanks to the heroics of Toronto Hydro, our firm was up and running very soon after the flood, however, the...

If you've been listening to Talk Radio in the GTA this year, then you've heard the ads by lawyers encouraging employees to see them if they have an issue with their employer. These ads have contributed to a large bump in litigation against Employers. So, what can you...

The Niqab ruling is back in the news again – after a Supreme Court of Canada decision that “determined” the issue had to be addressed on a case by case, the Judge decided the defendants’ lawyer and Court room staff have the right to see the face of the accuser during...

The Toronto Star reported recently on the outcome of an Edmonton couple’s lawsuit regarding the sale of their cottage. The couple had bought the cottage in 2001 for $59,000.00. They retained a real estate agent in 2006, who suggested a value and it was listed. The...

It's interesting to see the main stream media pick up on some of the more technical aspects of Civil Law Suits these days. This morning, the GTA papers were commenting on the recent Ontario Superior Court decision finding William Assaf to be a "vexatious litigant" as...

During the past month the issue of unpaid internships has been in the media - several people who agreed to be unpaid interns decided that they changed their minds and complained about the status, resulting in some payments being made to them. As "anti-unpaid intern"...

I came across a Blog recently that talked about an American law regarding Poisoned Workplaces and how "not everything your boss asks you to do is poisonous." The article suggested employees should contact their boss before a lawyer when alleging a poisoned work...

Last week there was an announcement from the Ontario Government: the number of Teacher’s College openings will be cut in half. The announcement was due to a “large glut” of teachers on the market. Many people who are not teachers were shocked to read about the “glut”....

Our firm is made up of more than three lawyers and a talented paralegal (the lawyers are talented too). We have a wonderful group of people who work behind the scenes to ensure we get everything done in a timely, spell corrected fashion. This is the official week that...

Recently I’ve had to deal with some questions from clients about the value and enforceability of documents prepared in anticipation of doing a deal. In one case, the binding nature of a letter of intent was in question, and in another, some clients wanted to know what...

When I went to law school there was a lot of emphasis on the emerging laws related to tech businesses. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out which issues applied, depending on whether the business was online or “bricks and mortar”. A decade and a half later,...

Where are you reading this Blog? Are you reading it on a Smart Phone or Tablet while you’re away from your real office, or are you slaving away at your desk and using your work PC? Maybe it’s just because it’s July, but the news lately is fully of studies proclaiming...

Finally, the sun appeared in the GTA, as did the humidity and the whining of high school students writing exams: summer is here. As soon as the temperature rises, many business get that "summer feel" about them, but that doesn't mean they should take a vacation from...

The Globe & Mail reports today that: "Laurel Broten, Ontario’s minister responsible for women’s issues, said Monday her government is working with the Ontario Securities Commission to find ways to compel companies to hire more women in senior positions." As a female...

Our firm, though located in Toronto, ON, starts most of its law suits in the Town of Milton, located approximately 30 minutes west of Toronto. Today, as I sat in Toronto’s Motion Scheduling Court for almost 3 hours, to stand up and book a date (lawyers are required to...

On April 1, 1993 I started the firm, of course, back then it was Inga B. Andriessen, Barrister & Solicitors and it was just me. The firm has grown over the past years, both in name and in staff. We now have three lawyers, a law clerk, a paralegal and wonderful support...

Over the past 20 years (technically it will only be 20 years on April 1) I've had many issues that seem to come up over and over in talking to new clients. Lately, the latest issue to come up again (and again) is getting a signature on an agreement. The facts are...