Our Take On Things

There is a phrase that was common when I was a young lawyer:  it takes years to build your legal reputation and a moment to lose it. The phrase needs to be brought back into fashion. As a lawyer, my words carry extreme weight.  I choose them carefully.  If I...

It’s been a challenging and dark week since the Supreme Court in the United States overturned the decision in Roe v Wade, which protects one’s freedom to choose to have an abortion. This landmark case was important, as it provided legal and safe access to abortion in...

When a tenant and a landlord enter into a commercial lease agreement without a lawyer, they often do so wearing rose-coloured glasses. They can’t see the potential pitfalls and worst-case scenarios that lay ahead in their new-found relationship. The plan is to lease a...

Everyone who buys their first house is so excited and the last thing on their minds is hiring a lawyer.  When it comes to commercial real estate transactions, that should be one of the first things you think of.  While commercial transactions are essentially...

It’s no secret that litigation can be an expensive prospect. So, it’s no surprise that litigation expenses will often inform decisions relating to how to proceed, whether to settle, or even whether someone should file a claim at all. But one factor that I find often...

We recently had a matter where our client was sued for conversion for allegedly selling several vehicles the Plaintiff owned. The Plaintiff alleges that due to our client selling those vehicles, they suffered damages. It’s important to note that these vehicles were...

I hate bullies.  I hate bullies who bluster and take positions and threaten people they perceive to be vulnerable.  I like when those same bullies fold like a house of cards when I step up to protect the victims of the bullies. Lately there are a lot of...

When you’re young, everyone’s favourite question is “what do you want to be when you grow up”, and, as you get older, that question is slowly replaced with the expectation of a progress update on your chosen career path. For me, the answer was always simple; I wanted...

Recently we have noticed an influx of clients coming to us after they sign a contract, asking us what their rights are. We’re always polite and helpful, but internally we shake our heads. Help us, help you! We then have the hard task of telling those clients that they...

Recently a client was notified of liens registered under the Personal Property Security Act (“PPSA”) registered against equipment it owns. The circumstances of the registrations are quite bizarre and very interesting.  Our client was approached by individuals to...

We often get push back from clients when we remind them they have an annual obligation to update their Minute Books.  Many of those companies have husband and wives as shareholders and some of them just don’t understand why. Well, the Ontario Superior Court just...

It has been six months with the new Ministry of Consumer & Business Services online filing system and there have been many issues with it.  That said, there have been many positives that came from it.  We can now file online Amendments, Dissolutions and...

Did you know that even in death, we cannot escape the tax collector? When we die, estate administration tax becomes payable under the process of probate. “Probate” is a court process where your estate is assessed as to value and content for the purpose of calculating...

A client recently repossessed several vehicles due to multiple lease defaults and discovered that liens had been registered on title under the Repair and Storage Liens Act (the “RSLA”) and the Personal Property Security Act (the “PPSA”) by an organization that...

Last week I wrote about changes to the virtual rules of etiquette for the Ontario Courts.  Virtual is better for many things, travel costs for clients, time involved waiting in person, etc., however, we’re going to lose out on some very important things we may...

The Ontario Superior Court has released Virtual Courtroom Etiquette Rules.   These Rules come into effect April 19, 2022.  Most of them make sense. For example, be on mute until your matter is called. Dress as if you were attending Court.  There is...

If you have read any of my past blogs, you know that one of my favorite things is finding debtors and garnishing their accounts or employment.  There is nothing better in my mind than this. It is even more enjoyable when a debtor is actively evading service and...

The Law Society of Ontario is currently debating whether law firms need to pay Articling Students minimum wage. I have always been of the belief that if you are going to bill out someone at an hourly rate, you had better be paying them. Our firm is not a large firm...

It’s time to remind everyone of a little piece of legislation known as the Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL). This is not the first time we’ve mentioned CASL on our blog, and it definitely won’t be the last. Why? Because it’s important that everyone remains...

As you may have heard, the Ontario government is ending the proof of vaccine mandates in certain public spaces as of today, March 1, 2022. That, along with the publishing of various studies and health official statements regarding the waning effectiveness of vaccine...

One of my recently concluded matters involved a Claims Adjuster for an insurance company acting as the agent for one of the Defendants named in our Plaintiff’s Claim.  This Defendant filed a claim with their insurer to act on their behalf, rather than the party...