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In-Person Negotiations Resolve Legal Disputes Faster Than Zoom
When people need to resolve a legal dispute, efficiency matters. Delay costs money. Delay increases stress. Delay drains leverage. And in many cases, delay follows when parties try to negotiate or mediate through a screen instead of across a table. Zoom has a role, but it does not replace a lawyer who shows up in […]
Is Mediation Really Required? Why a Strong Negotiator May Be the Smarter, More Cost-Effective Choice
When people face a legal dispute—especially in family law—they’re often told the same thing: “You have to try mediation first.” It sounds reasonable. Mediation is marketed as faster, cheaper, and less adversarial. But here’s the reality: mediation is not always required—and it is not always the most effective or cost-efficient path forward. In many cases, […]
Hiring a Litigation Lawyer in High Conflict Family Cases is Essential
When families face separation or divorce, mediation is often promoted as the faster, more cost-effective, and less adversarial path. While that may be true for amicable situations, high-conflict family cases are fundamentally different. In these circumstances, hiring an experienced litigation lawyer is not just beneficial—it is often essential to protecting your rights, your children, and […]
Parental Alienation – understanding the controversy
In family law, few terms generate as much controversy as “parental alienation.” Originally intended to describe a dynamic in which one parent influences a child to reject the other parent, the phrase has since taken on a life of its own—expanding beyond its clinical roots into legal arguments, custody disputes, and public discourse. Despite its […]
Parental Alienation and Domestic Violence: Can They Coexist?
Parental alienation and domestic violence can—and often do—coexist. In discussions about family breakdown, these two concepts are frequently treated as opposites. Many assume that if one is present, the other cannot be. This binary thinking oversimplifies complex family dynamics and can lead to serious consequences in legal, clinical, and social contexts. The reality is far […]
Can children of a certain age make their own decisions?
The Short Answer is – Yes! Children are able to make their own decisions regarding parenting as they become older. The typical age when this begins is between twelve (12) and thirteen (13) years old. However, age is merely a proxy for a child’s stage of development or level of maturity. Children may be permitted […]
Are there penalties for “parental alienation”?
Marginalizing a parent from a child’s life is a dangerous game that destroys separating families and has potentially lasting consequences on the physical and mental health of children. For good reason, it also carries with it very serious consequences if challenged in court. One of the most extreme remedies a court has available to it, […]
Should I sign my separation agreement without financial disclosure?
The short answer to this question is – absolutely not! The husband in the following case learned his lesson the hard way. In the recent case of Shalaby v Nafei 2022 ONSC 5615, the Honourable Justice Price refuses a husband’s request to summarily dismiss the wife’s claim that the separation agreement should be set aside, […]
Can bad behavior affect my spousal support?
The short answer to this is – Yes! However, it is extremely rare for spousal support to be reduced as a result of bad behavior. The recent case of McConnell v Finch 2022 ONSC 5271 deals with a relatively obscure section 33(10) of the Family Law Act that allows for a judge to reduce the […]
We are closed for Thankgiving Monday. Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
MFC Lawyers is a Guelph Family Law Firm serving Guelph, Fergus, Elora, Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding areas. We are closed for Thanksgiving and wishing you and your family a Happy Holiday!.