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Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia May Make the Ontario Court of Justice Obsolete: Why Ontario Needs a Fully Unified Family Court System
Introduction The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia may become one of the most important family law decisions in Canadian history — not only because it recognized a new tort of intimate partner violence, but because it exposed a serious structural problem within Ontario’s family court system. (decisions.scc-csc.ca) For years, Ontario has […]
Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia: A Landmark Victory for Domestic Violence Victims — But a Potential Crisis for Family Law Litigation
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia will likely become one of the most influential — and controversial — family law decisions in Canadian legal history. By recognizing a new tort of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), the Court fundamentally changed how domestic violence can be addressed within civil and family law proceedings. […]
How to Choose a Good Family Lawyer: Why a Well-Rounded Lawyer Is Often the Smartest Choice
When you are facing a separation, divorce, parenting dispute, support issue, or property division matter, choosing the right family lawyer can have a major impact on your future, finances, and peace of mind. Many people search for a lawyer based on price, advertising, or a single label like “collaborative lawyer” or “litigator.” But family law […]
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 […]
What happens if my ex is unreasonable?
The short answer is – large cost awards. In the recent case of Clark v Denyes, 2025 ONSC 2936 (CanLII), the Honourable Justice Mathen ordered the Respondent mother to pay $400,000.00 in litigation costs to her ex-husband, the Applicant Father. The Honourable Justice Mathen found that the Respondent Mother acted unreasonably by employing misguided views […]
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 […]