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Covid-19, Pandemic, Changes to the Law, New Legislation, Court House Closures and Openings, Current Events

Coronavirus, Custody & Access, Family Law, News, Ontario

Child Custody and Access During the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus and Child Custody and Access – What’s a Concerned Parent To Do? Even during the Coronavirus pandemic, parents with custody of children must follow court orders and agreements which provide the other parent access to the children. The pandemic is not an opportunity to stop following the current parenting schedule. Coronavirus disease (aka COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by

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Elder Law, Ontario, Power of Attorney, Wills & Estates, Wills and Estate Planning

Can You Make Your Own Power of Attorney (POA) Document?

DIY POA: Drafting Your Own Power of Attorney (POA) Document People regularly ask, “Can I make a POA myself?” The answer from lawyers is a resounding, “Yes, but please don’t.” This is for your protection. Using a do-it-yourself Power of Attorney document that you find online or using a kit you find at the bookstore can give you a very

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Coronavirus, Criminal Law, Ontario

Criminal Court Dates – Ontario Court of Justice – During Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

If you have been charged with a criminal offence in Ontario, Canada, and your Ontario Court of Justice Court date or your trial was scheduled between March 20 and May 29, 2020, you do not need to attend court during those dates. Most likely, your case is adjourned to a future date; however, it is your responsibility to find out

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Coronavirus, Criminal Law, Ontario

ON Superior Court of Justice – Criminal Court Dates During Coronavirus Pandemic

Criminal Court Dates: Superior Court of Justice – During (COVID-19) Coronavirus Pandemic If you have been charged with a criminal offence in Ontario, Canada, and your Superior Court of Justice Court date or your trial was scheduled between March 17 and June 1, 2020, you do NOT need to attend Court during those dates. Most cases are rescheduled for June

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Elder Law, Ontario, Power of Attorney, Wills & Estates, Wills and Estate Planning

CAPACITY and Personal Care

Capacity and Personal Care Capacity is decision-specific. The critical question to ask is, capacity to do what? Capacity to manage one’s personal care is a specific legal test, described in the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 in Ontario. To have capacity to make one’s own personal care decisions, one must: understand information that is relevant to making a decision concerning one’s

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Elder Law, Ontario, Power of Attorney, Wills & Estates, Wills and Estate Planning

Who Should You Appoint as Your Attorney for Personal Care?

Who Should You Appoint as Attorney for Personal Care? An attorney for personal care is a person you appoint in a Power of Attorney document (POA), to make personal care decisions for you if you ever lack capacity to make those decisions yourself. An attorney for personal care is not usually a lawyer. In the POA context, an attorney is

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Elder Law, Ontario, Power of Attorney, Wills & Estates, Wills and Estate Planning

Power of Attorney for Personal Care: Duties and Responsibilities

What is a Power of Attorney for Personal Care? A Power of Attorney for personal care (POA) is a document  giving decision-making authority over another person’s personal care. The person given the authority is called the attorney. The attorney is not usually a lawyer. In the POA context, the term attorney just means the person with legal authority. Health and

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Elder Law, Estate Litigation, Ontario, Power of Attorney, Wills & Estates, Wills and Estate Planning

Capacity Assessments, Capacity Assessors, and Costs

Capacity Assessments: Capacity is decision-specific. The critical question is always, capacity to do what? A capacity assessor will typically determine whether someone has capacity to do any or all of the following: capacity to make a Power of Attorney (POA) capacity to manage their property capacity to make their own personal care decisions capacity to make a Will Capacity assessments can

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Elder Law, Ontario, Power of Attorney, Wills & Estates, Wills and Estate Planning

Limited Power of Attorney for Property: Valid for a Limited Time or a Limited Purpose

What Is a Limited POA for Property? A power of attorney for property (POA) is a document that gives legal authority to another person to make financial and property decisions. The person named in the POA document to make financial decisions is called the “attorney” for property, even though they don’t have to be a lawyer. They are usually a

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Class Action Lawsuits, Lawsuits, News, Police

$100M Dollar Settlement + Apology for Female RCMPs Discrimination & Harassment Lawsuit

RCMP Discrimination and Harassment Class Action Lawsuit: Apology and Financial Settlement In March 2020, the Federal Court of Canada approved a $100-million class action lawsuit for women who worked for the RCMP in non-policing jobs and were subjected to gender-based discrimination. In 2016, the first RCMP class-action settlement, also known as the Merlo-Davidson settlement, after plaintiffs Janet Merlo and Linda Davidson,

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