Ontario Family Law Podcast

This is a special edition of the Podcast since lots of parents, and college students want to know if it is necessary to be vaccination against COVID19 to attend school.  Others have asked about whether vaccination is necessary to play league sports.   Education Lawyer, John Schuman explains what Ontario Law requires when it comes to the vaccine and attending school or participating in sp...

As soon as COVID-19 restrictions started lifting, people started getting married again.  But having had to wait, or perhaps because they are getting married older, the betrothed have given some thought about what getting married means.  Perhaps they have been following the Ontario Family Law Podcast and paid attention to the issues that can arise on separation, or read the comments. Perh...

When separating, many spouses and parents want to find easier, less destructive and less expensive alternatives to Family Court.  For most people, those options are better.  In addition, the 2021 changes to the Divorce Act require separating spouses to consider alternatives to Court.  Many people consideration family mediation to resolve their differences after separation. But, havi...

One of the most difficult decisions any judge faces is whether to allow one parent to move away from the other parent after separation or divorce.  It is hard, because the children can lose most, if not all, of their relationship with the parent who stays behind.  While judges can sometimes be suspicious that the move may be a tactic by a vindictive ex to cleanse the other parent out of...

People have assumed for years that getting divorced, or even separating meant you had go battle things out in Family Court.  That is not the case.  Family Court is NOT the best option for many people.  It can lead to results they don’t want.  Going to Family Court means turning over important decisions about your family, and most importantly about your children,  to a stra...

In this edition of the Family Law Podcast, which is also available on YouTube , Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman , explains how if you go to court to get custody of the children, you are certain NOT to get it. For many years, custody of the children was the big prize in any divorce or separation.  Especially with the introduction of “no-fault divorce”, custody of the children...

The pandemic has brought massive changes to Ontario’s education system.  This shake-up has left parents with a lot of questions about whether their children still have rights within the school system. In a public school system struggling to cope with all the extra COVID19 related demands it can be hard to get schools administrators and teachers to find time for parent’s concerns. While there...

Blended families are becoming more and more common as parents find new partners after the end of an earlier relationship.  Some of those new partners can be reluctant to start a relationship with some who already has kids.  That can make things complicated, especially as it often means the ex may still be hanging about.  But, a BIG concern of many people considering starting a relat...

Family Law can really ruin things for people who have bought their own home.  Over the past several months, if not years, the prices of homes have skyrocketed.  It is no longer  a simple feat to purchase a home – it requires a lot of hard work and obviously, money.  To get a home, people have to work through school, spend years in full-time employment, finally earn enough incom...

A lot of people either come to Canada married to someone else, or leave Canada to get married and then come back.  When problems develop in their marriage, they wonder if they can get divorced in here, or if they have to go back to where they were married. Sometimes the spouse still lives abroad, which raises the question as to whether Canada can grant the divorce, or the other country must....

Many parents are under the mistaken belief that child support ends in Canada when a child turns 18 years old.  Some even base their financial planning around being unburdened with child support when their offspring reaches voting age.   Parent can be shocked to learn that child support obligations can continue long after their children reach the age of majority – in some cases much longe...

Child support gets more people angry on the internet than any other Family Law topic.   But, if you speak to Family Court Judges, child support should not be controversial – people should show that they care for their kids by paying for their needs. Recognizing that most support payers do NOT want to overpay child support, this edition of the Ontario Family Law Podcast looks at ways to reduce...

Pensions can be great to allow people to retire.  But, they can cause a lot of stress in divorce. People who work in the public service, such a First Responders, health care workers, and other government employees often have pensions as part of their compensation.  Although, many do not realize how valuable the pension is until they retire, or until they divorce and substantial value of...

One of the things people worry most about when separating is the cost of getting divorced. The cost of going to Family Court can be very high.  There can also be other expenses outside of court - fees charged by the Court, and fees charged by lawyers, accountants, mediators and other professionals.  When divorces get complicated and nasty, the fees can run hundreds of thousands of dollar...

The pandemic has been extremely stressful for everyone.  The fears of getting sick, combined with being isolated from friends and loved ones, the disruption of routines, the loss of favorite activities and perhaps the financial insecurity has made coping difficult for people who do not have underlying mental health problems.   Add to that, many people are spending more time with their sp...

Ontario students have been out of school for since March.  Parents of children in the public school system have been struggling with helping their children through lessons at home  with what many of them feel is inadequate support, especially for children with special learning needs.  Parent with children in private school have been facing that, and additional concerns regarding pay...

Even with the Family Courts mostly closed during the pandmeic, and the economy struggling, spouses are  making legal claims to try to get ALL of what their ex has left.  This actually is not a concern unique to COVID19, it is also a concern whenever the economy takes a downturn. But, these times do allow a spouse to take advantage of the laws that apply to property division in...

The Corona Virus has had a previously unimaginable impact on our economy and the incomes of many Canadians. Many people paying or receiving child support or spousal support find that their income is either uncertain, has been dramatically reduced or is gone all together.  What happens to child and spousal support when the support payor has these financial concerns during COVID19 is the s...

This bonus episode updates episode 46 of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which was on Family Law for separated parents during the pandemic. It is also available ad a video on YouTube.  The content of that original episode remains competely accurate.  This version goes into what specific judges have said and their expectations in specific parenting situations during the pandemic.   T...

Does COVID-19 mean that separated parents should not let the children see the other parent?  Does the corona virus crisis justify breaching court orders?  This special edition of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube , explains the law and provides tips for difficult situations. The corona virus crisis is having a profound impact on every aspect of...

The closure of the Ontario Family Courts due to COVID-19 does NOT mean that separated spouses and parents have to wait to have their matters resolved.  Since separation and divorce is an uncomfortable period of transition for both adults, but especially children, waiting a few months for the courts to reopen could be painful and add additional stress and anxiety at an already diffic...

People assume that they will be financially ruined by their separation and divorce. In this episode, which is also available on YouTube, Ontario Family Law Podcast, Certified Specialist , John Schuman , explains why that is not always the case. This episode explains important Family Law financial issues, such as child support , spousal support/alimony , property division and the impact o...

Difficulties between the Ontario Government and the teacher’s unions have led to public school classes being cancelled for some students, teachers not providing comments on report cards, and teachers stopping various other administrative tasks and other services.   Many parents with children in the public education system have been asking about their children’s rights to an education dur...

One of the most common family law questions is “how to register a separation.”  People have just separated, people who are thinking about separating and people who think they may be separated wonder what they have to do to “make it official”.  The first things to do after separation is the topic in this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast.   A video version is available on You...

Many people choose family mediation to resolve the issues in separation and divorce, including parenting, child support, spousal support, and property division.  Often they chose family mediation to save money or get everything resolved more quickly or to avoid the difficult arguments and fights.  Mediation is more important, even required in some cases in the changes to the Divorce Act...