Caring for Fido After We Die
Pets are a valued part of many people’s lives, and we often worry about what will happen to them after we die. If you have ever wondered how to make sure your cherished companion is cared for after you pass away, you are not alone. This is an issue in family law as well when […]
A first look at Alberta’s new life lease legislation
Recent media reports exposed gaps in consumer protection for life leases in Alberta, leading to May 2024 amendments to the Consumer Protection Act in an attempt to address these concerns. Within the past year, you may have heard about Alberta seniors trying to get their life savings back after signing up for life leases. As […]
The Right to Speak to a Lawyer is Not an Admission of Guilt
A call to podcast hosts and journalists to stop using constitutional rights as an ominous plot point As a true crime podcast and documentary connoisseur by night, and a criminal defence lawyer by day, declaring that my world is saturated with true crime content is an understatement. I enjoy relaxing after a long day at […]
What is an offence under Alberta’s renting laws?
Service Alberta can receive and investigate complaints about and issue fines for renting offences described in the Residential Tenancies Act. How familiar are you with offences in renting? In many provinces, tenancy laws include offences. In Alberta, most offences have to do with landlords breaching specific sections under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). For example, […]
Deficiency Judgments in Mortgage Proceedings
Some homeowners may have to pay the lender the difference between what they owe on their house and how much the lender recovers during the foreclosure process. This is known as a deficiency judgment. When someone can no longer pay their mortgage, they risk losing their home through a legal process called foreclosure. For some […]
The Dog Days: Peace Officer Powers under the Animal Protection Act
With the record-breaking heat, drought, wildfires, and now flooding in Alberta, there are a great number of animals, both domestic and wild, that are suffering or who have been lost or displaced. If you come across a domestic animal that is in distress or who appears to have been mistreated or neglected, there is a […]
Bridging the Gap: Applying trauma-informed interviewing from criminal to family law
Trauma-informed interviewing practices are common in criminal cases to help lawyers effectively communicate with survivors of assault. But family lawyers should also use them when working with clients who’ve experienced trauma. As legal practices evolve, there is a growing recognition of how essential being trauma-informed is for effectively communicating with survivors of physical and sexual […]
Defending the Defence
The Umar Zameer case demonstrates the important role defence counsel play in advocating for the innocent and protecting the integrity of our justice system. Defence counsel are almost always villainized by the media. They are often cast as an inhumane bump on the road to justice in movies and TV shows. “We were so close […]
