Family
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October 29, 2025
Commons committee invites public input on improving peace bonds, recognizance orders
A House of Commons committee is soliciting submissions by Nov. 28 to inform its new study of how the safety of women and children is affected by Canada’s bail and sentencing regimes, and how Criminal Code s. 810 (recognizance orders or peace bonds) can be improved to help keep women and children safe.
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October 29, 2025
Bill C-223: Bad ideas on child relocation
Bill C-223 is a private member’s bill to amend the Divorce Act brought forward by Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner, with the help of the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL). Not enough lawyers and other family law professionals know about the bill or its contents. Bill C-223 is mostly about family violence and parenting. Some provisions about relocation have been tacked on, which I’ll cover here.
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October 29, 2025
The 99th anniversary of the Great Stork Derby
What if we told you having the most babies in a decade could make you a millionaire? In 1926, this wasn’t a hypothetical, it was the premise of one of the most bizarre contests in legal history.
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October 29, 2025
Guardianship applications: Navigating the thoroughfares of the SDA
The Substitute Decisions Act outlines the steps needed to appoint a guardian in a variety of circumstances. The appointment of a guardian under the Act may become necessary if a person becomes incapable without having already executed a power of attorney appointing someone to make decisions on their behalf during their incapacity. In other cases, an incapable person may have already executed a POA, but the attorney, for whatever reason, is no longer suitable.
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October 28, 2025
Quebec Superior Court launches AI pilot project
The Superior Court of Quebec has given the green light to a sandboxed pilot project that allows some 20 judges to use artificial intelligence to help them with documentary and legislative research, translations and draft judgments. But the initiative draws the line at decision-making or deliberative undertakings, a conservative approach that has earned plaudits from legal observers.
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October 28, 2025
B.C. expanding reach of domestic violence intervention programs with federal funds
British Columbia is expanding the reach of its domestic violence intervention programs as part of a bilateral agreement with the federal government. The province has announced it is providing $750,000 in federal funding to support access to new and expanded programs that support healthy relationships and prevent domestic violence through community-led intervention services.
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October 28, 2025
Kennedy Morrow joins McDougall Gauley in Saskatoon
McDougall Gauley LLP has welcomed Kennedy (Keni) Morrow to its Saskatoon office, effective Oct. 27.
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October 28, 2025
Estate trustee during litigation: The power to make payments from residue of estate
In Ontario, an estate trustee during litigation (ETDL) does not have the power to distribute the residue of an estate, despite having all the rights and powers of a general administrator: see s. 28 of the Estates Act. However, this rule does not mean that an ETDL cannot make payments from the residue of an estate.
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October 28, 2025
Bill C-223 and parental alienation: Trust the judges, not the politicians
Bill C-223, recently introduced as a private member’s bill by backbench Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner, would substantially amend the parenting provisions of the Divorce Act, and in our view harm the interests of children and parents.
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October 27, 2025
Recommendations for ethical, effective AI use in family law online dispute resolution, part three
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the landscape of dispute resolution, offering new tools to enhance efficiency, accessibility and consistency. In family law, where disputes are often emotionally charged and deeply personal, the integration of AI into online dispute resolution (ODR) presents both extraordinary promise and significant ethical challenges.