Articles 2024

On the occasion of the swearing in ceremony of Madam Justice Victoria Starr as the newest Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice at Milton, I had the honour of giving the following address on August 21, 2014.

In light of the recent Donald Sterling controversy engulfing the National Basketball Association, it is important to examine the difficulty family courts and counsel face when considering the admission of audio recordings into evidence, including when a recording is made without the knowledge and consent of the other party.

Tom Dart is the well-deserved recipient of the 2014 Family Law Award of Excellence. What follows are the comments made by him upon accepting the award.

Here is some of what’s going on in or related to family law.

A message of thanks and an introduction to the 2014/2015 Family Law Executive.

Firstly, I invite our members to join a committee and work with the Executive on Family Law education, law reform and community outreach. Secondly, I am proud to announce that this year's OBA Award for Excellence in Family Law in Memory of James G. McLeod will be awarded to Thomas Dart of Barriston LLP - Barrie. The Award will be presented at our End of Year Dinner at the Eglinton Grand on June 12, 2014.

I turned my mind to the very important determination of where to eat surrounding the courts at 47 Sheppard Avenue. Frankly, however, who has time to eat during the Court day? Is there some file you should be resolving that you aren’t? Have you not developed the time-honoured tradition of the nervous stomach? Who eats at 1:00? Who’s got two thumbs and no time to eat? This girl.

My recent retirement from representing clients in family law matters after 35 years has allowed some perspective to finally seep in. I leave for another day exploring why so many unsympathetic, overly aggressive lawyers chose to practice family law, causing themselves and others quite unnecessary pain and difficulties. I prefer to muse about how that part of our practice within the judicial system can be improved, at little additional cost.