Articles 2020

For many years, the court’s default position has been that it is in the best interests of the child to remain with their biological parents. However, more and more cases are being released which question this assumption. The Canadian family has become more complex and quite diverse over the past few years, and the courts are beginning to recognize that the nuclear family is no longer the only option.

Innovations from the family law community, hurdles overcome during the pandemic, and what remains to be accomplished – the Honourable Justice Stanley B. Sherr’s speech says it all. His Honour was presented with the 2020 Award for Excellence in Family Law in Memory of James McLeod at the 2022 OBA Family Law Section dinner, and his speech inspires us all to be better to ourselves, be better to others, and to take times of adversity and turn them into opportunities to improve the family law system.

The recent case of Bartley v. Brown, 2022 ONSC 6264 provides helpful assistance on what you can do to obtain the pension valuation of the other spouse, when that spouse refuses to cooperate in any way.

Neha Chugh is a lawyer based in Cornwall, Ontario who has spent most of her career advocating for social and legal change. She has a community-focussed legal aid practice that gives a voice to the most vulnerable populations. In Neha’s own words: “Remember how valued you are by your community and how much positive change you can effect through your service. I leave my Catzman Award acceptance speech with you as encouragement for the good days, the hard days, the easy days, the challenging days.”

Here at the OBA Citizenship & Immigration Law Section, we are proud of our volunteers and we are constantly looking for ways to highlight their work and achievements. Read on to find out more about Robin Seligman, who served as Chair of the Section from 1999 to 2002 and again from 2021 to 2022!