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By Julius Melnitzer | June 1, 2021 CAN JUDGES CANCEL CHILD SUPPORT ARREARS RETROACTIVELY? On Friday, June 4, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) will determine whether courts can retroactively cancel child support arrears. The judgment in Colluci v. Colluci will consider whether doing so provides an incentive for payors to be delinquent. Related Article: […]
No accident benefits for Uber-driving lawyer attacked on the job
Licence Appeal Tribunal finds lawyer’s altercation and escape from disgruntled riders not an ‘accident’ By Court Report Canada | Feb. 18, 2021 An insurer was entitled to deny the accident benefit claim of a Toronto lawyer attacked by his Uber passengers, according to a decision by Ontario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal. The lawyer – who was still in […]
COVID-19 puts courts, integrity of Ontario’s civil jury system on trial
December 15, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Citing the uncertainty as to when civil jury trials might resume during the pandemic, motions to strike juries have proliferated. Critics pointed to the extra effort, co-ordination, length and expense jury trials required, as well as the strain on jurors and demanded their elimination. “Since COVID began, judges […]
Divisional Court: “wait-and-see” before striking jury notice during COVID
November 17, 2020 | Julius Melnitzer The Ontario Divisional Court has ruled that a “wait-and-see” approach to striking jury notices due to delays caused by COVID-19 is appropriate in certain cases. The decision in Louis v Poitras was unanimous. “The use of “wait and see” in this way demonstrates the willingness of the court to […]
Women awarded less for pain and suffering than men
October 26, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer A recent study of general damage awards in Canadian courts reveals that men receive an average of $5,674 more for their pain and suffering than women do for similar injuries. The study, conducted by Painworth, an online site that helps individuals calculate the potential value of their personal […]
Counsel are judge’s “lens”: Ontario Court of Appeal
October 12, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Putting forward the evidence isn’t enough: argue your theory at trial if you want to complain on appeal about its treatment. That’s the message from the Ontario Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Becker v. Toronto (City). “The court made it pretty clear that if an issue isn’t […]
Get a leg up on your injury’s worth – – – for free and without a lawyer
September 27, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer You’re injured in an accident. You’re lost, alone and frustrated, and you’re looking for a lawyer. Michael Zouhri of Edmonton knows how you feel. And that’s why he created PainWorth, free online software touted as ”the world’s first fully-automated app that helps you calculate the potential value of your […]