The Risks of Relying on Oral Agreements Revisited
February 17, 2026 By Mark Mikulasik We have written previously about the importance of “getting it in writing”. Although oral agreements may create enforceable contracts in Ontario, subject to certain exceptions mainly found in the Statute of Frauds, enforcing them depends upon proof of the requirements of a binding contract. In order for an oral […]
Do You Need Audited Financial Statements?
February 10, 2026 By Mark Mikulasik Chances are if you are the chief executive officer or principal owner of a business corporation, you know whether or not you need your financial statements to be audited. Probably, your lenders or investors will tell you the answer. THE ISSUE But what about if you are a minority […]
Good News For Good Samaritans
February 3, 2026 By Brian Babcock Why are we posting an article about a criminal law case when criminal law is one of the few areas of practice we do not feature on behalf of our clients? Simply because criminal law can affect all of us, so keeping up with important developments is important. The […]
Have You Been Denied a Life Insurance Payout?
January 27, 2026 By Jonathon Clark The death of a loved one is traumatic. The disappointment and distress are just added to if their life insurer refuses you a payout on the policy. Not all denials are valid. Some, of course are. ISSUE How do you know whether or not it is worth it to […]
What is Civil Fraud?
January 20, 2026 By Brian Babcock When we hear or think about fraud, most of us probably think about criminal fraud. Criminal fraud is society’s response to the need to deter and punish deception. THE ISSUES How do we deter deception that causes damages or losses to private citizens? How do we compensate these individuals […]
Thinking of Leaving a Life Interest in Your Will?
January 13, 2026 By Mark Mikulasik It is not unusual for a will to provide that a named person is permitted to live in a named property until their death (or another event), and then title passes to the residual beneficiaries (other named people), sometimes referred to as the “remaindermen”. In the absence of the […]
Sometimes You Can Get an Adjournment
January 6, 2026 By Brian Babcock We have written before about the difficulties created if you need, or simply want, an adjournment of a hearing. Adjournments are not automatic, and when a matter is set for an actual hearing, courts and tribunals understandably want to make good use of the time. Opposing parties also have […]
The Risks When Your Real Estate Deal Fails to Close
December 30, 2025 By Nick Melchiorre We have written before about what happens if a prospective buyer is unable to close the real estate deal. This may not be as big a problem in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, where the market is still vigorous, but it is a significant issue in the GTA, where […]
Nominal Damages are Not a Win
December 23, 2025 By Jonathon Clark Nominal Damages are awarded when the Plaintiff proves that they suffered a wrong but cannot prove that they suffered a loss as a result of the wrong. They are said to Illustrate the “where there is a right there is a remedy” theme. Or do they? Examples where nominal […]
The Latest on Termination Clauses
December 16, 2025 By Brian Babcock We have written several articles on the tendency of Ontario courts to favour employees in wrongful dismissal claims. THE ISSUE In particular, courts have seldom upheld clauses in employment contract that attempt to limit payments available to the employee upon dismissal. One of these is Dufault v. Township of […]