Can I Move with My Child After Separation?
It’s one of the questions I hear most often from separated parents: “I want to move…. Can I take my child with me?” The honest answer is: It depends. And the rules are more nuanced than most people expect. In Ontario, the relocation of a child after the parents separate is governed primarily by the federal Divorce Act, which was significantly amended in 2021 to deal specifically with...
What Happens if There’s a Failure to Obey a Court Order?
Since the court and the parties each have a duty to promote the Rules’ primary objective of dealing with cases justly, it’s not surprising that there are potential sanctions for failing to do so. In particular, if a person fails to follow the Rules, or fails to abide by a court order, then the court can deal with it by making another order to encourage or compel compliance. What Kind of Order...
How Much Are Courts Awarding Victims of Intimate Partner Violence?
Until recently, if you were a victim of domestic abuse then your sources for a remedy were somewhat limited: You might look to the criminal law (to formally lay charges against the perpetrator), or you might pursue a civil action against them, for what often turns out to be a relatively modest damages award. But – in the right circumstances – that last part seems to be improving. The Supreme...
Subtle Signs of Coercive Control
When people think about Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), they often picture dramatic confrontations, physical altercations, and injuries that are usually visible. But many abusive relationships leave no physical marks at all. Instead, the abuse takes the form of coercive control, a pattern of behaviour designed to dominate, isolate, and control another person over time. We’ve been talking in...
Law360: The Growing Role of Coercive Control in Family Law
At Fine & Associates, we are committed to helping clients understand how developments in family law can affect their rights and legal options. We are pleased to share that our latest article, “The Coercive Control Lens: A New Framework for Family Law Decision-Making,” by Lorne Fine and Daniel Dominitz, has been published by Law360 Canada. A Significant Shift in Family Law...
Coercive Control: It Doesn’t Stop at Separation
We’ve talked a lot in our Blog about the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision in Ahluwahlia v. Ahluwalia, which explored the important concept of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). One of the most important lessons to emerge from that ruling, is that IPV is not always physical. It can take the form of coercive control – a persistent pattern of behaviour designed to dominate, isolate,...
The “Cancer” of the Canadian Family Law: What Happens If Your Ex Is Hiding Income?
In some of our recent Blogs, we’ve discussed the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia and the growing recognition of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Canadian law. While many people associate IPV with physical or emotional abuse, it can also include financial control and economic manipulation. One common example of this is when a separating spouse hides...
Ahluwalia in Action: Ontario Court Awards $90,000 in Damages for Intimate Partner Violence
For a few months now, our Firm has been writing regularly about the Supreme Court of Canada ruing in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia. That groundbreaking decision confirmed an important legal principle: Survivors of intimate partner violence can use existing tort law to seek monetary compensation from their abusers. Since that time, we’ve been tracking how Ontario courts have been adopting and...
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) – Financial Damages Awards Are On the Horizon
In the past few Blogs, we’ve been covering the landmark decision by the Supreme Court of Canada in a case called Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2026 SCC 16. In that ruling the Court recognized a new civil tort of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and confirmed that in some cases the victims of such violence could seek monetary damages from the perpetrators. Since the decision was handed down, those...