Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been concerned about the Novel Coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause influenza-like symptoms in humans. An interesting characteristic of Coronaviruses is that they are “zoonotic”, meaning they can be transferred between humans and animals.

Much like the reception that greeted ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft when they first entered Toronto’s marketplace, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the short-term housing rental economy ever since apps like Airbnb gained popularity in the city.

In our December post, we provided information on laws that you may see in 2020. As we celebrate our 10th year, we're detailing the ten laws that already have or will definitely change this year. Federal Tax Changes The basic amount that most Canadians can earn tax- free increased on January 1 to $13,229 from $12,298, which may result in tax savings of up to $140 in 2020. Changes to the Divorce Act The majority of changes will be effective July 1, 2020. The changes include updated criteria to determine a child’s best interests in custody cases and measures to address…

2020 is likely to bring in some new laws and amendments that could affect everything from internships to a crackdown on parking spots and a possible reversal on pit bull ownership in Ontario.

On October 23, 2019, the Ontario government confirmed that we would be seeing major changes to the Court rules coming this January 2020.

Legally speaking, workers are generally classified into different categories. These classifications have very significant implications on a number of rights that workers are entitled to.

The federal government recently implemented a number of changes to the Canada Labour Code which largely favours federal employees in certain industries such as banks, fisheries, telecommunications, and interprovincial transportation companies.

The Pattersons hired “Joe Inc.”, a general contractor, to renovate their ground floor bathroom, kitchen, and front entranceway. As the project progressed, the Pattersons noticed a number of defects in the general contractor’s work. However, when they complained, nothing was done to resolve the problems.

As a result of the large number of new housing and condominium projects, many Ontarions are taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase a newly-built home.

If you are undergoing home renovations with a contractor or you are a contractor, you should note that effective October 1, 2019, several provisions under the construction law which is called the Construction Act (the “Act”) will come into force and will fundamentally change how contractors request payment from property owners.

Many people are surprised at the conclusion of their lawsuit when they receive a bill from their lawyer that is much higher than they expected. If you receive a bill from your lawyer that you believe is unfair, there is a process in place to address your concerns called an assessment hearing.

In February 2019, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion published a report addressing the important role senior management and leaders play in promoting diversity and inclusion.