Blogs written by lawyers at Highlander Law Group in Tantallon, Nova Scotia for people in Halifax with an interest in Real Estate Purchase and Sale, Corproate, Litigation, Debt Collection, Divorce, Probate, Wills, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Child support, Spousal Support, Custody, Migration, Debt Collection, Builders Liens, Estate Planning, Trademarks, Copyright and other Intellectual Property issues. .
In Nova Scotia, same-sex couples have had the legal right to get married since 2005. Just like heterosexual marriages, some of these marriages will unfortunately break down. However, those in same sex relationship can be assured that they will be treated just like opposite-sex relationships by the legal system.
Read MoreSo, you and your spouse (legal or common law) have agreed that one of you will “buy out” the other from the home you share ownership of. What does that mean?
Generally speaking each party is presumptively entitled to 50% of the equity in a jointly owned home. In order to switch it to a single spouse there are several steps.
Read MoreIf you considering buying a property in Nova Scotia it's crucial to understand the various costs involved, including the deed transfer tax. In Nova Scotia, this tax plays a significant role in the total cost of a real estate transaction .
Read MoreReal Estate law in Nova Scotia is grounded in the very old legal concept, ‘caveat emptor’, which is ‘Buyer Beware’. The idea being, no one is forcing you to buy the property, so before you sign on the (digital) line, the onus is on you to ensure you really want what they are selling. That’s why you have the option to ask for permission to do a thorough home inspection and have a Property Disclosure Statement produced.
Read MoreI can't count the number of times a friend or family of a deceased person came into our office with a “do it yourself” Will that couldn't be used because something was done wrong or missing. In theory, online “do it yourself” Will kits are supposed to save you money. Unfortunately, in many cases, issues with these Wills end up causing the person left trying to manage the estate significant time, stress, and money in legal fees to sort out the problem.
Read MoreSo you’ve been to Family Court Nova Scotia, negotiated a settlement, or received a judgment, and you are now have a Court Order setting out terms like parenting time, and child or spousal support. Hopefully that’s the end of it and you can carry on with your life. Unfortunately, life can change in ways your Court Order can’t predict. Maybe you or your children’s other parent has an amazing career opportunity in Australia. This would be great but your Court Order says you have 50/50 parenting time with the kids and they started high school in Halifax. If you have a good relationship with your ex you can probably work things out without involving lawyers or the courts. If not, well that’s what Variation Applications are for.
Read MoreWhen you are buying a home in Nova Scotia there are a lot of moving parts to the process. When you are buying a condominium, often you can count on adding a few more. One of the requirements specific to purchasing a condo unit is getting your hands on the estoppel certificate. It’s important to understand why you need one.
Read MoreWhen a couple separates, they know they will have to consider custody and parenting arrangements, support payments, and property division. One critical area that can be overlooked is life insurance.
Read MoreA Power of Attorney is a document in which you appoint an “Attorney” who can exercise certain authority on your behalf. For example, you might sign a Power of Attorney authorizing someone to sign an agreement on your behalf because you are out of the country when it needs to be signed. It is important to note that “Attorney” in this context does not mean “Lawyer”. Your Attorney under your Power of Attorney can be anyone that you know and trust.
Read MoreA business run by multiple partners through a corporation in which you are all shareholders should have a shareholder’s agreement. Yes, even if you are all friends or family. In fact, it is perhaps even more important in that case! Business ventures sometimes fail and even the closest of friends can fight over how a business is being run. A shareholder’s agreement allows you and your partners to agree on many contentious points in advance of any problems arising while cooler heads still prevail.
Read MoreVerbal contracts are technically enforceable. You can go to court and obtain a judgement against someone who doesn’t respect a verbal agreement. So why bother getting it in writing? Here are a couple of basic reasons why everyone should use a written agreement instead of relying on a verbal agreement:
Read MoreWhy do I need a Will?
It is important to explain the general purpose of Wills before outlining the reasons why you should consider getting one. A Will is your opportunity to decide what you would like to happen with your assets at your death. Generally, your Will can provide for an immediate distribution of your assets to your chosen beneficiaries (friends, family, and charities) or the distribution can be delayed using “Trusts” (a topic for another day).
There are four primary reasons why you should have a Will:
Read MoreThe role of directors in a company and the liability they can incur by their actions is not often the subject of mainstream news reporting. It sometimes comes up when discussing corruption in large multinational companies. However, a recent local court decision has shone a light on this infrequently discussed topic.
Read MoreIn most cases, people can agree on the date of separation. When my clients ask me how to decide when they were separated I ask them when they stopped acting like a married couple. There is no one thing that marks a separation definitively (although one person moving out is usually a pretty good indication).
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Because each family and every situation is different, family law can be a unpredictable area of law. There are lots of grey areas and not very many things are carved stone. Child support proves to be the exception to this uncertainty because it tends to be clear cut by comparison.
Read MoreOne of the items on my ever growing “To-Do” list was to write a blog post outlining the copyrighting issues that the average small business owner should be aware of. And like a gift, sent directly to my inbox, came this exceptionally well written guest blog post by my colleague Corinne Boudreau of Legal Essentials Inc. via my subscription to Linda Daley’s blog ‘Work better, not harder’. As the saying goes, there’s no point trying to re-invent the wheel so instead of attempting to write basically the same thing, I decided to share her post instead:
Read MoreThe average person knows that they have to have a lawyer to complete their real estate transactions - the real question is why? Here are some of the things your lawyer is doing for you:
Read MoreFailing to close on a purchase or sale obviously isn’t anyone’s Plan A, but it does happen. What does Plan B look like?
Some of the reasons that a deal might fall through on closing day include, financing issues, a buyer purchasing a home on the condition that their previous home sold, major issue arises on inspection or pre-close walk through that cannot be resolved.
Read MoreAsk almost anyone who has been through it and they will say “too long!” Joking aside, it can feel like a long process, and the justice system is not exactly known for its speed, even at the best of times. The hardest part of a divorce is coming up with the terms of divorce, especially as it relates to custody, property division and support payments. This can be done through negotiation, or a judge can make the decision. A negotiated settlement is almost always faster than waiting for the court to order the terms of your divorce. So, what exactly takes so long with court?
The hardest part of a divorce is coming up with the terms of divorce, especially as it relates to custody, property division and support payments. This can be done through negotiation, or a judge can make the decision.
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We are lucky to live in a place with a wealth of cottages and vacation homes. Many Nova Scotians are able to make the dream of having a cottage come true. This blog reviews some of the things to look out for to avoid your dream becoming a nightmare.
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5288 St. Margaret's Bay Rd.
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