Stat Holidays and Overtime - Who Qualifies?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Stat Holidays and Overtime - Who Qualifies?

Monday, February 20th marks the third anniversary of our newest statutory holiday - Heritage Day.  This year the province is honouring Mi'kmaq Heritage.  Being a relatively new holiday, some employers and employees are unsure of their rights and obligations with respect to who is entitled to a paid day off and for those who work, who is entitled to overtime pay.  This topic comes up every summer as new employees enter the service industry.  I wrote on the topic then and I thought today was a perfect day to revisit the messages from that post

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Breaking Up is Hard to Do....Don't Make it Harder Than it Has To Be

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Breaking Up is Hard to Do....Don't Make it Harder Than it Has To Be

The old song “Breaking up is hard to do” accurately summarizes what is a nearly universal experience. Almost everyone has gone through a tough break up at one time or another.  And whether you are married or not, it can be a truly awful time. The last thing anyone needs in the middle of a break-up is to have the conflict made worse by uncertainty about custody arrangements and how to divide your property. During a break-up, emotions are often all over the place and it’s easy to make bad decisions that have a lasting impact.

If you are in a common-law relationship, a useful tool to consider is a cohabitation agreement. Think of it as a prenuptial agreement for non-married couples. A cohabitation agreement allows you to determine in advance how you would divide your property in the event of a break-up.

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Who's On Your Team?

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Who's On Your Team?

If this past Super Bowl has taught us anything, it is that with the right team, anything is possible. The same is true in the business world and so one of the first questions I will ask a new business client is: who is on your team? The most common response I receive is something like “I am just a small business” or “it is just me”. Although I understand what you mean (certainly you run the day to day operations), I encourage my clients to think a little broader and to work at building a support network that will allow them to grow and protect their business in the long-term.

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A New Year's Resolution for your Business

/ Highlander Law Group/
A New Year's Resolution for your Business

Every January there are an infinite number of blog posts on how to make or stick to your personal New Years Resolutions.  But what if your business could write its own resolutions for 2017, what would they be?  I don’t think many businesses would be begging for more of your time – entrepreneurs are notorious for devoting all of their time to the business.  But is that precious time used effectively? 

As a litigator, I meet far too many small business owners who were so busy trying to move their business forward that they didn’t notice they never made time to stop and protect the business they were working so hard to build – until it was too late.  The potential points of failure for a small business are unfortunately many.  Leases, employees, personal situations, intellectual property, product malfunction, and weak (or absent) contracts to name a few.

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Holiday Skating Party a Huge Success

/ Highlander Law Group/
Holiday Skating Party a Huge Success

The holiday spirit was alive and well at the St. Margaret Centre on Friday, December 30th.  In celebration of our first year in business we hosted a free community staking party.  The turn out was amazing.  Our best estimates were that we had somewhere between 150-200 people hit the ice.  Young and old alike were able to enjoy the skate and many families took advantage of our 'stollers permitted' policy..  The free hot chocolate (especially the colored marshmallows) and candy canes were also a hit and by the end of the skate there was barely a crumb left. We got a tremendous amount of positive feedback from families in the community.  The event was such a success we are definitely planning to do it again next year.  Bring on 2017!!

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When all is not Merry & Bright

/ Highlander Law Group/
When all is not Merry & Bright

There is a stereotype in our North American Society that everyone should be happy and joyous during the Holiday Season.  Unfortunately, this is often not the case for many people. The extra stresses during this time of year can often bring negative emotions to the forefront.  If you are feeling extra stressed or depressed during this holiday season; step back and ask yourself why.  Are the stresses coming from inside you, or are they external to you and beyond your control. The Public Health Agency of Canada has published a helpful article entitled Managing Holiday Stress http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/stress-eng.php which lists signs of depression and suggestions to cope with these holiday stresses.

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Remembrance Day: Remembering the Rights We Enjoy as Canadians.

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Remembrance Day: Remembering the Rights We Enjoy as Canadians.

Remembrance Day is almost upon us. The “We Remember” ads are on the radio and tv. It occurred to me that in a small way, my work as a lawyer continues to carry on the work of our veterans by standing up for and enforcing Canadian’s rights that they sacrificed so much to protect.

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Sorry Trump-dodgers but you can’t just “move to Canada”.

/ Highlander Law Group/
Sorry Trump-dodgers but you can’t just “move to Canada”.

But here is some basic information on your options if you are interested

Tired of the “land of the free and the home of the brave” and more interested in “Peace, Order and Good Government”? Bonus points if you know the significance of that second phrase (hint: we had a somewhat easier time leaving British rule). Canada may be the place for you and many of you have recently expressed a desire to move here. Although your passport provides you with a relatively easy means to visit us, you are generally not allowed to stay for more than 6 months and you are certainly not allowed to work here during that time. With a Trump presidency lasting at least 4 years, this may not be enough.

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What’s in a Name? Trademarks and why you should care

/ Highlander Law Group/
What’s in a Name? Trademarks and why you should care

Contrary to popular belief, trademark registration is not exclusively the realm of huge corporations and is more affordable than you might think. Many small but growing businesses have registered trademarks. In fact, many marks are registered based on “proposed use” in association with products or services that are not yet even available on the market. While trademark registration tends to be an after thought, it would be advisable for many new business to think about trademark registration as part of their overall intellectual property strategy sooner rather than later.

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Highlander Law Group Expands to Offer Family Law Services

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Highlander Law Group Expands to Offer Family Law Services

The firm has also recently expanded its service offering to include contested family matters.  It’s a sad reality that when relationships break down professional assistance is often beneficial in resolving the situation, particularly when children are involved.  Joseph Cuffari joined Highlander this summer to fill this need.  As a senior practitioner, he brings 35 years’ experience to the firm.  He also has experience in the areas of probate, real estate and corporate planning.  

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Children’s Art Show A Success

/ Highlander Law Group/
Children’s Art Show A Success

Last month, the offices of Highlander Law Group got a little brighter when they turned part of their office into an art gallery.  Local children were given an opportunity to not only showcase their artistic talents, but also to raise money for Fort McMurray. (50% of the proceeded from each piece of art sold was donated to an art center that was impacted by the wildfires)

The theme of the show was ‘Looking for Beauty in the Strength of Nature.’   We received almost 40 original submissions including paintings, drawings and multi-media pieces.  The youngest artist was only 16 months old and the oldest was 12 years old.

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What you Wish You Knew About Overtime Wages.

/ Highlander Law Group/
What you Wish You Knew About Overtime Wages.

With school now officially out for the summer, seasonal jobs are in full swing.  For many, particularly in the hospitality/tourism industry this means lots of overtime.  Everyone understands the concept of overtime – working more than the standard 40 hours a week, or is it 35 hours, or does it depend on the job?  The NS Labour Standards Code outlines the rules that pertain to overtime and holiday wages for most hourly employees.

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What You Wish You Knew Before Letting the Customer Keep YOUR money.

/ Highlander Law Group/
What You Wish You Knew Before Letting the Customer Keep YOUR money.

Why do you allow customers to keep your hard earned money?  CBC News recently reported ‘Industry estimates put the cost of unpaid wages and materials for the construction trades at $300 million a year in Canada’.  I quote this statistic because a common answer is the contractor is essentially embarrassed that they aren’t getting paid.  In my experience, it isn’t typically the contractor who’s at fault – the customer has ‘invented’ reasons why they won’t pay.  So, what can you do about it?

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A Little Snowstorm Couldn’t Stop Us! Thanks for making our Grand Opening a Grand Success

/ Highlander Law Group/
A Little Snowstorm Couldn’t Stop Us! Thanks for making our Grand Opening a Grand Success

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than a month since we had our Grand Opening party here at our new offices.  They say time flies when you’re having fun!

While the snowy weather attempted to put a damper on things, it didn’t stop us from celebrating in style.  A big thank you to all our clients, business associates, friends and community members who came out to enjoy the evening with us.

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International Women’s Day

/ Highlander Law Group/
International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day. I’ve never considered myself a feminist – I’ve honestly always thought that as a female, if you want something, you can work hard and achieve it, just like your male counterpart. I reflected on what today means to me, particularly as a female litigation lawyer who has had children in recent years. It occurred to me that there are certainly some challenges that female lawyers face that simply aren’t an issue for the men.

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Allow us to Introduce Ourselves

/ Highlander Law Group/
Allow us to Introduce Ourselves

Allow us to Introduce Ourselves 

We are Highlander Law Group, your new friendly yet knowledgeable neighbour, in Upper Tantallon.

Why start up a Law Firm in Tantallon?

Because this is home. Our goal is to support the community we live in while offering our neighbours effective legal services without having the hassle of travelling downtown. We know you want to get in, get it done and get out, spending as little of your valuable time and money as possible.

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