How Can I Escape from My Nova Scotia Student Loans?

/
How Can I Escape from My Nova Scotia Student Loans?

Student Loans have become the norm as higher education has come to be a prerequisite to earning an average income. With college and university tuition rising, if you desire higher education, loans are simply part of the process. To fund their education, most students borrow from Federal and Provincial student loan programs. According to the Canadian Federation of Students, today's students are the most indebted generation in Canadian history with the average student graduating with over $28,000 of debt. That said, have you ever taken a moment to consider what happens to your loans if you can not pay them off?

Read More

What should be in my Nova Scotia Shareholder Agreement

/ Highlander Law Group/
What should be in my Nova Scotia Shareholder Agreement

A 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 More

Duties of the Estate Executor in Nova Scotia

/ Highlander Law Group/
Duties of the Estate Executor in Nova Scotia

The Executor of an estate is appointed under the Will to “Administer” the estate. Some of the responsibilities of the Executor during the administration of the estate include:

Read More

Why Should My Nova Scotia Contracts Be in Writing?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Why Should My Nova Scotia Contracts Be in Writing?

Verbal 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 More

Do I Have to Go to Court to Get a Divorce in Nova Scotia?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Do I Have to Go to Court to Get a Divorce in Nova Scotia?

The good news is that in some cases, you can get divorced in Nova Scotia without ever setting foot in a court house. As long as you have an agreement on the terms of your divorce you can get a “paperwork-only divorce.” And it is not as expensive as you may think.

Read More

Why Do I Need a Will in Nova Scotia?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Why Do I Need a Will in Nova Scotia?

Why 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 More

Buying a New Home in Nova Scotia Before Your Old One Is Sold? How Your Lender Can Make It Work.

/ Highlander Law Group/
Buying a New Home in Nova Scotia Before Your Old One Is Sold? How Your Lender Can Make It Work.

When you are selling your current home and buying a new one there are a lot of moving parts in order to get both deals closed. Ideally they could close a day or two prior to the purchase. However, things don't always go that way.

Read More

Director's Liability: How Can a Director in Nova Scotia Ensure They Are Meeting Their Obligations?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Director's Liability: How Can a Director in Nova Scotia Ensure They Are Meeting Their Obligations?

The 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 More

Are You Really Approved? The Difference Between a Nova Scotia Mortgage Pre-Approval and Approval.

/ Highlander Law Group/
Are You Really Approved? The Difference Between a Nova Scotia Mortgage Pre-Approval and Approval.

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is a great first step in your home shopping process. It will give you an idea of how much you qualify to borrow, which in turn gives you a budget to work with when you are looking. This is a number to work with before you decide on a certain property. It is important to note that there is a difference between pre-approval and final approval for your mortgage.

Read More

Consequences of Not Getting Legally Divorced in Nova Scotia.

/ Highlander Law Group/
Consequences of Not Getting Legally Divorced in Nova Scotia.

Many people who have been through a separation in Nova Scotia decide they will never get married again, so they think why bother getting divorced. While remarriage is one of the main reasons that long-term separated couples are motivated to get a divorce, there are some other important reasons you should consider.

Read More

Who Keeps the Engagement Ring If You Split up Before Marriage in Nova Scotia?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Who Keeps the Engagement Ring If You Split up Before Marriage in Nova Scotia?

Not all relationships are meant to last. If a relationship is going to end, it is better for it to end before marriage than after. In cases where a couple is engaged and the wedding is called off, a practical concern can arise, what happens to the ring?

 

Read More

What is Probate in Nova Scotia?

/ Highlander Law Group/
What is Probate in Nova Scotia?

A somewhat alarming statistic is that nearly 50% of adult Canadians do not have a valid Will. Drawing from that, I am going to imagine that an equally large number of people in Nova Scotia are unfamiliar with probate. This blog will take a look at what probate is and why many people would wish to avoid it.

Read More

Buying a New Build in Nova Scotia?: Don't get caught with unfinished business.

/ Highlander Law Group/
Buying a New Build in Nova Scotia?: Don't get caught with unfinished business.

It is always exciting to buy a brand new home. New builds are often customized to you in ways that buying a home that is already built would require extensive renovations to achieve. This advantage comes with it own set of potential issues. One of the big common ones is "deficiencies". These are the things that are not completed by the builder as of the closing date. Best case scenario there are none, or they are minor things that needing to be finished.

Read More

Wondering If You Can Legally Separate in Nova Scotia Without a Messy Court Battle? Consider Collaborative Family Law

/ Highlander Law Group/
Wondering If You Can Legally Separate in Nova Scotia Without a Messy Court Battle? Consider Collaborative Family Law

It is perhaps a bit obvious to say that divorces can be messy and that many families struggle to pick up the pieces after a nasty separation. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

When people use court to resolve their disputes they are relying on a stranger, the judge to make major decisions about their life. In a family law context this means a judge can decide when and where you will see your children, how much money flows to or from your spouse, where you can live and even what happens to your house.

Read More

Property Taxes in HRM, NS: What you need to know

/ Highlander Law Group/
Property Taxes in HRM, NS: What you need to know

There has been some recent discussion in the Halifax Council of the idea of removing the provincial assessment cap for annual property taxes. As a result I thought now would be the perfect time to review the cap, and some other details about property taxes in HRM that you should know, if you own, or are looking to buy a home in the area.

 

Read More

Date of Separation – What does it mean for Nova Scotia couples?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Date of Separation – What does it mean for Nova Scotia couples?

In 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).

 

Read More

Who Has to Pay Child Support in Nova Scotia?

/ Highlander Law Group/
Who Has to Pay Child Support in Nova Scotia?

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 More

Copyright Tips for Small Business in Nova Scotia

/ Highlander Law Group/
Copyright Tips for Small Business in Nova Scotia

One 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 More

Consequences for Your Loved ones if you Die Without a Will in Nova Scotia

/ Highlander Law Group/
Consequences for Your Loved ones if you Die Without a Will in Nova Scotia

A common (and troubling) statistic is that approximately 50% of adult Canadians do not have a valid Will.  The reasons why people haven’t yet prepared their Wills are varied but I’ll suggest one of the more important is that they don’t understand the consequences of dying without one.

Read More

Prevent Heartache By Having a Lawyer Review Your Nova Scotia Commercial Lease – The Rent Increase Control Clause

/ Highlander Law Group/
Prevent Heartache By Having a Lawyer Review Your Nova Scotia Commercial Lease – The Rent Increase Control Clause

I recently came across a story in the news highlighting the unfortunately common situation where a small business owner is facing financial disaster as a result of terms in their commercial lease they didn’t fully understand when they signed.  Cash flow challenges are reality for most small business, particularly those in the start up phase.  As a result, many view spending money to have a lawyer review what appears to be a standard lease is a luxury they can’t afford.

Read More