Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Article | February 08, 2026
Similar but Different: Substitute Decision-Makers under the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Family Law Rules
The concept of a “substitute decision-maker” is deceptively simple but legally complex. While the role is often conflated with informal caregiving or family decision-making, in law it carries significant fiduciary duties and procedural consequences. Matters are further complicated by inconsistent terminology: the Substitute Decisions Act, the Family Law Rules, and the Rules of Civil Procedure each frame incapacity and representation in slightly different ways. For practitioners, this patchwork can create pitfalls when advising clients, drafting materials, or litigating issues involving incapable parties.
Article | February 08, 2026
What Ontario’s Seniors and Caregivers Should Know About the Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2025
In May 2025, the Ontario government reintroduced the Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2025, a legislative reform aimed at improving care standards, enhancing resident protections, and recognizing the essential role of caregivers. The Act proposes changes to both the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and the Retirement Homes Act, 2010. This article highlights the most important things seniors, and their caregivers need to know about the proposed reforms, and what they may mean for long-term care, retirement living, and caregiving in Ontario.
Article | February 06, 2026
Client Capacity: Your Practical Guide – What Every Lawyer Should Know
I recently had the pleasure of attending a program organized by the OBA entitled “Client Capacity: Your Practical Guide.” The panel of excellent speakers provided practical advice and valuable insights into assessing capacity, spotting “red” flags, accommodating disability and navigating the legal steps if your client becomes incapable (or capacity is in question). While every case will be different, the panel underscored things that every lawyer should keep in mind, if and when, a capacity issue arises for a client.
Article | February 04, 2026
Tips for Remote Execution
This article provides a summary of which documents can be executed remotely and best practices to ensure lawyers are complying with the legislation governing digital signatures.
Article | February 04, 2026
Québec Assets and Searching for Québec Wills
This article provides guidance and resources to assist lawyers with clients who have assets in Québec, and describes new online services for searching for Wills in Québec.
Article | February 04, 2026
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Laws in Canada: Where Are We Now?
This article outlines the developments in regulating and legislating MAID, including updates from Québec, British Columbia, and a discussion of mental illness in MAID.
Article | February 02, 2026
International Law Developments in 2025: Unprecedented Times Demand Facts Over Emotion
The year 2025 will likely be remembered as a defining moment for international law. Across regions and legal regimes, we witnessed a convergence of forces that placed extraordinary strain on the rule-based international order. What made 2025 particularly challenging was not only the scale of these developments but also the environment in which they unfolded: legal determinations were increasingly filtered through political narratives, binding obligations were treated as optional, and evidence-based findings by courts and UN bodies were often dismissed as partisan or inconvenient. In such a climate, international law demands disciplined attention to facts rather than emotion, law rather than politics, and accountability rather than image management. This article outlines several of the most significant international legal developments of 2025 and reflects on what they collectively reveal about the state and stakes of international law today.
