The pandemic has brought massive changes to Ontario’s education system.  This shake-up has left parents with a lot of questions about whether their children still have rights within the school system. In a public school system struggling to cope with all the extra COVID19 related demands it can be hard to get schools administrators and teachers to find time for parent’s concerns. While there have been big changes due to the pandemic, students do have rights even still.   Although, those rights are not always the ones that parents wish they their children had.  This episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast explains what rights students have during the pandemic.

In this Episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, Education Lawyer,  which is also available as a video on YouTube, education lawyer, John Schuman answers the questions about what Ontario Law guarantees to students  during the pandemic and what protections they have if things go wrong.  In addition to covering what lights students have to attend in-person learning at their local school, this episode reveals what the minimum educational education standards are in the province and sets.  It also discusses what rights that students with special needs, and students who are victims of bullying, can continue to expect even during labour disruptions affecting their school.

If you found this episode helpful or informative, check out these other episodes:

22 - Children’s Rights in Ontario Schools

38 - Ontario Private Schools, Standards and Education Law 

39 - What Ontario Public Schools Must Do About Bullying

49 - Can Parents Get Private School Tuition Back Due to COVID-19?

Thousands of people tune into the Ontario Family Law Podcast to get valuable pointers on all aspects of children’s law, education law, children’s rights, family law, divorce and separation issues.  Please feel free to share this podcast with your social network using the sharing buttons below.  The host of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, John Schuman, is an Education Lawyer with more than 20 years experience, practicing in Toronto.

Blended families are becoming more and more common as parents find new partners after the end of an earlier relationship.  Some of those new partners can be reluctant to start a relationship with some who already has kids.  That can make things complicated, especially as it often means the ex may still be hanging about.  But, a BIG concern of many people considering starting a relationship with someone who is already a parent is whether becoming that parent’s spouse will mean becoming liable for that parent’s child support obligation.   New spouse’s should not be liable for their partner’s child support obligation.  But, the legal answer is more complicated.

When a person marries, or starts a relationship, with someone who has kids from a previous relationship, that person can be on the hook, directly or indirectly, to that partner’s ex.  In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains how that can happen, and how to avoid pay child support to a new partner’s ex.

If you enjoyed this episode, you will want to check out these ones:

12 - How Step Parents and Grand Parents Can Be on the Hook for Child Support

4 - How to Have An Enforceable Marriage Contract in Ontario

8 - How Your Heart Can Get You Into Trouble

9 - How Property is Divided After a Marriage in Ontario

10 - Child Support in Ontario/Canada

11 - Child Support’s Special and Extraordinary Expenses

20 - What Living Common Law Means (and What It Doesn’t)

29 - Common Law Separation and Property Division

53 - How to Pay Less Child Support

And listen to this radio program, and watch this TV News Story on grandparents being sued for child support.

The Ontario Family Law Podcast is a companion to the book, Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law, which is available  as a $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone and as a paperback from Amazon and better bookstores.

Family Law can really ruin things for people who have bought their own home.  Over the past several months, if not years, the prices of homes have skyrocketed.  It is no longer  a simple feat to purchase a home – it requires a lot of hard work and obviously, money.  To get a home, people have to work through school, spend years in full-time employment, finally earn enough income to secure a home, then make mortgage payments for several years.

After doing all that if the homeowner marries, then separates,  a large chunk, perhaps even half of all that effort goes away to the ex “for free.”   Marriage can take away your most significant asset.  In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains how that happens, and how to prevent it from happening, so married spouses can keep their homes if they divorce.

If you enjoyed this episode, you will want to check out these ones:

4.   How to Have an Enforceable Marriage Contract in Ontario (audio only)

8.   How Tour Heart Can Get You Into Financial Trouble (audio only)

9.  How is Property Divided After a Marriage in Ontario (audio only)

29.  Common Law Separation and Property Division (audio only)

33.  The Law of Marriage Contracts and Cohabitation Agreements

40.  How to Keep Your Money in Separation and Divorce

48.   COVID Family Law Property Scam

The Ontario Family Law Podcast is a companion to the book, Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law, which is available  as a $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone and as a paperback from Amazon and better bookstores.   Anyone who has to deal with issues related to separation or divorce, the financial considerations in those circumstances or parenting concerns should rely on both this podcast and the book for easy-to-understand information and advice about how the law applies to their case and what are the best ways to address their concerns.

A lot of people either come to Canada married to someone else, or leave Canada to get married and then come back.  When problems develop in their marriage, they wonder if they can get divorced in here, or if they have to go back to where they were married. Sometimes the spouse still lives abroad, which raises the question as to whether Canada can grant the divorce, or the other country must. This episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube, explains when spouses can get divorced in Canada, and when they cannot.

If you were married outside of Canada, or your spouse currently lives outside of Canada, in this podcast, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains what you need to do to get your divorce. The explanation includes what determines in which country spouses can get their divorce and what criteria they have to meet to get their divorce in Canada.  It also explains the steps for getting a divorce in Canada when one spouse lives somewhere else, as well as going over how Ontario Family Courts will make orders for separated couples for things like parenting, child custody, child support, spousal support and property division -  even when a divorce is not possible.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out these ones:

1.    Separation and First Decisions

2.    Deciding How to Resolve Matters After Separation

3.    Divorce - What Does it Mean?  How Do I Get One?

9.    How is Property Divided After a Marriage in Ontario

10.  Child Support - Who Pays and How Much?

26.  Immigration Law Consequences of Separation and Divorce

40.  How to Keep Your Money in Separation and Divorce

42.  How to Get a "Legal Separation" in Ontario

51.  Who Pays the Costs of an Ontario Divorce?

The Ontario Family Law Podcast is a companion to the book, Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law, which is available  as a $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone and as a paperback from Amazon.   Anyone who has to deal with issues related to separation or divorce, the financial considerations in those circumstances or parenting concerns should rely on both this podcast and the book for easy-to-understand information and advice about how the law applies to their situation.

Many parents are under the mistaken belief that child support ends in Canada when a child turns 18 years old.  Some even base their financial planning around being unburdened with child support when their offspring reaches voting age.   Parent can be shocked to learn that child support obligations can continue long after their children reach the age of majority – in some cases much longer.  Child support is often a hot topic. Many parents resent having to pay it and want it to end as soon as possible.

In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains when and why parents can be on the hook for child support when their children are adults.

Unlike several jurisdictions of the United States, child support in Canada does not automatically end for a child when he or she turns 18 years old.  In Canada, child support continues for children after their 18th birthday in one of two circumstances:

However, even in these circumstances, child support can change and in many instances be reduced below what it was when the child was less than 18 years old.  In this episode, senior family lawyer, John Schuman, explains the specifics of what qualifies a child to receive support after age 18 (and what does not) and how child support can be changed.

If you enjoyed this episode, you will want to check out these ones:

53 - How to Pay Less Child Support

44 - Can You Be Better Off Financially If You Divorce?

40 - How to Keep Your Money in Separation and Divorce

36 - Is Family Court Biased?

34 - Disclosure in Family Law Cases

32 - How to Change a Support Order

14-16 Ontario Family Court Step-By-Step

12 - How Step Parents Can Be on the Hook for Child Support

11 - Child Support's Special and Extraordinary Expenses

10 -  Child Support in Ontario and Canada

Child support gets more people angry on the internet than any other Family Law topic.   But, if you speak to Family Court Judges, child support should not be controversial – people should show that they care for their kids by paying for their needs. Recognizing that most support payers do NOT want to overpay child support, this edition of the Ontario Family Law Podcast looks at ways to reduce child support and looks at some of the traps that result in higher child support than the law requires.

In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains many of the factors that affect the amount of child support and which ones will and which ones will not end up reducing how much a parent pays.  He covers the following child support issues:

This episode is critical listening or viewing for anyone who pays or receives child support to understand how each of those factors can change support.

If you enjoyed this episode, you will want to check out these ones:

44 - Can You Be Better Off Financially If You Divorce?

40 - How to Keep Your Money in Separation and Divorce

36 - Is Family Court Biased?

34 - Disclosure in Family Law Cases

32 - How to Change a Support Order

14-16 Ontario Family Court Step-By-Step

12 - How Step Parents Can Be on the Hook for Child Support

11 - Child Support's Special and Extraordinary Expenses

10 -  Child Support in Ontario and Canada

Pensions can be great to allow people to retire.  But, they can cause a lot of stress in divorce. People who work in the public service, such a First Responders, health care workers, and other government employees often have pensions as part of their compensation.  Although, many do not realize how valuable the pension is until they retire, or until they divorce and substantial value of the pension becomes something to be divided with the ex.

In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on YouTube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains the often misunderstood Family Law concepts of when pensions are divided in separation and divorce, how to go about doing so, and the options separating spouses have when dealing with pensions at the end of a marriage.

If you found this episode helpful or interesting, check out the following episodes :

The Ontario Family Law Podcast is a companion to the book, Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law, which is available  as a $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone and as a paperback from Amazon and better bookstores.   Anyone who has to deal with issues related to separation or divorce, the financial considerations in those circumstances or parenting concerns should rely on both this podcast and the book for easy-to-understand information and advice about how the law applies to their case and what are the best ways to address their concerns.  The book also covers all the other related family law issues, such as child support, spousal support, property division and restraining orders.  

Thousands of people tune into the Ontario Family Law Podcast to get valuable pointers on family law, divorce and separation issues.  The host of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, John Schuman, is a Certified Specialist in Family Law, practicing in Toronto.

One of the things people worry most about when separating is the cost of getting divorced. The cost of going to Family Court can be very high.  There can also be other expenses outside of court - fees charged by the Court, and fees charged by lawyers, accountants, mediators and other professionals.  When divorces get complicated and nasty, the fees can run hundreds of thousands of dollars. Separating spouses want to know what those costs are and which spouse will pay them. Often, separating spouses also want to know how to keep those costs down.

In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video own YouTube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, explains the costs of getting a divorce in Ontario, how to keep them down, who pays them and even how one separating spouse can get the other spouse to pay them. This is information everyone contemplating separation should know before making their first decisions.

If you found this episode helpful or interesting, check out the following episodes :

The Ontario Family Law Podcast is a companion to the book, Guide to the Basics of Ontario Family Law, which is available  as a $9.99 Kindle eBook, Kobo eBook, or iBook for your iPad or iPhone and as a paperback from Amazon and better bookstores.   Anyone who has to deal with issues related to separation or divorce, the financial considerations in those circumstances or parenting concerns should rely on both this podcast and the book for easy-to-understand information and advice about how the law applies to their case and what are the best ways to address their concerns.

The pandemic has been extremely stressful for everyone.  The fears of getting sick, combined with being isolated from friends and loved ones, the disruption of routines, the loss of favorite activities and perhaps the financial insecurity has made coping difficult for people who do not have underlying mental health problems.   Add to that, many people are spending more time with their spouses than they ever have before, and they are learning lots about partners, and perhaps lots that they do not like.  Life can become intolerable for people living together, particularly where they cannot get along or sympathize with what each other are feelings.  For many others who already have strained relationship, the pandemic has pushed them past the breaking point.  Many people are asking, “Is COVID19 a good time to separate?”

In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, which is also available as a video on Youtube, Certified Specialist in Family Law, John Schuman, provides some important information for making that decision.

While this episode answers specific questions about separating during COVID19, many of the considerations are applicable at other times too.  Concerns about custody of the children, child support, spousal support and how property division will work out will continue even after the pandemic is over. The Family Law Principals will be the same.  Only the circumstances will be different.

If you found this episode helpful or interesting, check out the following episodes:

Ontario students have been out of school for since March. Parents of children in the public school system have been struggling with helping their children through lessons at home with what many of them feel is inadequate support, especially for children with special learning needs.  Parent with children in private school have been facing that, and additional concerns regarding paying tuition.  Even though they are closed to students due to the pandemic, and many parents are struggling financially, some Ontario Private Schools are asking parents to pay for the 2020/2021 school year now.   Others are continuing to charge for school this year or are refusing any form of refund even though students are not going to school.   For parents who paid for boarding, that can be a lot of money and it seems particularly unfair since their children are not currently living at the school.   Unlike public school parents, private school parents feel stung even more if the distance learning for their children is not meeting their expectations in light of what they paid.

In this episode of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, host, which is also available as a video on YouTube, education lawyer John Schuman, explains how Ontario Education Law may give parents some avenues to seek money back from Ontario Private Schools who are charging tuition while school is out due to the pandemic.

If you found this episode helpful or interesting, check out the following episodes:

Thousands of people tune into the Ontario Family Law Podcast to get valuable pointers on all aspects of children’s law, education law, children’s rights, family law, divorce and separation issues.  Please feel free to share this podcast with your social network using the sharing buttons below.  The host of the Ontario Family Law Podcast, John Schuman, is an Education Lawyer with more than 20 years experience, practicing in Toronto.