Halifax Lawyer Blog

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. .

July 16, 2018

What is a Nova Scotia Power of Attorney?

July 16, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

A 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.

July 03, 2018

Duties of the Estate Executor in Nova Scotia

July 03, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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:

June 25, 2018

Why Should My Nova Scotia Contracts Be in Writing?

June 25, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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:

May 28, 2018

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

May 28, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

May 07, 2018

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

May 07, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

April 23, 2018

Who Has to Pay Child Support in Nova Scotia?

April 23, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

April 16, 2018

Copyright Tips for Small Business in Nova Scotia

April 16, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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:

April 02, 2018

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

April 02, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

March 26, 2018

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

March 26, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

March 19, 2018

Thinking of buying a home in Nova Scotia ? : First step - determine your budget.

March 19, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Buying a new home can be a very exciting prospect, however, there are also a lot of practical realities that go along with buying and owning a home. The first thing you should do before looking at any homes is determine your budget.

This means sitting down with a mortgage professional before you start your search in order to determine what you can afford. It can be a heartbreaking experience looking at homes outside of your budget, not to mention it wastes your, and your realtor's time and resources that could be better spent looking for the right house for you.

March 12, 2018

What is Title Insurance for Nova Scotia property, and why do you care?

March 12, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

What is Title Insurance?

First things first: the word "title" refers to your legal right to own, use, mortgage and sell real property. Title Insurance is there to protect your legal interest, and often that of your lender, in your property.

January 22, 2018

How long does it take to get a Divorce in Nova Scotia?

January 22, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Ask 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.

January 15, 2018

Thinking about buying a vacation home in Nova Scotia? What you should know first:

January 15, 2018/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

November 06, 2017

Severance Pay: What am I entitled to after being let go from my job?

November 06, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

An unfortunate reality of today’s corporate world is restructuring, outsourcing and downsizing. For many hard-working employees, the result is lay-offs. One day you go to the job you’ve devoted yourself to for years and the next you find yourself unemployed with a standardized letter letting you go, along with a request to sign a ‘Release’ in exchange for a severance package. You are reeling and have no idea if the package they are offering you is what you are entitled to. This is where an employment lawyer comes in. Many lawyers, including myself, are happy to meet with people in your shoes to review your situation and give some basic advice as to whether or not the severance package offered is within the acceptable range.

October 30, 2017

Yup, you can get jail time for texting and driving.

October 30, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

A simple ‘texting and driving’ google search generates statistics that goes on for pages. It’s simple logic – if you’re looking at something other than the road when you’re driving, you are more likely to have an accident. One stat pops up repeatedly, and paints a pretty scary picture. A driver’s eyes are diverted from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds when reading or sending a text. In 4.6 seconds, with its driver not looking at the road, a car travelling 100km/hour travels the length of a football field. It doesn’t take a lot of creativity to imagine the deadly situations that might crop up on the road in that span. Not surprisingly, the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that you are 23 times more likely to crash if texting while driving.

September 25, 2017

The End of the Road: Understanding Employment Termination

September 25, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

George Costanza, on an episode of Seinfeld, dramatically quit his job during a meeting. Regretting his impulsive decision, he decides to act like it never happened and simply shows up to work the next day. As was often the case, things went badly for George and he did not get his job back.

Employment disputes can be very tricky to deal with because our work is a fundamental part of our identity. Not to mention that jobs are how we put food on the table and a roof over our head. To make matters worse, there are plenty of myths, out of context advice, and some just plain wrong information floating around out there.

September 18, 2017

To Incorporate or Not to Incorporate, That Is the Question.

September 18, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Whether it is time to incorporate is a question often pondered by business people. There are two primary reasons to incorporate a business:

1. Your business can realize tax savings through utilizing a corporate structure; and

2. Your business activities are risky and you would like to place this risk on the corporation’s shoulders instead of your own.

September 06, 2017

Parenting Plans – an Essential Document for Separating Parents

September 06, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

During separation, figuring out "co-parenting" children is often the most difficult and important consideration. In most cases, both parents want what is best for their kids but they often have different ideas about what that looks like.

September 05, 2017

Why finding the right realtor to sell your house matters (a lot!)

September 05, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

There are a lot of real estate agents out there, and it can be overwhelming deciding which one is right for you. But the right agent can make a huge difference in your home selling experience. The right agent can not only make the experience more pleasant, they will likely also be able to sell your house for more and in a shorter amount of time. To make the decision-making process easier, consider the following

June 29, 2017

How to Save Money during a Divorce

June 29, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Divorces and separations can be very expensive. During a separation, families may face new expenses for custody and access visits, outfitting a new apartment with furniture. Now add to that legal fees and court costs and it can be a very challenging time financially. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to reduce you expenses.