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. .

May 10, 2017

Planning For Your Separation

May 10, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Gwyneth Paltrow made headlines when she publicaly discussed her conscious uncoupling with Chris Martin. Whatever you may think of her, there is something to the idea of putting some planning and thought to your separation. Arriving at the decision to separate is hard, and it can be overwhelming to think about the changes coming your way. Planning will not make the experience painless but there are some steps you can take that can make this major life transition go more smoothly.

May 08, 2017

Buying your first house? Be mindful of how you shop for your "starter home"

May 08, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

We've all heard the term "starter home". Usually it's used to describe a quaint little house that would be affordable for a young person or couple, but not really suitable for a family with more than one child. The theory being that this family will simply sell this little house and move into a larger one in the event that they have more children, or some other changes in circumstances. However, when you are buying your "starter" home, be mindful of the fact that life is full of surprises and you may end up staying in your first home longer than you anticipated. When looking for your home, don’t set yourself up to be "stuck" in a house.

May 01, 2017

Navigating the Unchartered Waters of Modern Families

May 01, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

A couple of recent news stories have highlighted the way that science, society, and the legal system are changing the definition of what it means to be a family. Just ask Natasha Bakht and Lynda Collins. Ms. Bakht and gave birth to her son, Elaan, seven years ago after using a sperm donor to get pregnant. From the moment Elaan was born, Ms. Collins was there for the family, eating meals, attending appointments, even joining them on holidays. Both women felt Ms. Collins had become a second momma to Elaan. But since they were not a romantic couple, it was not easy to for Ms. Collins to become Elaan’s adoptive parent.

April 13, 2017

Not Criminally Responsible - Balancing Personal Rights & Public Protection

April 13, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

The courts found that Mr. Li was Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) for the death of Tim McLean because he was unable to appreciate the consequences of his actions. Mr. Li was held in a locked psychiatric ward for years while he was receiving treatment, and getting more freedom, including short passes, and eventually his own apartment. He was described by his psychiatrist as an “ideal patient” Just this week, a review board decided he no longer posed a significant threat topublic safety and he was granted an absolute discharge meaning that he will no longer be monitored and has no restrictions on his freedom.

April 11, 2017

Having Problems Collecting From Clients?

April 11, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is managing cash flow. Running a business is expensive, and while none of your creditors want to wait to be paid, sometimes collecting from your customers can be a real challenge. So what can a business owner do when they are having a problem collecting the money owed by their clients?

February 17, 2017

Stat Holidays and Overtime - Who Qualifies?

February 17, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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

February 12, 2017

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

February 12, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

February 06, 2017

Who's On Your Team?

February 06, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

January 12, 2017

A New Year's Resolution for your Business

January 12, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

January 08, 2017

Holiday Skating Party a Huge Success

January 08, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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!!

December 14, 2016

When all is not Merry & Bright

December 14, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

November 11, 2016

Remembrance Day: Remembering the Rights We Enjoy as Canadians.

November 11, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

November 09, 2016

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

November 09, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

October 01, 2016

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

October 01, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

September 25, 2016

Highlander Law Group Expands to Offer Family Law Services

September 25, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

August 18, 2016

Children’s Art Show A Success

August 18, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

July 04, 2016

What you Wish You Knew About Overtime Wages in Nova Scotia

July 04, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

April 21, 2016

What You Wish You Knew Before Letting the Customer Keep YOUR money in Nova Scotia

April 21, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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?

April 20, 2016

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

April 20, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.

March 09, 2016

International Women’s Day

March 09, 2016/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

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.