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 13, 2017

Children's Art Show on Now - Art for Sale

July 13, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

The 2017 Children's Art Show is on now at our office. It's amazing what a difference it makes to add so much colour and energy. The art is all created by local children and on sale until the end of day Friday. Proceeds of the sale will be split with 50% going to the young artists themselves and 50% going to the Paint it Forward FUNdraiser being held July 29th by Seaborn Art Studio, one of the Heroes for Hunter Marsden. We've included pictures of most of the artwork submitted below. If you're interested in purchasing a piece you are welcome to drop by the office where we can take cash, debit or credit or we're also happy to take an etransfer or credit card over the phone.

Please feel free to call us at 902-826-3070 if you have any questions about any of the pieces.

July 06, 2017

An Invitation for Submissions for our Children's Art Show

July 06, 2017/ Highlander Law Groupo/ Dianna Rievaj

We are inviting children in the area to submit their original artwork to be displayed and sold at this year’s Children’s Art Showcase. The event, which will run alongside the Peggy’s Cove Festival of the Arts, will be held from July 12th – 14th at the offices of Highlander Law Group. A gallery space will be open to the public from the hours of 9:00-4:00pm. Following the public viewing, the firm will host a private reception on Friday evening for the artists and their family. The art will be for sale with 50% of the proceeds being donated to the Marsden family through Seaborn Art Studio and 50% going to the young artists.

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.

June 20, 2017

Two important histories behind “Canada” Day

June 20, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

This year is being celebrated at Canada’s 150th birthday – but most people don’t have a clear idea of what the political and legal history is behind the “birth” of our nation or how the celebration reflects on the history of Native populations.

Indigenous people in Canada largely consider themselves Natives first and Canadians second. The 150th anniversary of Canada represents 150 years of colonialization and hardship. There is also a sentiment that Canada day ignores the history of indigenous people dating back thousands of years.

June 18, 2017

Laws Restricting the Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children are on the Horizon

June 18, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

As the father of a four-year-old who has always been a “good eater” I am lucky that I do not have many struggles with her eating unhealthy foods. But as she gets older and exposed to more advertising, her requests for the three Cs (cookies, candy, and cake) have started to get a little louder. As a parent, I am happy for any help I can get to try to combat the slick marketing directed at her to consume foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.

Health Canada has opened public consultations about restricting advertising of unhealthy foods to young people. The goal is to decrease strain on the health care system by helping children develop healthy food habits that will continue throughout their lives.

June 05, 2017

Be King of the CASL

June 05, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Canada has some of the strongest anti-SPAM legislation in the world. Starting on July 1, 2017, it is going to get even tougher. In 2014 the Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL pronounced “castle”) became law in Canada. The purpose of the law is to protect people from getting commercial messages they do not want.

June 02, 2017

Can a name be offensive? Ask the Grabher family

June 02, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

Lorne Grabher was back in the news this week after police told him to remove an out-of-province license plate bearing his controversial last name. Nova Scotia law requires valid plates mounted on the back of a vehicle only; the plate in question was an expired Alberta plate mounted on his front bumper.

May 25, 2017

It’s Time to Vote!

May 25, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

The Nova Scotia general election is now in it’s last week. Polls suggest that the election is in a “dead heat”, which means that a small number of votes could determine the outcome of election. Still, some people feel that voting can be a hassle. Below is some information that will help you fulfill your civic duty in the 2017 Nova Scotia general election.

First, if you are new to Canada and you want to vote in Nova Scotia:

· you must be 18 years of age or older;

· you must be a Canadian citizen; and

· you must be a resident of Nova Scotia for 6 months before the election was called.

May 16, 2017

Going Green at Home.

May 16, 2017/ Highlander Law Group/ Dianna Rievaj

In celebration of the long awaited arrival of spring, I thought I'd share some of the benefits of making your home "greener". The changes you can make to go green at home can be large or very small. It's not only an environmental benefit, butit can also be good for your wallet. Making an effort to make your home greener doesn’t have to mean making major lifestyle changes. In fact the changes discussed here are ones that would simply mean swapping one product you use for an eco-friendlier version.

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!!