Jan 17, 2017 Becoming a landlord is a popular financial strategy. Whether you’re purchasing a new home to rent out, are renting out a portion of your current home or sub-leasing your apartment, there are several legal considerations for first time landlords. The Real Estate and Property team at Chown Cairns has decades of […]

Jan 19, 2017 Most commercial contracts and commercial agreements come with “standard clauses”. These are necessary portions of the agreement that carry specific meaning and serve the purpose of providing rights and obligations on the parties entering into the commercial contract. However, while these clauses are standard, they can have significant effects. And often, these effects may […]

Jan 24, 2017 Living in Ontario, you are no stranger to the unpredictable and extreme whims of weather. Whether it is a blizzard, an ice storm, flooded roads or all of the above, you see it at all. Inclement weather is typically bad news for any business, which may lose the ability to perform their […]

Jan 26, 2017 Committing a crime in Ontario can have a long-lasting impact that goes beyond the penalties assessed in the court of law. In fact, even being charged with a crime and not being convicted, can have a significant, negative impact on your life. Your criminal record will be maintained in the RCMP’s database […]

Jan 31, 2017 Ontario’s Mandatory Mediation Program in civil litigation was put into place in 1999 to help people settle their cases early in the litigation process in order to save money and time. The program is used in Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor for certain civil litigation issues only. It is not used, for example, […]

Feb 2, 2017 Litigation brought against a business can have serious financial consequences. For small businesses, one civil litigation claim may be enough to put the owner out of business. That is why insurance is so important to business owners; it helps protect them when paying out damages and sometimes it covers associated legal fees as […]

In Canada, an estate planning tax is just one of the costs that your loved ones will incur upon your death. Others include funeral expenses and the payment of debts. The number of potential costs and their financial impact is why planning to minimize estate planning taxes is an important part of comprehensive estate planning. Depending […]

Feb 9, 2017 If you want to file for divorce, have been served divorce papers or are simply considering divorce, you may have questions about what is involved. In order to dissolve a marriage in Ontario, you must prove in the Superior Court of Justice that you are legally married and that your marital relationship […]

Feb 14, 2017 There are many reasons in which prospective homeowners may submit a conditional offer. The most common reason to do so is to protect the buyers in the case that the home inspection report reveals extensive renovation needs or if their financing does not come through. Typically a conditional offer is structured with […]

Feb 16, 2017 When multiple people own a company, they often have their business lawyer draft a contract, known as a  shareholder agreement, to establish a set of rules and assign obligations to each individual. A shareholder agreement allows a company to establish a legal relationship between the owners of the corporation and creates a […]