Hook, Seller & Lundin, LL.B

October 28, 2011

The Mandatory Information Program in Family Law: What you need to know

Ontario has seen a shift in how family law matters are approached and resolved. Effective September 1st, 2011, all parties involved in family law disputes in Ontario are required to attend a Mandatory Information Program (“MIP”). The MIP must be completed in all contested family cases before a judge will be in a position to hear the merits your case.

The MIP is designed to provide relevant information and education to parties to assist them in being better prepared for court and in helping their children adjust and move forward. The goal of the MIP is to assist parties in making informed decisions in order to resolve their family law matters.

The Program will include information about:
• The effects of separation and divorce on parties and children;
• Alternatives to litigation; and
• The court process.
Also, parties will be provided with a hard More >>

October 13, 2011

Jim Hook joins editorial board of “Briefly Speaking”

Hook, Seller & Lundin LLP would like to congratulate E. James T. Hook on becoming a member on the new editorial board of the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) publication – Briefly Speaking.

The OBA is the voice of the legal profession in Ontario. As a branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the OBA represents more than 17,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students across the province.

Briefly Speaking is the official magazine of the OBA. Jim’s involvement as an Editor on the publication will bring a strong voice of representation to rural legal communities throughout Northwestern Ontario.

September 16, 2011

Difference Between Provincial Regulatory Offences and Criminal Offences

A common situation in our legal system is that people often do not understand when they have been charged with an offence if it is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada or an offence under the Provincial Offences Act, or other Provincial statute.

Criminal offences are set out under the Criminal Code of Canada and are enacted by federal parliament whereas provincial offences are governed by the Provincial Offences Act (POA) and include a multitude of statutes enacted by the provincial legislature through regulations authorized by provincial legislative Acts and municipal by-laws. These various Acts regulate the day-to-day lives of all Ontarions.

The most significant difference is that a conviction under a Criminal Code offence results in a criminal record, whereas a conviction under a Provincial statute will not appear on a criminal record.
POA offences tend to be minor and regulatory, and include violations under the More >>

July 19, 2010

Join Our Team

Our firm is always looking to add talented individuals to our team and invite any professionals, recent law school graduates or students to email Cheryl C. M. Siran or call 807-468-9831 for more information.