This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   This article addresses the questions that many women and many employers might be interested to know about the workplace laws surrounding abortion in…

This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   Defining Surrogacy A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a baby full term on behalf of someone else. In some cases, the…

This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   Women continue to be statistically at a far greater risk of sexual violence in Canada. The Canadian Women’s Foundation summarizes statistics of gender-based…

This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   International Women’s Day is an important day for us women lawyers, as it celebrates the achievements and contributions of women to the world,…

This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   Separation vs Divorce According to the Divorce Act, a breakdown of a marriage may be established when you and your spouse have ‘lived separate and…

This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   In May 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) released two concurrent judgments for two cases dealing with circumstances where the accused was…

Increasing demand for remote work has presented new challenges for businesses, particularly where it comes to recording time for work completed.  While time theft has historically been difficult for employers to prove, the rise of remote work has ushered in new methods such as activity tracking software which has simplified the employer’s ability to prove…

Employees and self-employed persons who contribute to Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) plan will now have access to expanded EI sickness benefits. Those who made their claim on or after December 18, 2022, may receive up to 26 weeks of EI sickness benefits, extended from the previous limit of 15 weeks.   EI Sickness Benefits are…

On January 1, 2023, the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act (the “Act”) came into force. Under section 4(1) of the Act, non-Canadians will be prohibited from purchased any residential property in Canada. Defining The Meaning Of “Residential Property” The term “Residential Property” is defined section 2 of the Act as:…

In British Columbia, condominium ownership is principally governed by a statutory regime found in the Strata Property Act (“SPA”). However historically, structures were developed to create land ownership and management rights outside of that legislative scheme. Cypress Gardens (a 177-unit residential complex located in the City of North Vancouver) is an example of what has…