Author: edosmo

When most potential immigrants research Canadian Immigration the most popular keyword is Express Entry which is an application management system for the following economic immigration programs:

1. Federal Skilled Worker program;
2. Federal Skilled Trades program;
3. Canadian Experience class; and
4. Portions of the Provincial Nominee program.

The Express Entry program was established in 2015 and it allows potential immigrants to create profiles and join the Express Entry pool from which the IRCC can then invite specific individuals to apply for Permanent Residency based on a number of factors including their occupations and score.

There are a number of factors which determine the individual’s score including:

1. Age;
2. Level of education;
3. Language proficiency;
4. Work experience; and
5. Skills transferability.

The good news with regards to Immigration even with the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is that the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship stated when tabling the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan that Canada intends to welcome 401,000 permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023. The Immigration Lawyers and our inhouse Immigration Consultant can help you with reviewing your options regarding Immigration to Canada to determine what your best options are and what steps you can take to increase your chances of receiving an invitation to apply. Feel free to email the Immigration Lawyers at EO Law by sending an email to info@eolaw.ca to book a consultation. 

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is provided by EO Law for educational purposes only. The information gives readers a general understanding of the law. The information does not provide specific legal advice and should not be used in place of competent legal advice from a licensed, pra

When one thinks about Estate Planning it is easy to assume that it is a topic reserved for old and frail individuals with vast amounts of money who possibly have children who do not get along and as such require a legal document to reign them in and ensure a smooth estate administration process.

 Nothing could be further from the truth.

Before delving into a short review of the requirements of a proper estate planning strategy for the average individual let us attempt to describe the three most important estate planning documents.

1. Will – A will is a legal document that issues directions to an individual’s personal representative on how said individual would like their property disposed of after their demise. There are various types of wills which include formal wills (signed by the testator and two witnesses in the presence of each other), holographic wills which must be handwritten and military wills which when written by a testator in active military service are signed by the testator(s) but do not have to be witnessed by anyone.
2. Personal Directive – This is a legal document that directs an individual’s personal representative to take certain steps in the event of the individual’s mental incapacity with respect to that individual’s end of life care. It deals with a number of decisions including whether to or not to consent to organ donation, resuscitation, life support etc It basically empowers someone else to make personal decisions on said individual’s behalf when they are unable to make those decisions themselves.
3. Enduring Power of Attorney – Most people are familiar with a Power of Attorney and understand how it works. An enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is similar in all respects except for the fact that unlike a regular Power of Attorney an EPA does not cease to be effective when the donor (the individual who is giving the power under the EPA) loses mental capacity. There are usually two forms of EPA; immediate (which takes effect once it is signed) and springing (which takes effect upon a declaration that the donor has lost mental capacity).

There are various orders which clients might require depending on their particular circumstances, but it is important that everyone speaks to an Estate Lawyer to obtain advice relating to their peculiar circumstances. The lawyers at EO Law have worked with lots of clients to prepare their estate planning documents and even review documents prepared by other professionals to ensure that they are still reflective of the wishes of the clients. Feel free to contact the Estate Lawyers at EO Law by sending an email to info@eolaw.ca to set up a consultation. 

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is provided by EO Law for educational purposes only. The information gives readers a general understanding of the law. The information does not provide specific legal advice and should not be used in place of competent legal advice from a licensed, practising lawyer. Use of this information does not create a attorney-client relationship.

In Alberta, the Family Law Act specifies the rules relating to custody/parenting of children and the topmost factor which the Courts consider when making decisions is the best interests of the child(ren). To gain some understanding of the family law principles in Alberta it would be helpful to explain some of the terms used:

“Custody” is a term used by the Divorce Act which is a Federal Statute to refer to the control and decision-making power of a guardian.

“Access” is a term used by the Family Law Act to refer to the time that the non-custodial parent spends with the child.

“Contact” is a term used by the Family Law Act to refer to the time that a non-parent/non-guardian spends with the child. The most common example of court ordered contact time is the time awarded to Grandparents.

There are different scenarios under which parents can co-parent and they include:

1.     Joint Custody – This usually refers to a scenario where both parents share all the rights and responsibilities of guardianship including the right to make major decisions relating to the child.
2.     Sole Custody – This refers to a scenario where one parent gets to make all of the important decisions relating to the child(ren) and the other parent has little or no decision-making power.
3.     Split Custody – This refers to a situation where there are several children, and each parent has sole custody of one or more of the children but not all. For example, if there are two children and each parent has sole custody of one of the children it would be a split custody situation.

Navigating the legal principles relating to parenting of children and support can be tricky but the family Lawyers at EO Law can help. Feel free to contact the firm of EO Law by sending an email to info@eolaw.ca to set up a Consultation so we can assist in any way we can to work towards the best possible outcome for you and your child(ren). 

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is provided by EO Law for educational purposes only. The information gives readers a general understanding of the law. The information does not provide specific legal advice and should not be used in place of competent legal advice from a licensed, pra