Canadian Legal Guides

A couple carrying a moving box and a plant walk across a footbridge past three posts: a small clock labelled taxes, a larger clock labelled support, and a closed padlock labelled property.

Common Law in Ontario: Three Months, One Year, Three Years or Never, Depending on Who's Asking

Ontario has no single common law date. The CRA counts you at one year, spousal support at three, and property never. See where you stand today.

October 23, 2026 · 21 min read

Illustration of a woman standing calmly under an open umbrella while a shower of small blank speech bubbles falls from a large storm-cloud-shaped speech bubble labelled false words. Her umbrella is labelled your rights, and a small hourglass at her feet is labelled deadline.

Defamation of Character in Canada: What You Must Prove, Whether Police Can Help, and the Deadline That Comes First

Sue or press charges? What a court needs you to prove, what the Criminal Code covers, and the province deadlines that can close in six weeks.

October 20, 2026 · 17 min read

Illustration of a green hill with two footpaths climbing from a signpost labelled Form 8A to a flag at the top labelled divorce order. A woman walks one path alone, labelled simple. A couple carry one folder together up the other path, labelled joint.

How to File for Divorce in Ontario: Joint or Simple, What the Court Charges, and When It's Final

Joint or on your own, the papers you need, what the court charges and the standard waits. How an Ontario divorce goes from filing to certificate.

October 16, 2026 · 17 min read

Flat illustration of a car's side mirror with a cyclist riding along the road in its glass. A paper slip reading "CARELESS DRIVING" is clipped to the mirror, a round tag reading "SIX POINTS" hangs beneath it, and the words "NOT CRIMINAL" sit above.

Careless Driving in Ontario: It's Not a Crime, but Paying the Ticket Is a Guilty Plea That Carries Six Demerit Points

It's not a criminal charge, but paying the ticket is a guilty plea with six demerit points. What a conviction costs, and what the 2026 changes add.

October 13, 2026 · 17 min read

An older woman with grey hair and round glasses hands a large key ring across a low garden gate to a younger man reaching out to take it. Two oversized tags hang from the ring, a house shape labelled PROPERTY and a round tag with a heart labelled PERSONAL CARE, with a clock floating above the gate.

Power of Attorney in Ontario: Two Documents, Two Witnesses, and the Day Your Attorney Can Start

Ontario uses two separate documents. Here's how to make both for free, who can't sign as your witness, and what your attorney is allowed to be paid.

October 9, 2026 · 17 min read

An overhead flat lay on a plain tabletop: a taped moving carton, a tilted sheet of ruled paper marked NOTICE, a keyring tagged KEYS, a mug seen from above, and a strip of ten blank tiles labelled 60 DAYS.

Form N9 in Ontario: How Much Notice You Owe, and the Date That Makes It Valid

Your move out date on Form N9 has to clear two tests at once. See the notice each tenancy needs in Ontario and when a fixed term can end early.

October 6, 2026 · 17 min read

Flat vector illustration of a giant sheet of ruled paper filling the frame and acting as the ground. A small woman stands on it holding an oversized fountain pen, with dotted footsteps leading from her to a two-armed signpost. The left arm is labelled HANDWRITTEN and the right arm TWO WITNESSES. A closed folder labelled MY WILL lies flat at the upper right.

Is a Handwritten Will Legal in Canada? Where It Holds Up and What Each Province Requires

Five of the seven provinces we checked accept a fully handwritten will. Here is what yours has to contain, and when a court can still save a botched one.

October 2, 2026 · 14 min read

Flat vector illustration of a curving road with a small red hatchback parked on it, a tag reading "UNINSURED" hanging from its side mirror and a closed umbrella leaning on its bumper. A man stands on a grass island beside the road holding a blank card labelled "YOUR LICENCE", with a dotted line joining the card to the tag and the words "PROVINCIAL OFFENCE" in the background.

Is It Illegal to Drive Without Insurance in Canada? Fines in Four Provinces, and What a Crash Adds

It's not a crime, but it's an expensive charge. Fines in Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Quebec, and how an Ontario crash can hold your licence until you repay.

September 29, 2026 · 15 min read

Flat illustration of a woman seated on a low bench holding a closed box labelled INHERITANCE on her lap, while a second figure standing behind the bench carries an envelope labelled TAX BILL toward an open filing crate on the floor labelled THE ESTATE.

Inheritance Tax in Canada: There Isn't One, but Tax Can Still Reach You

Canada has no inheritance tax, so you usually don't report what you inherit. Some payouts, post-death income and foreign assets can still create tax or filing duties.

September 25, 2026 · 16 min read

A calm woman stands on a floor band with a telephone handset labelled COLLECTOR held to her ear. The coiled cord runs down and to the right, flattens out and stops well short of a low wall block labelled DEADLINE, with a closed envelope labelled OLD ACCOUNT lying flat in the gap between them.

How Long Can a Debt Be Collected in Canada? Six of the Seven Provinces We Checked Say Two Years

Two years in six of the seven provinces we checked, six years in Newfoundland and Labrador, and why a payment before expiry may restart time.

September 22, 2026 · 14 min read

Flat illustration of a large outlined house standing on a plinth with a smaller solid house nested inside it, labelled THE HOUSE, BROUGHT IN and WHO KEEPS IT. A woman stands at one end of the plinth and a man at the other, each with a hand on the outer wall, and a dotted line with outward-pointing arrows traces the open band between the two house outlines. A ring holding two keys lies on the plinth between them.

Who Gets the House in a Divorce in Canada? In Ontario and Saskatchewan, Owning It First Counts for Nothing

Owned the house before marriage? Ontario and Saskatchewan count its full value. BC, Alberta and usually Manitoba protect what you brought in.

September 18, 2026 · 17 min read

Flat illustration of a calm man holding a closed folder labelled RETAINER. Beside him a short ramp ends almost at once in a low block labelled RESOLUTION, while a much longer walkway runs on to a tall empty doorway arch labelled TRIAL.

How Much Does a Criminal Lawyer Cost in Canada? The Answer Depends on How Far Your Case Travels

Our own figures from 592 cost profiles, what a block fee actually covers, and the free help waiting at the courthouse before you hire anyone.

September 15, 2026 · 15 min read