Peterborough and area lawyer says couple might have opted to ‘shake it off’ after Taylor Swift tickets turned into ‘trouble’ | Nov. 19
Quote of Note:“When I saw this case … it’s one of those situations where it’s hard to go with precedence. The effect that (Taylor Swift)‘s had on the whole city, on the whole country, is just mind-blowing. And there’s no way something like this, on this massive scale, in this time and place, can ever be duplicated.”
Peterborough and area lawyer says couple might have opted to ‘shake it off’ after Taylor Swift tickets turned into ‘trouble’ | Nov. 19
Quote of Note:“Dealing with assets and other marital acquisitions can lead to some, well, bad blood, when couples split. But for one Toronto couple, a Swift dream seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.”
Russell Alexander Joins the Hot Tub to Discuss A Divorcing Couple Splitting Taylor Swift Concert Tickets | Nov. 18
Quote of Note:“Ordinarily married couples divide their assets 50/50 of those acquired during their marriage. In this case, the couple bought the tickets early, so they didn’t pay the after market cost. But the question is how we value the ticket as they are now going for up to $13,000.”
AI and Lawyers’ Professional Responsibility: Part Three | Russell Alexander | Sept. 5
Quote of Note:“That’s what this third and final Part of the series will cover – the Frequently Asked Questions. Here are some of the potential questions you may be asking yourself, when dealing with clients, opposing counsel, and the courts on a day-to-day basis.”
AI and Lawyers’ Professional Responsibility: Part Two | Russell Alexander | Sept. 3
Quote of Note:“When it comes to using AI in your practice, you may not be able to put your finger on which of them governs the most common scenarios. In this second part, we will dig a little deeper into that narrow topic.”
AI and Lawyers’ Professional Responsibility: Part One | Russell Alexander | Aug. 30
Quote of Note:“We already know that the conduct of every Ontario lawyer is subject to strict professional responsibility rules and ethical obligations, which are overseen and enforced by the LSO. But as those various rules apply to AI, the path is uncharted and can get muddy very quickly.”
Lawyers: AI for risk management and fraud detection | Russell Alexander | Apr. 10
Quote of Note:“The added bonus is that risk management can apply to client matters as well: lawyers can use AI to analyze large volumes of data to identify potential legal risks for their clients.”
3 children left in car outside Ontario casino, mothers charged: what happens next? | Russell Alexander | Apr. 10
Summary:Russell Alexander speaks to the family law implications of the recent Durham Region case in which three children (ages 8, 10 & 2) were left unattended in the Pickering Casino parking lot.
For lawyers: Safeguarding reputation using AI | Russell Alexander | Apr. 5
Quote of Note:“It all starts with something called “sentiment analysis.” This is the process of using AI to identify,
extract and analyze social media and other online content to track public sentiment. Then, AI can be
engaged further to assess the reputational risk faced by lawyers and their law firms.”
(Divorce Video) – Technology, Social Media, and Divorce / Russell Alexander / Stephanie Dobson| Feb. 11
About the Episode: In this episode, Russell and Stephanie discuss the impact of social media on divorce cases along with some of the do’s and don’ts. Tune in to learn about technology-assisted ways to communicate between parents, and some of the challenges & opportunities relating to such technology.
Kudos to Doug Downey for investing in technology for our family court system | Jan. 26
Quote of Note:“Attorney General Doug Downey recently announced increased funding to improve the technology used in Ontario family courts. With this funding boost, courts across the province will be poised to enhance their digital capabilities.”
Quote of note: “The traditional model is you’re living continuously under the same roof,” he told The Lawyer’s Daily. “This particular case kind of takes it to the next level. They were dating and they were certainly spending time together, but they were also living separate and apart in their own residences. So really it takes a much more expansive view, in my opinion, of the definition of spouse.”
Quote of note: “Now with the pandemic, it’s even more fodder for parents to fight over. Some parents might think this is a chance to change my custody or parenting arrangement which they didn’t like in the first place.”
Quote of note: “There are lots of families who cannot afford to litigate these issues,” Alexander told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Friday, pointing out that many parents have been laid off or are relying on government aid. “So I think it’s a lot more common out there, but parents don’t have the resources to argue these cases.”
Quote of note: “It gives family lawyers and parents some guidance in terms of how do we approach this issue of returning to school when both parents don’t agree”
Quote of note: “The mother sought an order that the child shall attend a specific school in-person starting in September and that the child was to be registered to do so prior. The Respondent father in the matter sought an order that the child remains at home until the school board’s safety protocols were proven successful and more certainty on the health and safety of children at school could be guaranteed. It is important to note that the child, nor anyone else in the immediate family, holds underlying health conditions.”
August 31, 2020
Publication: Law Times
Ontario Superior Court rules child must attend in-class school, despite Covid-19 pandemic [Link to article]
Quote of note: In this situation, the judge ruled the child should go to in-class school, Alexander notes, “but a different family with different facts” may produce a different ruling. “Let’s say one parent has asthma or an underlying health condition. That may cause the court to say, well, maybe the child should not go to school.”
August 28, 2020
Publication: Canadian Lawyer
Alberta appeal court rules no harm in daughter’s return to Texas despite pandemic [Link to article]
Quote of note: “Right from day one, since everybody went into lockdown, the courts have been taking a really strong approach to parents trying to use the pandemic to alter parenting arrangements,” says Ontario family law lawyer Russell Alexander, who maintains several offices across the province.
Quote of note:“They were complaining the other spouse was a health-care worker or a first responder,” he said. “And some parents were just not returning their children.”
Quote of note: “Our particular firm has seen an increase in clients coming in and asking for information. The pandemic has somehow changed them and they’ve realized that spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with their partner has been overwhelming.”
Quote of note: If there is one silver lining in all of this, Alexander said, it’s the fact that this has forced Ontario’s outdated court system to modernize. Since reopening, many courts are starting to go paperless and are now accepting documents electronically.
Quote of note: “Covid-19 pandemic has jolted the courts into the digital age, forcing them to adapt to modern technology, electronic filing and virtual conferences. It is possible that the Covid-19 pandemic may permanently change how the courts operate in the future.”
July 21, 2020
Publication: Toronto Star, Ask Ellie, Advice Columnist
Quote of note: Lawyer Russell Alexander, in his second book on divorce law in Ontario — Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Divorce — has added a chapter specifically on divorce during the coronavirus pandemic.
Quote of note:“Our firm has long advocated for families to use alternatives to the courtroom, but that has never been more important than during the pandemic.”
Quote of note: “Parenting coordinators are a key part of an approach known as collaborative divorce. In a traditional divorce, both sides can end up fighting in court over who deserves blame for the fire. Even in mediation, the two sides are still essentially locked in a legal battle.”
Quote of note: I am used to seeing families in one of the toughest situations they could face. Now, as we enter the second month of quarantine for most families, it looks to me as though many “intact” families are now in a similar situation to those with parents who are considering divorce.
Quotes of note: “If the strain of the relationship is too much, couples should not feel pressured to wait until after the pandemic is over to separate. Professionals and lawyers continue to be available to assist in separations and divorces during the pandemic.”
Quotes of note: “It is important that couples maintain communication and express themselves during this time. A good way to accomplish this is by setting up a daily debrief where you can each express things occurring in your everyday life.”
Quotes of note: “We are hearing stories of lawyers conducting meetings in their bathrobes and even court hearings from bed. Sometimes shirtless or in bathing suits by the pool. This reflects poorly on our profession and the administration of justice, and Judges are taking note.”
Quotes of note: “With this pandemic now in its second month, we are appreciative of all the hard work that our nurses, doctors and other medical professionals on the front line are doing every day,” said Alexander. “We hope these pizzas will remind them of everyone pulling for them right now while helping out local restaurants that have seen business drop off during the outbreak.”
Quotes of note: “We hope these pizzas will remind them of everyone pulling for them right now while helping out local restaurants that have seen business drop off during the outbreak.”
Quotes of note: “Dealing with separation and access issues is difficult all the time. The difficulty is heightened during the pandemic. Everybody is overloaded by the news cycle. Our health protocols are evolving and changing daily, sometimes hourly.”
Quotes of note: Russ advised couples to spend some time together, but also get in some “you” time. However, it’s important that you don’t avoid each other all together and look for ways to enjoy each other’s company. It could be going for walks, cooking a meal, or even working on a puzzle.
Quotes of note: If someone has proof that his or her former spouse is not abiding by public-health guidelines, that would likely count as an emergency, Mr. Alexander says. But suspecting the other parent is letting the kids go to the playground or otherwise putting them at risk of exposure to the coronavirus probably doesn’t.
Quotes of note: “Family lawyer Russell Alexander says upcoming changes to make the language of the Divorce Act more neutral will reduce a harmful “winner-loser” mindset. The updated act uses words like “parenting time” instead of “custody” and “access.”
