Events

September 12 & 13, 2024

Michael Stangarone presenting with his great colleagues from California, Tennessee and Washington at the #IAFL meeting in Seattle, Washington on ‘custody conundrums’, family violence and relocation cases.

Michael Stangarone presenting #IAFL meeting in Seattle, Washington

Law360 Canada (July 22, 2024, 12:39 PM EDT) -- The Ontario Court of Appeal recently overturned a criminal conviction and ordered a new trial for a man convicted of multiple counts of domestic assault.

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Will Abbott and Meghann Melito presented at the prestigious NFLP 2024 event, held in Halifax, NS, on July 22nd at the Halifax Harbourtfront Hotel.

TOPIC: How to Handle an International Child Abduction Case under the Hague Convention - A Practitioners' Guide from Start to Finish

Michael Stangarone, partner, and Tiffany Guo, associate, were happy to meet with Chie Maekoya, case officer, and Izumi Kamada, counsel, with the Japan Central Authority (Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction) on July 12, 2024 to discuss how the Hague Convention is being implemented in our respective countries. It was a productive meeting!

A group of people are posing for a picture in front of a counter.

WE HAVE A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT

June 2024

WE ARE HEADED TO OTTAWA TO MAKE LAW AT THE SUPREME COURT ...

We proudly announce that our team at MacDonald & Partners LLP, Michael Stangarone, partner, Meghann Melito, partner, and Tiffany Guo, associate, have obtained leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada from the decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Michael Paul Dunmore v. Raha Mehralian (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave), 2023 ONCA 806 (41108), on the important issue of determining a child’s habitual residence in abduction cases involving non-Hague signatory countries. The decision of the Supreme Court could change the way in which Canadian Courts decide this important issue, which in turn will impact the lives of children across the country.

Granted

Family Law: Jurisdiction
Michael Paul Dunmore v. Raha Mehralian (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave), 2023 ONCA 806 (41108)

The parties were married in June 2015. They have lived in Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. In March 2020, they travelled to Ontario for a number of reasons, including to visit the Applicant’s parents. They had planned to return to Oman in early April 2020, however the pandemic precluded them from doing so and they stayed with the Applicant’s parents in Ontario until January 2021. In the meantime, the Respondent became pregnant and their son M was born in Ontario in December 2020. The parties and M returned to Oman in January 2021 but came back to Ontario in April 2021. The parties then separated in May 2021. The Applicant moved to the United Arab Emirates and later Oman, while the Respondent remained in Ontario with M. The Respondent commenced proceedings in Ontario in June 2021, seeking a divorce, corollary relief and equalization of property. At the same time, the Applicant commenced a court proceeding in Oman seeking a divorce and joint custody. The Respondent contested the jurisdiction of the Omani courts, but in March 2022, the Omani C.A. found that Oman had jurisdiction. In subsequent litigation in which both parties participated, an Omani lower court as well as the Omani C.A. found that the parties had been validly divorced in accordance with Omani law and awarded primary custody of M to the Respondent. The Applicant brought a motion in the Ontario Superior Court seeking an order recognizing the validity of the Omani divorce in Ontario and an order returning M to Oman. The two issues were heard separately by two different judges. One judge found that the Omani divorce should be recognized in Ontario. The second judge found that M should not be ordered returned to Oman. The Respondent appealed the first order and the Applicant appealed the second. Both appeals were dismissed. "The application for leave to appeal...is granted with costs in the cause. The hearing of the appeal is to be expedited and the schedule for serving and filing the appeal documents may be set by the Registrar."

We mourn as a firm the tragic and “too soon” passing of our long serving research lawyer and associate Ann Wilton. For many decades Ann was an involved and vital member of our team and we miss her greatly.

Condolences to Paul and her family from all her friends and colleagues at MPLLP.

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Our MacDonald & Partners is pleased to welcome 2024 summer law students!

Welcome Nicole Clyde from Queens, Isabel Brisson from U of T, and Megan Shemesh from Ottawa. Wishing them continued success into their third year!

Our team enjoyed a great golf day at the 1^st Annual LEAP Legal Software CA 2024 Invitational #Golf Tournament.

Thank you to the Leap team for the invite !

MacDonald & Partners LLP are proud to announce, that we sponsored SHE MATTERS, which happened on Sunday, March 24, 2024. From 1 pm-3 pm, the Clinic hosted its 3rd annual SHE MATTERS brunch at 2nd Floor Events (461 King Street West).

SHE MATTERS is an opportunity for professionals and community partners from across the GTA to network, meet members of the Clinic’s staff, Board of Directors, students, and volunteers, to learn about the Clinic and support our work. This year our goal is to raise $50,000, with your support, we know reaching this goal is possible.