As of July 1, 2020, Sealy Cornish Coulthard has merged with Conrad Dillon Robinson. Julia Cornish, QC, Jennifer Kooren and Gillian Lush are excited to join Yvonne LaHaye, QC and Kelsey Hudson as the CDR Family Law team, along with our paralegal Donna Kerrivan and our Financial Administrator, Jackie Savage. You can reach all of us at 902-700-7717 or find us on the 8th floor of Belmont House, 33 Alderney Drive. Former SCC clients looking for file information or requiring additional legal services are welcome to contact us at our new location. We want to thank everyone who supported SCC throughout its twenty-year journey and we do hope we were able to make it “better down the road” for our clients. If the opportunity arises, we would be pleased to do so again- we joined CDR because of its commitment to the values we cherished at SCC. All the best.

Whether working from home or the office, our goal is to maintain service to our clients. Based on the guidelines and restrictions as of today’s date (March 24, 2020), we’re able to do the following:

-schedule and conduct phone meetings 

-answer all phone messages within one business day

-respond to all emails 

-accept new clients, subject to conflict checks and our usual intake process

-process payments

We have restricted our office space to two firm members at any one time and we are not seeing clients in the office (as much as we miss doing so!) Firm members not in the office will be working from home.

We still get mail and courier deliveries at the front desk; clients are able to drop things off during regular business hours (8:30-4:30) but we do prefer emailed copies for now!

If it becomes necessary for all of us to work from home, we’re able to do that too, and we’ll post an update.

Courts dealing with family law matters are restricted to hearing emergency matters only: child protection, adult protection, abduction and domestic violence matters, primarily. It’s not a good time to file a court proceeding. However, it IS a good time to work on any of the following:

-a marriage contract

-a cohabitation contract

-documentation required to begin an application once normal Court processes resume

-financial documentation

-obtaining disclosure

-negotiating a settlement

-a Separation Agreement

There is some good news in all of this: Lawyers often have their schedules driven by court deadlines, which necessarily take top priority. Without those demands, we can devote all our energy to work that is less time-critical but highly important. Often that is the work that creates settlement opportunities and resolves disputes in a co-operative way. After all, that’s what we learn from collaborative law: when court is not an option, you continue working until you find a resolution that everyone can live with. And that’s a reason to keep going in these challenging times.

It’s a new decade, and while 2020 has ushered in some significant changes to SCC, some things are staying the same. Family law continues as our primary practice area whether it is helping individuals navigate the oft-gruelling separation process, assisting clients in protecting their assets through contracts or bringing joy through the completion of an adoption. Julia Cornish, QC, with more than 35 years’ experience, now heads the family law team, which is rounded out by senior associate Jennifer Kooren, associate Gillian Lush, paralegal Donna Kerrivan and financial administrator Jacqueline Savage. (Plus golden retriever Carmen, presently on parental leave.)

Julia formerly co-lead the family law team with Doug Sealy, QC. After restricting his practice to mediation for a number of years, Doug decided to focus his considerable negotiation skills on his granddaughter, who he has not yet convinced to sleep through the night! Also retiring is business and property lawyer Peter Coulthard, QC, whose new “office” is likely to be a back woods site at Keji. Meanwhile, criminal and regulatory offense lawyer Don Murray, QC, can be reached at Smith Evans, where he continues his practice. 

After a “soft open” in October, Touchstone Legal Services has officially opened as a boutique law firm within our shared premises, providing legal services in the areas of corporate and commercial, trusts, estate planning and administration, elder law, real property, and tax. Former SCC lawyers Jessica Lyle, TEP and Megan Parker will be offering their estate and trusts services under the Touchstone banner, along with experienced business and tax lawyer Jamie Angus and staff members Alice Croft and Patty Pickles. 

We want to salute Doug and Peter for their long, distinguished careers. Although we’ve lost our two biggest Neil Young fans (see our website banner), we vow to hold to the firm’s pledge of “better down the road” on behalf of all our clients, present and future. Here’s to 2020!

Is there any parent who hasn’t been tempted to utter those words to an ungrateful child? Until recently, parents bequeathing nothing to their offspring (or even an unequal share) might not find their final wish carried out. Under Nova Scotia’s Testators’ Family Maintenance Act, even non-dependent adult children have been free to challenge their late parent’s will if they believe dearly departed Mum or Dad did not adequately provide for them.

However, a recent decision of Justice Bodurtha of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court has brought hope to the parents of undeserving progeny. In Lawen Estate v. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) 2019 NSSC 162, the Court determined the decisions parents make in their wills are fundamental personal decisions protected under s. 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Assuming the rest of the Supreme Court judges follow the Lawen decision (and they don’t have to), this leaves British Columbia as the last province where non-dependent adult children can complain to the courts about an “unfair” will. For adult children in Nova Scotia, however, perhaps it’s time to schedule that overdue visit to Mum-it’s generally better to earn your way into her good graces than to challenge her will when she’s gone!

After concern it might not pass before the next election (the fate of previous reform attempts), the amendments to the Divorce Act and related legislation received Royal Assent on Friday, June 21, 2019. Stayed tuned for confirmation of the amendments going into effect, and a rundown of the contents.

It’s Award Season!

You can keep your Grammys, your Tonys, even your Oscars: Our own People’s Choice is Jessica Lyle, winner of this year’s Distinguished Service Award from Canadian Bar Association, Nova Scotia Branch. This award, given to someone who “honours, recognizes and celebrates distinguished or exceptional service that a member has made to the Nova Scotia Branch.” Jessica, a Past President and former recipient of the Constance Glube Spirit Award, has done just about every volunteer job within CBA, including the Young Lawyer’s Section, the Women’s Forum, Law Day, the Professional Development Committee – you get the picture. The Canadian Bar Association is all about lawyers supporting lawyers & judges; thus enhancing the important work we do. Jessica’s impact has been felt not only in the province but nationwide. At a time when the rule of law is strongly needed to support democracy, volunteer work that enhances the profession is both admirable and necessary. Well done, Jessica- we don’t need to tell you to keep up the good work because we know you will!

…even Maggie the firm dog! We are welcoming the arrival of Australian Sheppard Banjo (although, based on the photo below, we may be more excited about it than Maggie). Like most babies, Banjo alternates his time between eating, sleeping, playing and “bio breaks” but he’s happy to meet new people. He’s at the office most days so please ask to see him if you’re stopping by. (If he’s not here, proud owner Jessica Lyle, TEP, has already taken an album full of baby photos she can show.) We all agree – puppies make every day better!

Visitors to the firm are often greeted by Maggie, our “official” firm dog (see her profile here). But since Jessica Lyle joined us in February, we’ve been pleased to have a “backup dog”- the beautiful, gentle golden retriever Emma. …Read More

“In the cookie of life, friends are chocolate chips” – Salman Rushdie

We are happy to be a chocolate chip in our great community and are pleased to support the following:

Plan Canada (for a herd of goats) – plancanada.ca

Filipino-Canadian Medical Association (for help in the Philippines)

Margaret’s Kitchen (for the hungry of downtown Dartmouth)

Wishing you Joy, Peace, Happiness, and a few sweet treats!

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction as this example from CBA National Magazine clearly illustrates: …Read More