Pulse
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January 19, 2026
What estate litigators can expect in 2026
2025 marked significant updates in estate litigation, introducing key reforms for practitioners. Changes to Estate Forms under Rules 74, 74.1 and 75 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, which took effect mid-August to simplify probate applications, will remain active into 2026. A notable Ontario Superior Court ruling in Mavalwala Estate v. Fast, 2025 ONSC 4100 confirmed that only physically executed wills are valid, and that electronic drafts are not valid. There have also been discussions regarding the changes to the Rules, which started in 2025 and will be implemented in 2026.
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January 19, 2026
MLT Aikins adds 4 associates across Western Canada
MLT Aikins has welcomed four associate lawyers to its offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon, according to the firm.
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January 19, 2026
Loopstra Nixon announces its 2026 partners
Loopstra Nixon has named eight new partners representing a broad range of practice areas.
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January 19, 2026
B.C. Appeal Court judge’s bail decision conforms to law, not public pressure
A recent CBC News report stated that overcrowding at the Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold, Ont., reached its highest level since 2019 in the first half of 2025. Its occupancy rate stands at 136 per cent. The report further states that, in 2024, 89 per cent of the jail’s population were awaiting trial and presumed innocent. It also quotes University of Ottawa criminology professor Justin Piché as saying, “Several of those folks will exit prison, never having been convicted of anything.”
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January 19, 2026
11 tips to get the most for your clients in mediation
In mediation, disputing parties explore whether they can agree on a resolution with the help of a neutral mediator. By contrast, in a trial or arbitration, the conflict ends with a decision imposed by a third party, and remedies are restricted to what is legally available. In mediation, the decision-makers are the parties themselves, and any resolution can be tailored specifically to their interests.
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January 16, 2026
SCC’s packed winter session features momentous appeal on Charter s. 33 override provision
The Supreme Court of Canada began hearings in its very busy winter session this week, which features a potentially watershed constitutional appeal and the surprise announcement that Justice Sheilah Martin, the court’s senior western judge, will retire next spring.
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January 16, 2026
Privacy commissioner investigates social media company due to reports of sexualized deepfake images
Canada’s privacy commissioner is expanding a current investigation into X Corp., the company that operates social media platform X, after reports that the platform’s chatbot is “being used to create explicit images of individuals without their consent.”
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January 16, 2026
Ex-partners in rhyme: Old MacDonald gets divorced
We all know Olde MacDonald had a farm. And we all know that on his farm he had an assortment of animals, including chickens, pigs and ducks. But unfortunately, Olde MacDonald did not have a happy marriage. His spouse, Edna, actually instituted a divorce action against him. I recently came across this information quite by chance after stumbling upon the case of MacDonald v. MacDonald, reported in the NLRs, to wit the Nursery Law Reports. I thought it would be useful to enlighten the curious and post the decision.
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January 16, 2026
Pallett Valo, City of Mississauga launch articling student exchange program
Pallett Valo LLP and the City of Mississauga have announced the launch of a new articling student secondment program, with students rotating between private practice and municipal legal work.
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January 16, 2026
Advising, coaching or mentoring?
It’s easy to confuse advising, coaching and mentoring, but they’re definitely not the same things. To be sure, while there is considerable overlap, there are also important differences.