Are Dogs Property, Not Children, in Canine “Custody” Battles?

Canine Custody

It’s the kind of case that would have made the Dog Whisperer scream. A divorcing couple in Canada petitioned Justice Richard Danyliuk of the Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan to render a custody decision and visitation rights for their three dogs. Rather than entertain the idea of equating dogs with people, Danyliuk responded with 15+ page…

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Tax Reform Means Higher Taxes for Those Paying Alimony

There are many tax issues facing divorcing couples, and a major one is alimony (or spousal support). Thanks to recent changes to the federal Tax Code, those paying alimony after 2018 will face higher tax bills. For divorce settlement agreements or judicial decrees entered before December 31, 2018, the parties will continue the “old” practice…

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The Whistle that Could Blow Over a Caterpillar

“Whistleblower” is the term used for someone who reports something illegal or unethical in an organization, either internally or to a government agency. That organization can be a government, nonprofit, or private entity. It can include just about any type of wrongdoing, from employment discrimination to bid rigging to illegal pollution to cheating on taxes.…

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Unconscious Bias: Taming the Beast Within

Discrimination in the Workplace

The vast majority of employment discrimination cases involve an employer’s alleged bias (race, gender, religion, age, disability) resulting in an adverse employment decision (non-hiring, non-promotion, retaliation, firing. Human beings, social science teaches, have one or many biases that may be conscious (we believe certain negative traits about certain people) or unconscious/implicit bias (we make decisions…

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