Potestio Law
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Wishing everyone a safe and happy MAY LONG WEEKEND :)

PERSONAL INJURY: SHOULD YOU SETTLE A CAR ACCIDENT PRIVATELY? And what amount can you afford to settle privately? Car damage and injuries can quickly add up. Where the line is varies by individual. People with significant money can afford to do private settlements at higher amounts than people with little money. It’s common for an at-fault driver to be the one to initiate a private settlement as a way to potentially steer clear of trouble with their insurance company or because they lack auto insurance. But because the true extent of damage or injuries may not be clear for a while, insurance experts caution against accepting cash to immediately settle an accident without getting the drivers’ insurance companies involved. #personalinjury #caraccidents

EMPLOYMENT LAW: EMPLOYERS AND PROOF OF VACCINE If the workplace or job requires that the employee be vaccinated, asking for proof of vaccination would not be discriminatory, says Marie-Hélène Jetté, head of the labour and employment law group for Langlois Lawyers in Montreal, with some exceptions provided for in human rights legislation.Human rights laws ban discrimination and require employers to make accommodations to the point of undue hardship, notes the publication HR Insider in an article on requiring employees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. #vaccine #proofofvaccine

CANADA'S ASSISTED DYING LAW: LATEST UPDATE AND REVIEW Five years after assisted dying was legalized in Canada, lawmakers are preparing to review the system that has permitted thousands of Canadians to choose the time and place of their deaths. In 2016, Canada became one of a small number of countries to allow certain adults to request a doctor's help in bringing about their own deaths. The federal government recently expanded access to the practice after the nation's highest court ruled the original law was too narrow in scope. #Assisteddying #familylaw

LEGAL ADVICE: INTER-PROVINCIAL TRAVEL BAN FEASIBLE? An emergency room doctor from Whistler, B.C., joined the call for inter-provincial restrictions this week after seeing a "worrying" number of patients from Ontario and Quebec who had travelled west over the holidays. Horgan also acknowledged that revelations about a half-dozen Canadian politicians who disobeyed restrictions and travelled during their time off this winter "led to a firestorm of frustration and anger" that he...lped reignite the ban debate. #interprovincialban Do you agree with an inter-provincial travel ban? I

STAY AT HOME ORDER:: LAW ENFORCEMENT POWERS The Ontario government says its new stay-at-home order to curb the spread of #COVID-19 does not give law enforcement unfettered power to enter people’s properties, force them to explain why they are outside or stop them in their cars, as some police forces reported being overwhelmed with worried calls from the public. The order, which came into effect on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. and lasts until at least Feb. 11, does not require workers to provide proof that they are travelling to or from their #workplace, the #government said. Instead, it’s intended to limit the public’s contacts and includes a list of exemptions, including essential trips for food, medicine, exercise or work.

REAL ESTATE: ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION CHANCE TO BUY A HOME A personal finance lesson of the past 12 years is that #interest-rate forecasts are close to useless just plan for rates to fall. Keep this in mind as we look at whether the rate environment for home buyers is the best we’ll see for this generation and possibly in our lifetimes. Rates could go lower if the economy stalls. But with #COVID-19 vaccines on the way, there’s reason to believe that stronger growth and, eventually, higher borrowing costs lie ahead. Home prices in some cities have jumped in 2020, arguably the biggest of the many financial surprises in the #pandemic. #interestrates #realestate #buyingahome

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ONTARIO LOCKDOWN FINES: WHAT ARE THEY? A list of the restrictions currently enforceable throughout Ontario by provincial law are detailed under this section of Reopening Ontario Act. The restrictions are expected to be locally adjusted as regions move out of lockdown next month and the province moves back to its colour-coded response framework. It’s important to note that municipalities may also impose additional restrictions beyond those implemented by the province, which could include additional fines. #COVID19 #lockdownfines

SUPREME COURT RULING: MENTAL DISABILITY In a decision released Friday, the top court upheld an Ontario Court of Appeal decision that found Ontario’s Christopher’s Law is discriminatory and violates the charter rights of people found not criminally responsible in sexual assault cases. The law draws discriminatory distinctions between people found guilty and people found not criminally responsible of sexual offences on the basis of mental disability, the court found. These discriminatory distinctions cannot be justified in a free and democratic society. The remedy granted by the Court of Appeal was appropriate, and its orders should be upheld. #supremecourt #mentalhealth

REAL ESTATE: HOUSING MARKET TO SOFTEN 2022 Canada’s housing market may be heading for a soft landing at the end of the year after what could be a record-breaking 2021, a new report by RBC Economics said. The report published Wednesday said supercharged demand driven in part by low rates, high household savings and improving consumer confidence will continue to push housing market activity in Canada to record highs. The increase is set to take place after a 2020 that was likely the strongest year ever for the market despite the COVID-19 pandemic stalling activity in the spring. #realestate

MERRY CHRISTMAS! STAY SAFE, STRONG AND HEALTHY! GOD BLESS. :)

DRIVING LAWS: Petition to toughen drunk driving laws nears 100,000 signatures As the number of signatures grew, so have the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities across Peel Region 38 to date, up from 23 all of last year. Since 2010, only two full years have recorded more motor vehicle-related fatalities: 41 in 2018 and 40 in 2016. Police confirmed that six of the deaths to date in 2020, including the Ciasullos and 19-year-old Jagrajan Brar, who was killed after his car was hit head-on in an Oct. 10 crash, were the result of alleged impaired driving. #impaireddriving #petition

LEGISLATION: ACCIDENT OF LAW The federal government says it will soon introduce legislation to close "an accident of law" that allows Canadians who travelled abroad to claim up to $1,000 in sick pay while quarantining back home. Canadians have been been able to apply for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) if they're unable to work for at least half of their scheduled work week because they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are isolating due to the virus. #COVID19...travel What is your opinion on this?

REOPENING ONTARIO ACT: FINES FOR BREAKING DOWN LOCKDOWNS The provincial shutdown features a host of rules and restrictions including the closure of most non-essential businesses and the banning of all indoor gatherings with people from different households, and anyone caught breaking one of the rules will have to face the strict consequences outlined in the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA). According to the act, any individual caught defying the shutdown rules by hosting an illegal gathering, for example, could face a fine between $10,000 and $100,000, plus a potential term of imprisonment of not more than one year. #fines #reopeningOntarioact

PRIVACY LAWS: OVERHAUL TO CANADA'S PRIVACY LAWS As the number of high-profile online consumer security breaches continues to grow, the federal government is expected to introduce a bill soon to shake up Canada's privacy laws possibly as early as this week. It also promised to introduce new regulations for large digital companies to better protect Canadians' personal data and encourage more competition in the digital marketplace, and to appoint a new data commissioner to oversee those regulations. #privacylaws

REAL ESTATE: MORTGAGE RATES COULD BE HEADING HIGHER Five-year fixed mortgage rates could be set to increase as early as this week for the first time since COVID-19 led to a 100-basis-point decline, according to multiple Canadian brokers who say lenders have warned them of the potential hikes. Three Canadian brokers told the Financial Post that they’ve already been contacted by lenders about a hike. Should the yield on the Canadian five-year bond hold at its current level heading into the end of the week, brokers believe that a hike between 10 and 20 basis points will be rolled out. #realestate

FACTS&TIDBITS: CANADIANS FOCUSED ON SAVINGS AND DEBT Canadian households are preoccupied with shoring up their finances this year, according to a new survey, a thriftiness that could be a drag on the recovery. Three out of four Canadians in a poll conducted by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News say their top financial priority is to pay down debt or retain an elevated level of savings. Only 11 per cent said they plan to make a major purchase. The extent to which househo...lds will use up an unexpected accumulation of savings is one of the key unknowns in coming months. Amid a massive downturn last year, Canadians became significantly better off financially because of income support payments from the government, surging real-estate prices and stock-market gains.The improved financial picture is fueling hope households will go on a spending spree once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Growth is seen surging to an above-5 per cent annualized pace in the final nine months of this year after a mid-winter slowdown, in large part on an expected surge in consumer spending, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists last month. SOURCE: BNNBLOOMBERG Jan12 See more

CRIMINAL LAW: EXTREME INTOXICATION DEFENSE DANGEROUS FOR WOMEN Extreme intoxication is used as a defence by people who commit crimes of violence after becoming highly intoxicated. If successful, the defence results in full acquittal. An aggressor will not be held criminally responsible for acts of violence against another person.Due to a public outcry, the government quickly passed a law prohibiting the use of the defence for crimes of violence. Section 33(1) was added to the Criminal Code of Canada, which prevented the use of the defence for crimes like assault, sexual assault and robbery. It also included a preamble recognizing women and children are equally entitled to protection under the laws of the state. #sexualassault #criminallaw #intoxication

PERSONAL INJURY: SOCCER HEAD INJURIES Using your noggin to do such feats isn’t without its risks. After all, imagine what would happen if you went around hitting things with your head like billiard balls, beer bottles, paint buckets, and Dwayne The Rock Johnson statues. Studies have found that between 4% and 22% of all injuries in soccer are head injuries. These include bruises and lacerations as well as concussions. In fact, a study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found that men suffer 1.1 concussions for every 1,000 hours that they played soccer whereas women had an even higher rate, 2.6 concussions per 1,000 player hours. #soccer #headinjury #personalinjury

FACTS&TIDBITS: Canadian households and businesses sitting on $170 billion excess cash hoard Frugal Canadian households and businesses have accumulated a minimum of $170 billion in excess cash throughout COVID-19 and are currently sitting on the largest cash hoard in recorded history, according to CIBC. In the second quarter, labour income fell by over $100 billion, but that number was offset by government transfers, which grew by $225 billion and what’s described as other b...enefits pandemic emergency programs rising by $151 billion. Instead of spending that money, Canadians hoarded the extra cash, leading to the savings rate increasing from 3.6 per cent to 28.2 per cent as of June. Tal and Judge estimate that Canadian households, mostly those made up of mid-income and high-income Canadians, are sitting on $90 billion in excess cash, which they’ve dutifully pumped into their chequing and savings accounts. source: Financial Post Nov17 See more

CRIMINAL LAW: DIGITAL INITIATIVE AND FILING OF CRIMINAL CHARGES The provincial government, working alongside the Ontario Court of Justice and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, is introducing a digital initiative for filing criminal charges. The new eIntake platform seeks to accelerate and to simplify the filing and management of criminal charges by allowing police officers to digitally file such charges instead of appearing before a Justice of the Peace. With this change, police can spend more time preventing and investigating criminal activity and protecting and serving their communities and less time doing paperwork and travelling to and from courthouses, said the Province’s announcement. #criminallaw #digitalfiling

PERSONAL INJURY: IMPACT OF COVID19 ON INJURY CLAIMS https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca//impact-of-covid-19-on-pers The delays in our justice system and the added pressures to vulnerable persons make it tactically advantageous for an insurer to deliberately slow down and delay the proceeding to create pressure on a plaintiff to settle on its terms. The threat of an impending trial is generally what helps a disabled person balance the scales to ensure a more just and reasonable ...settlement. As a result of COVID-19 and the measures taken, that balance is no longer there, and many plaintiffs will face an additional year or more before trial. Many plaintiffs will be forced into improvident settlements because of their dire financial situation or worsening health condition. See more

REAL ESTATE: HOUSING IMPORTANCE When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ontario, the real estate market was witnessing climbing prices month-after-month due to continually increasing demand mixed with a chronic shortage of new housing supply.Then, seemingly overnight, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, residential sales dropped by more than two-thirds and new listings all but dried up. Though the situation has changed immensely, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) says the issues of supply shortages and affordability concerns are likely to remain. #realestate #housing

REAL ESTATE: CMHC-HOUSE PRICES WILL EVENTUALLY DROP Canadas federal housing agency is sticking to its pessimistic forecast for the future of the countrys housing market, citing tremendous risks from the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. forecast in May that average prices would fall between 9 per cent and 18 per cent from pre-pandemic levels before beginning to recover in the first half of 2021. #realestate

REAL ESTATE: HOME PRICES JUMP THE MOST IN THREE YEARS Canadian new home prices recorded their sharpest one-month gain in three years with higher demand and rising costs for building materials. The data are consistent with other indicators showing Canadas housing market hitting new all-time highs in recent months as pent-up demand for homes combines with tight inventory levels and historically low interest rates. #realestate #lumberprices

FAMILY LAW: WILLS AND ESTATES More than half of Canadians don't have a last will and testament. Of that group, 18 per cent cited cost as the main reason they hadn't written a will, while five per cent answered that it's too time consuming. Another reason that many Canadians say they haven't bothered to write or update their will? The uncertainty around whether they have enough assets to make the process worthwhile. In Canada, what happens when someone passes away without a will?. See article.

FAMILY LAW: WILLS AND ESTATES More than half of Canadians dont have a last will and testament. Of that group, 18 per cent cited cost as the main reason they hadnt written a will, while five per cent answered that its too time consuming. Another reason that many Canadians say they havent bothered to write or update their will? The uncertainty around whether they have enough assets to make the process worthwhile. In Canada, what happens when someone passes away without a will?. See article.

INSURANCE CLAIMS: CAR ESTIMATES AND ARITIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Customers can download phone apps through their insurers to guide them through the process of taking and uploading photos that can be evaluated by A.I., producing a near-instantaneous damage estimate. The apps are not yet in wide use in the United States, but their time is coming. The algorithms are trained in image classification, and they identify damage and hand off the claims to companies like Mitchell Interna...tional, based in San Diego, that price out parts and calculate labor costs. The best algorithms already provide estimates in a few seconds that are as accurate as those produced by experienced human estimators. The pandemic has made A.I.-powered estimating even more attractive because the technology reduces or even eliminates the need for face-to-face interaction between drivers and insurance adjusters. #artificialintelligence #insuranceclaims See more

INSURANCE CLAIMS: RIOTS IN THE USA WILL COST $1B The damage from riots and looting across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd is estimated to be the costliest in insurance history between $1 billion and $2 billion.Insurance Information Institute (or Triple-I) compiles information from a company called Property Claim Services (PCS), which has tracked insurance claims related to civil disorder since 1950, and other databases. The price tag could be as much as $2 billion and possibly more, according to Triple I. But the protests related to Floyd differ from others the database has tracked never before have they been so widespread. #insuranceclaims #riots

REAL ESTATE: INTEREST RATES FREEZE The Bank of Canada reiterated its pledge to keep interest rates at historic lows for years to come, but dialed back its willingness to take even more aggressive action and said it could adjust its bond purchase program. In a decision Wednesday from Ottawa, policy makers led by Governor Tiff Macklem held the banks benchmark rate at 0.25 per cent and said theyll leave it unchanged until economic slack is absorbed so that the 2 per cent inflation target is sustainably achieved. The central bank also retained a pledge to buy government bonds at the current pace and maintain extraordinary monetary policy stimulus throughout what it calls the recuperation phase of the recovery. #interestrates

LABOUR LAW: GIG WORKERS In Ontario, gig workers are classified as independent contractors, which means they work for themselves. They have the flexibility to set their own schedule and work as much or as little as they choose, but they are ineligible for standard employment protections, such as the Employment Standards Act (ESA). This act guarantees all employees a minimum wage, vacation pay, overtime pay and so on. But gig workers in Ontario are challenging this classification. #employmentlaw #GIGworkers

REAL ESTATE: MORTGAGE DEFERRAL CLOSING It is estimated 780,000 Canadian homeowners chose to defer their mortgage payments when COVID-19 forced businesses to close and workers were laid off. As the pandemic took hold, the banking and lending community took immediate action to prevent a rush of defaults as the economy shut down. This was an impressive and appropriate response. Now that things are reopening and we have a better understanding of the impact, they are now appropriately asking those who deferred their mortgage to start making payments again. #mortgagedeferral #realestate

CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION: FIRST INDIGENOUS PRESIDENT He was a child of the Sixties Scoop, one of the thousands of Indigenous children taken from their parents and communities and adopted into non-Indigenous families. Last week, he became the first Indigenous president of the Canadian Bar Association, the countrys largest lawyers organization.I always view myself as one of the lucky ones because the family was very loving, says Brad Regehr, 52, who is a partner at a rare, national law firm with a majority of Indigenous owners Maurice Law in Winnipeg where he advises First Nations and corporate clients. There are some absolutely horrible stories that you hear about. #canadianbarassociation

COURT RULING: BUSINESS INTERRUPTION CASE A momentous ruling pertaining to COVID-19 business interruption claims was reached by a court in Missouri last month. Much to the displeasure of insurance companies, US District Court Judge Stephen Bough for the Western District of Missouri ruled that business income loss due to the coronavirus may be covered under standard property and casualty policies, as long as the claimant can prove direct physical loss.This decision provides a potential roadmap for business policyholders who have been affected by COVID-19. #businessinterruption #COVID19

ONTARIO COURTS: THE FUTURE IN ONTARIO COURTS AS A RESULT OF COVID19 The pandemic has created chaos across the globe in almost every industry and profession. But one silver lining in Canada has been that, despite the turmoil, it has caused both the court system and the legal profession to embrace technology in a way that has not previously been seen. Both lawyers and judges agree that the judicial system is underfunded. The greatest criticism in recent years has been the lack of technology available in the courts, and funding discussions between the provinces and the federal government have often been conflictual. #ontariocourts

CLASS ACTION SUIT: TRAVEL INSURANCE Toronto-Dominion Bank is facing a class-action lawsuit over its refusal to pay travel insurance claims following trip cancellations triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Canadians are experiencing similar frustrations with travel insurers, since vouchers make a poor replacement for refunds given the uncertainty around travel and health over the next couple years #travelinsurance #classaction

FAMILY LAW: COURT RULES CHILD WILL ATTEND SCHOOL An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that a nine-year-old boy will attend school in-person this fall after his separated parents could not agree about whether he should attend classes during the pandemic. The case is part of an increase in custody-related disputes linked to COVID-19, which has complicated decisions around parenting time, schooling and other issues that can be fraught even without the added complications of a global pandemic. #familylaw #COVID19

REAL ESTATE: EXTEND MORTGAGE DEFERRALS Earlier in March, the uncertainty about the resumption of economic activity and the public health impacts of COVID-19 was high. Many borrowers, who were uncertain about their jobs, opted for mortgage deferral as a precaution. By mid-April, 600,000 borrowers had applied for mortgage deferrals. At its peak, over 700,000 mortgages had been in some form of a deferral representing 16 per cent of borrowers. Evan Siddall, President and CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), alerted that by October, the financial system might approach the debt-deferral cliff, when loan forbearance programs end and borrowers must start making payments again. #mortgagedeferral #realestate

INSURANCE CLAIMS: DOES BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE APPLY DURING COVID19 In March and April, as businesses were suddenly forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many business owners asked whether there was insurance coverage for the losses caused by the shutdown. Specifically, business owners asked whether business interruption and civil authority coverages typically found in Commercial General Liability policies potentially covered the staggering losses associated with the shutdowns. Business interruption coverage covers lost profits when a business cannot continue its normal business operations due to a covered loss. Civil authority coverage provides coverage for loss of business income due to civil or military orders that impair business operations. #COVID19 #businessinterruption

PRIVACY LAWS: CLASS ACTION SUIT- GOOGLE; ALPHABET https://www.itworldcanada.com//canadian-law-firms-t/435459 Lawyers in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec have filed proposed class-action lawsuits in the three provinces against Google and its parent Alphabet Inc. on behalf of millions of Canadians, alleging the company unlawfully collects and profits from personal information without their consent.... The claim alleges that through Google Services, Google Ads and Google Analytics the company turns Canadians electronics into tracking devices, which it uses to build profiles on almost every Internet user in Canada; The claim also alleges that Google violates consumer protection and competition laws by misrepresenting its privacy and data practices. #Google #privacylaws See more

FACTS&TIDBITS: CANADIAN CONSUMER DEBT CLIMBS AS MORTGAGE BALANCES WEIGH Canadian consumer debt pushed higher in the most recent quarter amid a strong recovery in the housing market and a slower payoff of existing mortgages, according to a new report from Equifax Canada. Mortgage balances weighed on Canadians credit the most with increased refinancing activity and higher average home prices pushing the average debt per person to $73,532, which is 2.2 per cent higher compared ...to the second quarter of last year. Many Canadians have resorted to credit payment deferrals to help ease the financial stress amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been most popular among Canadians aged 35-44, according to Equifax, where 15.1 per cent have used some kind of deferral compared to 5.7 per cent of seniors. One in five people utilizing deferred payments were already financially stressed prior to the start of the pandemic. Some of these consumers may find it harder to recover as support mechanisms start to reduce. SOURCE: BNNBLOOMBERG See more

REAL ESTATE: THE END OF COVID AND THE HOUSING MARKET Canadas housing market is facing two conspicuous problems. One, a historically large percentage of people could default on their mortgage next year.Two, no one knows how big that percentage will be. What we do know: Mortgage deferrals and income support programs are keeping housing buoyant. Without them, we wouldnt be seeing record home prices this summer. But most income support and deferral programs are slated to end ...in the final quarter of this year, which raises the question: How many Canadians will have to dump their homes because they cant make the payments? #realestate #COVID19 See more

CAR ACCIDENTS: WHO PAYS FOR TREATMENTS AFTER AN ACCIDENT IN ONTARIO While claiming insurance, hiring lawyers, and filing the lawsuits are all essential for getting compensation, have you ever thought who will pay for your treatment right after your accident?Confusion about this issue is paramount among the people suffering from the injuries. To make things better, we have come up with the answers to some crucial questions. #personalinjury #vehicleaccidents

INSURANCE CLAIMS: WORST AUTO INSURANCE CLAIM MISTAKES When it comes to auto insurance claims, dont wait too long to fileand dont file an incomplete claim. How long do you have? Ideally you should report a claim as soon as possible. Some drivers dont get anything because they mishandle their own claims. #autoaccidents #insurance

MORTGAGES: MORTGAGE AND LOAN DEFERRALS Mortgage and loan deferral were an extremely important part of the relief effort; with [the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit], they were unquestionably the most critical two programs, said Ron Butler, founder and broker at Butler Mortgage Inc. But now that the country is out of full lockdown, it is important to find out who has a profound problem in being able to pay their mortgages and those who simply chose not to pay. #realestate #mortgages

PRIVACY LAWS: UPDATE LAWS Commissioner Daniel Therrien has penned a letter to government officials outlining that although technology has brought significant benefits to Canadians amid the pandemic, it has created important risks to privacy. The current pandemic has greatly accelerated what was already a disruptive digital revolution. Examples include the much greater use of virtual medicine and e-learning. These technologies offer real benefits but also create very significant risks to privacy and other rights, the letter states. It outlines that Canadian privacy laws need to be updated to more appropriately protect Canadians. The letter calls for rights-based privacy laws, the inclusion of a necessity and proportionality standard, independent oversight and more. #privacylaws

REAL ESTATE: HOUSING MARKET RISKS Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is bracing for further impacts on the housing market from the COVID-19 pandemic.The housing market will have to reckon with significant short-term uncertainty, as well as falling housing demand from weaker household incomes in the medium term, the Crown corporation said on Friday. The Canadian housing market broke sales and price records in July as it continued to play catch-up after spring shutdowns. But ...CMHC said the economic shock of the pandemic has not yet been fully reflected in the latest housing market data, predicting the process of containing COVID-19 could still pose a risk to prices, sales and new building projects. #realestate See more

LABOUR LAW: SAFE RETURN TO WORK Staying healthy as work resumes for some and others leave their homes for more formal work settings is going to require employees to not only strictly adhere to preventative measures like hand hygiene and physical distancing but to know their rights, say experts in infectious disease and occupational health and safety law. While labour law falls under provincial jurisdiction and varies depending on where you live, there are some basic expectations all Canadians can have of their employers. If youre fortunate enough to have a choice about where you do your work, the decision to return or remain working remotely depends on such factors as your personal risk for COVID-19 complications. #COVID19 #employmentlaw #labourlaw

INSURANCE: DRIVING AND LOWERING YOUR INSURANCE The pandemic has had a wide impact on Canadians across the board, but one perk many have experienced is commuting less often or not at all. But while that helps you save money with fewer trips to the pump, did you know you can save even more by updating your auto insurance policy? Here are four different ways you can help lower your monthly premiums. If you arent commuting to work every day, but you are still driving regularly, the first thing to consider is switching to coverage for pleasure-use. This change is used when youre driving much less distance each day, so your insurance premiums may decrease as well. #insurance

INSURANCE CLAIMS: BUSINESS INTERRUPTION- WATERSHED MOMENT The insurance industrys watershed moment is currently underway in the Supreme Court as it hears the contentious case of whether the coronavirus pandemic can be exempt from certain infectious diseases exclusions in business interruption policies. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), Hollard Insurance Company and HDI Global Specialty SE have each submitted pleadings to the Supreme Court of New South Wales as it seeks to establish whether ambiguous wordings in business interruption policies are in favour of claimants or the insurers. #insuranceclaims #BusinessInterruption

REAL ESTATE: WAITING FOR A REAL ESTATE CRASH? With the coronavirus keeping people indoors and putting them out of work, some Canadians have been patiently waiting for prices to tumble before buying a home.As it turns out, it may take more than a pandemic to keep the Canadian housing market down.While all activity came to a halt in March and April, the market has since roared to new heights with July shattering the all-time sales record. A total of 62,355 transactions took place nationwide, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). #realestate

PERSONAL INJURY: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Personal Injury Claims are civil (non-criminal) cases where an individual has suffered a physical, psychological, or emotional injury. The law gives that person the right to ask for compensation. Depending on the amount of money demanded, these legal processes can be settled before they even get to court, or they can last for a long time, even years. Given the fact that this term covers a wide variety of possible situations, there are different kinds of claims. If youre thinking about starting this type of procedure, you should find the one which suits your circumstances the best. Here are some of the most common types of personal injury cases (read article). #personalinjury

REAL ESTATE: SALES RECORD HIGHS IN JULY Canadian home sales and prices surged to a record high in July, as buyers flooded the market and took advantage of low mortgage rates after the coronavirus pandemic briefly slowed activity in the spring.The number of homes sold jumped 26 per cent on a seasonally adjusted basis from June to July, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association, with Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver soaring along with surrounding regions such as Hamilton-Burlington in Ontario and Fraser Valley in British Columbia.The seasonally adjusted home price index, an industry calculation of a typical home sold, reached a record high of $637,600 last month up 2.3 per cent over June, the largest month-to-month increase since early 2017 when real estate markets were on a tear. #realestate

FAMILY LAW: DIVORCE Divorce rates in Canada still hover at about 40 per cent, but of course, the fact that divorce may be common does not make it any less overwhelming. If youre about to take that plunge into separation and the dissolution of your union, what do you need to know? What do people ask most of their divorce attorney? And what should they really be asking? Separation is more important than divorce. Most people dont fight about a divorce. [They fight] about money and kids. Also, [keep in mind that] separation captures common law relationships, too. #divorce #separation

REAL ESTATE: PREFERENCES ALTERED DUE TO COVID-19 Amid lockdown restrictions and more people than ever before working from the safety of their homes, Ontarians say theyre increasingly looking into living in suburban or rural areas, citing a desire for bigger homes and more outdoor space. Around one-third of adults active in Ontarios real estate market say that the pandemic has changed what they want in their next home, according to the Ontario Residential Real Estate Monitors July report. Of those who said that their wants have changed, 30 per cent of participants said they wanted a bigger home with more space and 19 per cent said they wanted access to more outdoor space. #realestate

DRUG LAWS: DECRIMINALIZE DRUG POSSESSION Canada has effectively taken a step toward decriminalizing the possession of illegal drugs, with the federal prosecution service issuing a new directive permitting prosecution only in the most serious cases those that put public safety, and especially children, at risk.The directive comes as deaths from opioid overdoses are soaring, with 728 alone in British Columbia in the first six months of the year, compared with 198 from COVID-19. The prosecutors are being told substance use is at least in part a health issue, and that alternatives to prosecution, such as treatment or restorative justice programs, should be used for offenders with substance-use disorders. #drugs #decriminalizedrugs #druglaws

COURT CASES: NOW SEARCHABLE ONLINE In what reporters and researchers are calling an information miracle, Ontario has finally made it possible to look up civil and some criminal cases online a task that could previously only be done in person, at the courthouse in the city where the case had been filed.Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey shared the new online tool on Monday, as part of a pandemic-driven push for increased remote access to the courts and reducing the need for in-person visits to courthouses. #courtcases

REAL ESTATE: RECORD HOME SALES IN JULY Canadian home sales surged to a record in July as homebuyers emerged from lockdowns.Transactions for existing properties reached 62,355 in the month, up 26 per cent from a month earlier, the Canadian Real Estate Association reported. Benchmark prices were 2.3 per cent higher on the month, as pent-up demand for homes collided with extremely low inventory levels.A big part of what were seeing right now is the snap back in activity that would have otherwise happened earlier this year. #realestate

INSURANCE: WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET HIT BY AN UNINSURED DRIVER? If your car is hit by an uninsured driver in provinces with public insurance, rest assured youre covered, as long as you have insurance. In British Columbia, for instance, it works the same as in the provinces with private insurance. If youre in a crash where an uninsured driver is at fault, your collision insurance, if you bought it, will cover the damages to your car, says the Insurance Corporation of British... Columbia (ICBC). Unlike uninsured protection in provinces with public insurance, which only covers injuries or has a cap on coverage for vehicle damages, B.C.s fund covers both injuries and collision damage. Thats different than Ontario, where youre only covered for up to $25,000 of the #damage to your car if youre hit by an uninsured driver and you dont have collision. Its also different than Alberta, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, where damage to your car wouldnt be covered at all if youre hit by an uninsured driver and dont have collision insurance. #insurance #uninsureddrivers See more