An Alberta law blog.

In Alberta we have legislation called the Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act (the “Act”) which gives our courts the ability to enforce judgments in Alberta that were obtained outside of the province if there is an agreement between the two jurisdictions. Below is a brief outline of the Act and …

We are very pleased to welcome our 2021-2022 articling students Tristan Patterson and Erin Peters. Both Tristan and Erin graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law.

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”), also known as a confidentiality agreement, forms a key part of the relationship between the persons signing the contract. An NDA governs how a person may—or may not—disclose certain confidential information received from the other person. Breaching an NDA is …

On March 1, 2021, significant changes to the Divorce Act (Canada) (the “Act”) came into effect. Key changes include: The language used in the Act in relation to “custody” and “access;” Defining “family violence;” The factors to be considered in determining the “best interests of the child(ren);” …

Effective January 1, 2020, Alberta replaced the rules surrounding the application of property rights upon the dissolution of a relationship. Previously, the Matrimonial Property Act set out the rules regarding property division, but these only applied to married couples. Alberta has now enacted …

On December 9, 2020 the Province of Alberta passed a Bill that will significantly change the Builder’s Lien Act. Bill 37 renames the Builder’s Lien Act to the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act (the “New Act”). The New Act is expected to come into force in July 2021. This means that any …

As of April 21, 2021, the Government of Alberta amended the Employment Standards Code. Effective immediately, all working Albertans are allowed to access a minimum of 3 hours paid leave to get each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some key things to note: this is regardless of length of service; it …

The Partners of Emery Jamieson LLP are pleased to welcome Amy Abbott into the partnership. Amy carries on a general practice with an emphasis on wills and estates matters, including estate planning, estate administration, and estate litigation. Amy also has extensive experience in adult …

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on many businesses across Alberta. Businesses are facing incredible economic difficulty in attempting to keep their doors open, with many employers considering terminating employees. Here are a few things employers should keep in mind when …

Employers have an obligation to maintain a safe workplace for their employees at all times, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Here is some information from Occupational Health and Safety for employers handling workplace health and safety concerns related to the pandemic. OHS has released …

Alberta’s Human Rights Act prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals in the course of their employment based on the protected grounds listed in the Act. The protected grounds include race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, …

On April 6, 2020, in the face of the shutdown of many businesses across the country, the province announced changes to the temporary layoff scheme in order to allow employers to provide job protection, and flexibility to employers impacted by the pandemic. According to the Alberta Employment …

On July 29th, 2020, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 32: Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act, 2020 (the “Act”). The Act not only amends several provisions in both Alberta’s Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code but also creates new workplace rules in each.

Business owners across Canada have seen their businesses grind to a halt over the last few months due to the Covid-19 crisis. Whether the cause was mandated shutdown, interruption of supply chains, lack of consumer demand or a case of Covid-19 in the workplace, businesses are hoping the business …

Mental health is a key area of employee management that has come under focus as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The transition from the normal workplace environment to remote working, and back in some instances, has created new stresses for employers and employees alike. This has served as a …