Bolanle Olufunke Akinnusi

This decision addresses the issue of costs following a focused trial on parenting issues involving two children.

The father was the successful party and sought full recovery of costs.

The court applied the amended Family Law Rules (effective January 22, 2025) and considered the reasonableness and proportionality of the parties' conduct, offers to settle, and ability to pay.

The father's non-severable offer to settle did not attract the full costs consequences under subrule 24(12) because it was not as good as or better than the trial result.

The mother was found to have acted unreasonably, including breaching court orders and failing to make an offer to settle, which increased costs.

The court awarded the father costs fixed at $8,000 with a reasonable payment plan.

The Registrar issued a Notice of Proposal to revoke the registrations of a motor vehicle dealer and its sole director/salesperson.

The Tribunal found that the appellants engaged in past conduct that afforded reasonable grounds for belief that they would not carry on business in accordance with the law and with integrity and honesty.

Specifically, the appellants falsely represented odometer readings on three vehicles by rolling them back, failed to maintain required records, and failed to disclose material facts on bills of sale.

The Tribunal ordered the Registrar to carry out the proposal to revoke the registrations.

The applicant sought a declaration that her religious marriage (nikkah) to the respondent was a valid civil marriage under s. 31 of the Marriage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.

M.3, to enable claims for equalization of net family property.

The court dismissed the motion, finding that the parties deliberately chose not to comply with the civil marriage requirements and were aware they were not legally married, thus failing the "intention to be in compliance with this Act" criterion of s. 31.

The mother sought costs following her successful motion to change child support.

The father, whose income had increased significantly since the original order, failed to make required annual financial disclosure and did not respond to the costs claim.

The court reviewed the principles of costs in family law, noting the father's unreasonable behaviour and failure to accept a reasonable offer to settle.

The court awarded the mother costs fixed at $11,000, approaching full recovery.