Chiarelli Cramer Witteveen is pleased to announce the addition of corporate minute book updating to our list of available services. Please contact us to discuss how we can assist with your corporate minute book updates.

Powers of Attorney for Property and Personal Care are instrumental documents in estate and long-term care planning. Having a set of clearly drafted Powers of Attorney can assist you to ensure that yourself and your loved ones will be taken care of if or when they no longer have the capacity to make decisions. However, sometimes capacity issues can arise where there are no Powers of Attorney in place, or even where the existing Powers of Attorney are being disputed.

If your loved ones are no longer able to care for themselves or their property, and if there are no Powers of Attorney in place, or if they are being disputed, you may need to apply to the court for the appointment of a Guardian.

Our experienced estates planning lawyer, Dilshad (Dilly) Mohamed, can assist you with the following estate planning and guardianship services:

• Drafting and Executing Powers of Attorney;
• Applying for Court-Appointed Guardianship;
• Drafting a Management and Guardianship Plan for your loved one; and
• Representing you in contested applications.

Contact us to see how we can assist you with your guardianship application(s) and/or Powers of Attorney today.

Criminal Defence

A criminal prosecution is one of the most stressful events a person or organization can face. Clients need and deserve a fearless lawyer to represent their interests.

Criminal charges can include proceedings under the:

• Criminal Code of Canada
• Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA)
• Firearms Act
• Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA)
• Competition Act.

Ken has experience in the criminal justice system from several different perspectives, with past service in law enforcement and as a probation officer. He is familiar with law enforcement policies and tactics, investigative procedures, and the police mindset towards accused persons.

Ken has worked on a number of fraud and corruption cases around the world, and has a thorough understanding of “white collar” offences. Ken has also represented accused persons charged with a wide array of offences, from robbery to sexual assault.

Ken will represent you at each step of the criminal process, and ensure throughout that you fully understand both the process and your rights:

• Investigation / interrogation
• Detention / arrest
• Bail
• Disclosure (understanding the case against you)
• Preliminary hearing
• Plea negotiations (if appropriate)
• Trial
• Sentencing
• Appeal.

Ken is also able to represent persons under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Review Board (ORB).

Quasi-Criminal Defence

While only the federal government may pass criminal laws in Canada, all levels of government (federal, provincial, municipal) can and do enforce a wide variety of regulatory laws, many of which include substantial fines for individual offenders, organizations, and corporate officers / directors, and penal consequences (jail time) for those involved.

It is essential that an accused person or organization treat a quasi-criminal prosecution just as seriously as a criminal prosecution. Effective legal representation is a must to ensure your interests are fully represented.

A regulatory conviction may have significant consequences for an individual or corporation far beyond the sentence imposed by the court in areas such as:

• Negative publicity / harm to business reputation
• Negative impact to credit rating (i.e. increased costs or inability to borrow)
• Increased insurance costs, or inability to obtain insurance
• Revocation or denial of business licenses
• Debarment (“blacklisting”) from government business opportunities in Canada and elsewhere.

A conviction may have very serious consequences for any related civil claims (i.e. lawsuit). A conviction record may also result in significantly greater penalties for any subsequent conviction(s), even though the penalty for the first conviction was relatively light.

Some examples of quasi-criminal offences include:

• Provincial offences (POA) proceedings
  
  • Building Code
  • Fire Code
  • Health Code
  • Highway Traffic Act and related requirements for automobile insurance
  • Employment standards
  • Workplace safety
• Dog Owners Liability Act (DOLA)
• Municipal by-law or zoning prosecutions
• Federal or provincial environmental regulatory proceedings
• Federal regulatory offences.

Ken has acted both as a municipal prosecutor and as defence counsel in various quasi-criminal proceedings, including appeals.

Contact us today to discuss how we can assist you in your criminal or quasi-criminal matter.

Ken is a skilled litigation lawyer and practices exclusively in the area of civil litigation and criminal defence.

Ken is committed to working with clients to identify their goals and develop a strategy to achieve the best outcome possible. Ken is highly skilled and trained to advocate for his clients at every step of the litigation and dispute resolution process.

Ken has appeared at trial and appellate level courts in Ontario. In addition, Ken also represents clients before various administrative tribunals at both the federal and provincial levels.

At Chiarelli Cramer Witteveen, we are dedicated to helping you resolve your family law issues in a cost effective, efficient and amenable manner. Our highly experienced family law lawyer, Dilshad (Dilly) Mohamed will work one-on-one with you to assist with negotiating, arbitrating, litigating and/or settling your family law matter.

Ms. Mohamed’s family law services include:

• Divorce and division of property;
• Cohabitation, Separation and Marital agreements;
• Custody and access arrangements;
• Spousal and Child support; and
• Negotiated settlements

Contact us to discuss how we can assist you with your family law matter today!

At Chiarelli Cramer Witteveen, we understand that buying and/or selling your home can be a daunting process. That is why our experienced real estate lawyer, Dilshad (Dilly) Mohamed, and our team will work closely with you to provide support from the initial transaction to the closing. We will take care of all the legal requirements associated with residential land title transfers, including:

• Preparing and registering all required legal documents;
• Conducting title searches to identify any easements or liens on the property;
• Communicating with professionals involved in the process including Agents, Brokers, Lenders, etc; and
• Providing information to prospective buyers and sellers regarding the process and any associated financial liabilities, such as taxation.

Contact us to discuss how we can help make your real estate transaction a seamless process today!