It’s an exciting time – the old house is sold, the new one is ready, and all that’s left is the move…..oh wait – not quite yet! There’s all that legal “stuff” to deal with now….signatures….titles to be given…and pages and pages of documents that need to be signed before the key is in your hand!!! And to top it all off – who really knows a good real estate lawyer?

MacKay & McLean provides the professional services of a large Regina law firm, with the intimate attention of a small firm. The legal process can be daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. MacKay & McLean is with you every step of the way.

MacKay &  McLean are TRUSTED REGINA LAWYERS

Title fraud is approximately a C$1.5 billion dollar a year industry and growing. This has given rise to new products being made available to you to help protect yourself. One such product is title insurance.

Initially, title insurance was used in Saskatchewan only when a surveyor's certificate was not available. This is because it insures against any defects that would have been revealed if a surveyor's certificate or real property report had been obtained. People opted for title insurance because it cost less than a new survey. However, title insurance protects you against much more and it is especially good for people buying used residential real estate, rental properties or commercial real estate.

Like other insurance products, you pay a premium to the insurer. Usually, this is a one time fee. Different insurers structure their pricing differently and there are policies for owners and policies for lenders, so rates vary. The premiums for condominiums are usually less. The fees for commercial transactions are typically greater.

For the one time premium you get protection for as long as you own the property and it protects your estate in the event of death. The amount of protection is up to twice the fair market value of your property, at the time the insurance was obtained.

Lawyers will usually charge an administration fee of $75 to $150 to provide the appropriate data and information to the insurer.Typically, title insurance is obtained through your lawyer's office when you buy a property.  "Existing Home Owner's" insurance is also available at any time.  Some insurers in Saskatchewan, like Co-Operator's, are now providing the product.

It is important to remember that lawyers do not receive any compensation from the title insurance companies for recommending or assisting you with obtaining title insurance, i.e. we are not sales people for the title insurers and we do not receive trailer fees or commissions from the insurers.

In fact, a lawyer's failure to discuss title insurance with you may constitute professional negligence and that lawyer may be liable to you if you suffer damages from something that title insurance would have protected you against. In other provinces, for example, Ontario, lawyers are obligated by their professional code of conduct to thoroughly discuss title insurance with you.

I recommend title insurance because I believe that most times it is in your best interests to have it. At the very least, you should have the opportunity to make an informed decision.

The four main title insurance companies in Canada are: (1) First Canadian Title Insurance, (2) Stewart Title Guarantee Company, (3) Title Plus, and (4) Chicago Title Insurance Company. For more information on title insurance, its cost and benefits, visit the following websites: First Canadian Title; Stewart Title Guarantee Company; Title Plus; and, Chicago Title.

Some things are better to have and not need, than need and not have. Title insurance is one those things.

*Always check with the insurer to see what they cover and what they do not. Make an informed decision.

For advice, Robert MacKay's team provides professional, personalized service and with their assistance, you can rest assured that your real estate transactions will be handled with the utmost consideration and care.

They  provide a full range of legal services including:

• Real Estate & Mortgages
• Wills & Estates
• Family Law & Divorce
• Commercial & Corporate Law
• Litigation & Personal Injury

At Great Canadian Oil Change, they will always do their best to keep you travelling safely, in a cleaner environment. At Great Canadian Oil Change, they guarantee that they will always value your business. Great Canadian Oil Change is your Trusted Regina Oil Change expert. In their latest helpful oil tip, they share how frequently you should change your oil.

How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

If you ask three shops how often you should change your oil you may get six different answers.  But we feel confident with our recommendation.

Follow the service intervals recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle

We recommend to our customers that they follow their manufacturer’s recommended oil change intervals.  This means that the manufacturer will recommend that you have your oil changed every so many kilometres.  Depending on your specific vehicle, this may mean having your oil changed every 5000 km, 7500 km, 12000 km or some variation thereof.

What are some exceptions to following the service interval recommendations of the manufacturer?

There is one exception to using the service interval recommended by the manufacturer and that is: driving conditions.  Here are some examples of driving conditions that justify changing the oil earlier than recommended:

Short trips in the winter, where the engine fails to meet operating temperature for ten minutes or more, are tough on oil.  All of that condensation has no place to go but into the crankcase.

Unusually dusty conditions.  (Did you ever follow a combine at harvest?)

These two scenarios justify changing the oil before the recommended service interval.

Should I always follow the oil change needed an indicator on my dash?

Yes, you should follow the oil change indicator in your vehicle.  Unless you’ve received a recall from your manufacturer, we recommend following the oil life indicator on your dash, if your vehicle has one.

How critical is it to change my oil at exactly the time that is recommended by the manufacturer?

Several years ago we sent engine oil samples to a lab.  These were samples of engine oil that were changed before, near and after the recommended interval.  Each report indicated that the oil had life left.  Therefore, although it may not be absolutely critical at the exact odometer reading, we recommend following the manufacturer’s guidelines as closely as possible for the best maintenance of your vehicle.

What are the benefits to changing my oil according to the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer?

There are many benefits to changing your oil according to the service interval recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle.  Clean engine oil lubricates the engine, keeps it cool, and minimizes the metal-to-metal contact of the parts inside the engine.  Over time the oil starts losing its ability to flow well (becoming less “viscous”), thus losing its ability to protect your engine as it is meant to.  By regularly changing your oil, you prevent problems that can occur over time.  Some of these problems include overheating and undue wear on the engine due to the friction of parts when lubrication is not optimal.  Regular oil changes will also extend the life of your vehicle and help keep it in optimum running condition.

At Great Canadian Oil change in Regina, we follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of your vehicle.  We will verify that your vehicle is due for an oil change before performing it.  We look forward to seeing you for an oil change or for one of the many other services we offer!  

  Great Canadian Oil Change is your Trusted Regina Oil Change expert

 

Untying the Knot: Grounds for Divorce in Saskatchewan: 

Anyone who has gone through a divorce will likely tell you it was a difficult time for them mentally, emotionally, and financially. Understandably, clients often seek advice at the first signs of trouble in their marital relationships. One question I’ve heard repeatedly in my short time practicing family law is “how do I get a divorce?”

Divorce in Saskatchewan is governed by federal legislation called the Divorce Act. Although this blog entry refers to Saskatchewan, the Divorce Act applies to all of Canada. In Saskatchewan, only the Court of Queen’s Bench has jurisdiction to deal with a Petition for Divorce, and in order to get a divorce, one must make an application to the Court. There are many common misconceptions about what a couple and/or spouse must prove in order to get a divorce, but the truth is there is only one ground for divorce in Canada: marital breakdown.

What is “marital breakdown” and how does one go about establishing that a marital breakdown has occurred? The Divorce Act sets out three ways to establish marital breakdown:

1. Living separate and apart for one year

This is, by far, the most common ground for divorce, and is the easiest to prove. Spouses are considered to have been separated for one year when they have lived separate and apart for a period of 12 months. Although the period of separation must be uninterrupted, a brief reconciliation during the year (up to 90 days) will not interfere with the calculation of time, as long as the reconciliation is unsuccessful.

2. Adultery

If you choose to seek a divorce on the basis of adultery, you must establish that adultery occurred. You must also swear that the adultery was not condoned by you, and that it was not permitted or invented simply as a means to obtaining a quick divorce. Note that adultery can be difficult to prove if your spouse is unwilling to simply admit to it in an affidavit.

3. Cruelty

Finally, a divorce may be granted in circumstances in which your spouse has treated you with intolerable physical or mental cruelty. If your spouse has treated you in such a way that it would be unreasonable or intolerable for you to continue to live with them, the Court may order a divorce. On a petition for divorce on the basis of cruelty, the Court will consider the effect of the conduct in question on you, the victim, in order to determine whether the behaviour in question constitutes cruelty.

Please note that the divorce itself is only one issue a couple faces when their marriage breaks down. Other issues that arise when a couple separates include the division of family property, custody and access regarding children, child support, and spousal support. If you choose to seek a divorce, on any of these grounds, it is best to consult a lawyer who can guide you through the procedure of obtaining a divorce and settling the corollary issues that arise when a couple separates.

This post is for information purposes only and should not be taken as legal opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. Counsel should be consulted concerning your own situation and any specific legal questions you may have.

See lawyers listinsg on the Regina directory under Legal & Professional services.

It’s an exciting time – the old house is sold, the new one is ready, and all that’s left is the move…..oh wait – not quite yet!! There’s all that legal “stuff” to deal with now….signatures….titles to be given…and pages and pages of documents that need to be signed before the key is in your hand!!! And to top it all off – who really knows a good real estate lawyer?

REGINA – Stephanie Gabber’s excitement over buying a new home in Pilot Butte quickly wore off when she tried to develop her backyard and found a drainage ditch running through the property.

The Trusted directories were set up based upon the principles of good business, and the foundation of good business is integrity. Simply put, if you don't care about your customer's needs as a business then you will never be trusted.

When Sara the Trusted founder came up with the ' Trusted directories concept ' she wanted to have clear, simple guidelines or ' guarantees' laid out for all to see, and she knew it was important for the Trusted partners to sign contracts to uphold those guarantees (and for the partners to be held to them by Trusted).

Read The Trusted Guarantees here 

On a regular basis, we get feedback from YOU the public when they have used the directory to find a Trusted business and we like to share it with you ..here we document some real words from a REAL customer about one of our partners on the directory.

I have always found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful. They always understand what our needs are and are more than willing at anytime to come out and do a review to ensure that our insurance needs are current. As a non for profit organization we occasionally have fundraising events and they always try to assist us with these events. Their sense of community is most appreciated.

Regards, Debbie Deuasy 

THANK YOU Debbie for taking the time to share your experience