Shim Law - Employment Law, Family Law and More

04/28/2026

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐎𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.

In a recent matter handled by our lawyer, Daniela Ruiz, our client had only ever been allowed supervised parenting time since the child’s birth. By the time of trial, the child was already in primary school.
Before the hearing proceeded, an agreement was reached and formalized through a Consent Parenting Order.

Under this arrangement, the client now has unsupervised parenting time, beginning with structured visits and gradually increasing over time.
When Daniela Ruiz shared the outcome, the client became emotional. For them, this was not just a legal result. It was the beginning of a real relationship with their child.

Every parenting case depends on its unique circumstances, but thoughtful, child-focused solutions can create meaningful and lasting change.

04/28/2026

We are proud to see our colleague Giva Balasingam recognized by Calgary Legal Guidance during National Volunteer Week.

Giva’s commitment to improving access to justice reflects values that are deeply important to our team. Supporting individuals who may not otherwise have access to legal guidance is meaningful work, and we are glad to see her contributions acknowledged.

Thank you, Giva, for the impact you continue to make in our community.

04/08/2026

We are proud to share that our founder, Jae Shim, has been recognized by the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council with a Certificate for Excellence in Mentoring.

Mentorship plays an important role in helping internationally trained professionals build confidence, expand their networks, and find meaningful employment in Calgary. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this work and support newcomers as they establish their careers in Canada.
At Shim Law, we believe that investing time in people and community has a lasting impact - not only for individuals, but for the city as a whole.
Thank you to CRIEC for this recognition and for the meaningful work you continue to do.

04/08/2026

Recent criminal defence results achieved by our defence lawyer, Kuinton Lam, highlight the importance of strategic advocacy in immigration-sensitive matters.

In recent cases, our clients faced serious criminal allegations involving multiple prostitution- and assault-related charges, with potential consequences extending beyond the criminal process itself. A conviction in either context could have created major barriers affecting immigration status, future applications, and the ability to continue building a life in Canada.
Through focused advocacy, strategic negotiations, and close attention to evidentiary issues, bail conditions were successfully varied to allow our client to continue working while the matter was before the Court, and favourable outcomes were ultimately achieved without conviction, including the withdrawal of charges in one matter and a non-conviction resolution in another.

These results reflect the importance of addressing both the criminal case and the wider legal consequences at stake.

𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

03/30/2026

Your phone contains some of the most personal and sensitive information about your life. But when can police legally search it?

In Canada, the rules around searching a phone are not as straightforward as many people assume. Questions of consent, warrants, and privacy rights can significantly impact whether a search is lawful and whether evidence can be used in court.

In this article, we outline when police may search your phone, what your rights are during an interaction with law enforcement, and why understanding these limits can be critical in protecting yourself.

Introduction: When the police ask to “take a quick look” or start to scroll through your messages, the question becomes personal. In Alberta, your privacy is protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

03/26/2026

This past weekend, our team took part in a Calgary outreach event hosted by the Philippine Consulate General (PCG).

Through our Legal Clinic, Students-at-Law Anthony .delloro.3 - both lawyers in the Philippines - along with Senior Legal Assistant Mona Liza Dela Cruz, provided general legal information to attendees on topics such as family law, immigration processes, employment and civil matters.

The clinic was part of a broader one-stop outreach event, where community members could access multiple services in one place.
For us, this is an important part of what we do: making legal information more accessible and helping people better understand their next steps.
We are proud to support Calgary’s diverse communities and to offer services in multiple languages.

03/11/2026

Client trust is at the heart of everything we do at Shim Law.
We are grateful for the feedback we receive from those who place their legal matters in our hands. Every review reminds us why careful preparation, professionalism, and dedication to our clients truly matter.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦.

03/09/2026

𝐑𝐓𝐃𝐑𝐒 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩?
𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 - 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

The 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐑𝐓𝐃𝐑𝐒) is a quasi-judicial tribunal that resolves landlord-tenant disputes in Alberta. RTDRS hearings involve evidence, procedure, and legally binding orders, often dealing with claims of up to $𝟏𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎.

Effective representation requires a clear understanding of both:
- The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), which governs the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants
- RTDRS Rules and Procedures, including notice requirements, timelines, evidence, and hearing protocols

At Shim Law, our team recently represented clients in two RTDRS matters - one involving a landlord and another involving a tenant - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬.*

Don Delloro Student-at-Law, Shim Law
Working with Shim, Barrister & Solicitor

If you have an upcoming RTDRS hearing and would like guidance on preparing your case, our team is available to assist.

* Past results are not necessarily indicative of future outcomes. Every matter depends on its specific facts, evidence, and the decision-maker.

03/04/2026

Divorce and child custody issues can become significantly more complex when one or both spouses serve in the military.

Frequent relocations, deployments, jurisdictional questions, and parenting schedules affected by service obligations all create unique legal considerations that differ from typical family law cases.
In our latest article, we explain how divorce and child custody work for military families in Canada, including:
• how jurisdiction is determined
• how parenting arrangements are addressed during deployment
• how support obligations are calculated
• and what practical steps families should consider early in the process
Military families face distinctive challenges, and informed legal guidance is essential to protect both parental rights and children’s best interests.

Read the full article below.

Military families face many of the same legal issues as any other family going through separation or divorce, but Canadian Armed Forces service adds practical pressures that can quickly raise the stakes. Postings, deployments, training cycles, security clearances, and long periods away from home can

03/03/2026

Our associate, Abeer Chabara and William Wister recently represented a client in a SafeRoads Alberta Review Hearing involving an Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS: Fail).

In preparing for the review, they strategically focused the defence on the procedural safeguards set out under the Saferoads Alberta Regulation. The statutory scheme requires that a driver be properly advised in writing of the right to voluntarily request a second test (a roadside appeal) before the sanction is confirmed.

After carefully reviewing the evidentiary record and the medical circumstances surrounding the incident, they advanced the position that, in the specific context of this case, the client was not sufficiently aware of the right to a voluntary roadside appeal at the time it was allegedly declined.

Following the hearing, the adjudicator accepted this argument and cancelled the Notice of Administrative Penalty in its entirety.

This matter highlights the importance of carefully analyzing SafeRoads procedure, identifying the determinative legal issues, and approaching administrative reviews with a focused and well-developed strategy. As always, outcomes depend on the specific facts and evidence of each case.