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13 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,S eptem ber 26,2019 theifp.ca LITIGATIONlegal matters I am married but separated. The house we live in is in my name alone. Does my spouse have a right to be here, or can I tell my spouse to leave? The advice offered in this column is intended for informational purposes only. Use of this column is not intended to replace or substitute any professional, financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice. Q A ASK THE PROFESSIONAL Todd C. Hein Litigation Lawyer Proud member of OFFICE LOCATIONS GEORGETOWN 8 Guelph Street 905 452 7400 BRAmPTON OFFICE (main) 350 Rutherford Road S., Suite 320 905 452 7400 CALEDON EAST 15955 Airport Road, Suite 201 905 584 4545 If you are married and live in Ontario, the residence in which you ordinarily live at the time of separation in Ontario is considered the "matrimonial home". Married spouses each have the right to "possess", i.e. occupy, the matrimonial home after separation. This is true even if the home is not in a spouse's name, but only in the other spouse's name. The home can be one which one or both spouses own, or even a rental property one or both of you lease as married spouses but do not own. This is a right that married spouses have over people who are not married and who live in a "common law" relationship. The only way that you can legally have a spouse removed from the home is either by express written agreement, or a court order. If it is not tolerable to live together in the home after separation, especially if you have children together and they are being negatively impacted by marital conflict, it is best for one of the spouses/parents to leave the home, hopefully on consent for the sake of the children, or by court order if he or she does not agree to leave. Lockyer + Hein LLP is a full service law firm that does a lot of family law. We are happy to meet you for a free consultation at one of our three offices, including 8 Guelph Street, Georgetown, in the Lounsbury Life & Group Insurance Benefits building. Have a great weekend. Empowering Clients. Enriching the Community. "Chong can boast of a considerable track record as a conscientious parliamentarian, a respectful activist for democratic reform and as a citizen richly invested in building appreciation for Canada's democratic traditions." - The Waterloo Record (Editorial), January 22, 2016 Your strong voice For Wellington-Halton Hills info@chong.ca • 1-800-837-7075 • chong.ca Authorized by the Official Agent for Michael Chong If you've seen Acton na- tive Kathy Sanford volun- teering around town, chances are husband Bill wasn't far behind. "When you get one of us, you get both of us," she tells the Independent. "I've said quite a few times that we're not joined at the hip physi- cally, but we are philosoph- ically." So it's only fitting that the couple has been jointly named Acton's Citizens of the Year by the Rotary Club, recognizing their decades- long commitment to giving back to the community. Kathy said they were "stunned" to find out they'd been selected for the ho- nour and talked about it for a while before humbly de- ciding to accept the title. "We do these things (vol- unteer) because they're the thing to do, not for the rec- ognition," she said. With a lengthy list of vol- unteer contributions, local residents may know the longtime local couple for a variety of reasons. The pair was among the founding members of the Heritage Acton Board In 1977, helping save the Acton Town Hall and raise funds to restore it to the majestic structure it is today. "At that time, Halton Hills Council wanted to tear it down, but we (the lo- cal residents group) said no," said Kathy. "It's an ab- solutely beautiful build- ing." She recalled running the 'Actario' (like Lottario) lot- tery in the downtown core on Saturday morning in the '80s, with all money raised going to the Town Hall res- toration. The Sanfords have also been very active on the lo- cal theatre scene, working with the Georgetown Little Theatre and the Acton Town Hall Players, the lat- ter of which Kathy said started as the Acton Old Town Hall Dinner Theatre -- another initiative that brought in funds to restore the classic building. Bill has been a Rotarian since 2002 and served as president when the club built the bandshell in Ac- ton's Prospect Park. In tra- ditional Sanford fashion, Kathy volunteered along- side her husband at Rotary Club events, such as at the annual dinner held at the Acton Legion for seniors. In the local faith com- munity, Kathy and Bill gave of their time in a variety of positions at St. Joseph's and Limehouse Presbyterian churches. They also helped launch the Acton historic calen- dars initiative, served on the Acton Christmas Ham- per Committee and rou- tinely volunteered their time during McHappy Day, Classics Against Cancer and the Mayor's Heritage Golf Tournament. So what is it about volun- teering that the busy couple loves? "Knowing that we're giv- ing back to the community and helping people less for- tunate than we are," said Kathy. "We also like help- ing out the community and providing entertainment, facilities and services for people." While the pair recently moved away from the area to Tillsonburg, Kathy said Acton and its friendly, small-town feel will always be special to her and Bill. The Sanfords will be ho- noured at a dinner at the Acton Town Hall Centre on Oct. 1. Cocktails start at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:15 p.m. Tickets cost $40 and are available at Acton Optical and rotaryclubofacton- .com. Bill and Kathy Sanford will be recognized as Acton's Citizens of the Year at a dinner on Oct. 1. Sanford family photo SANFORDS NAMED ACTON'S 2019 CITIZENS OF THE YEAR COMMUNITY MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@metro land.com