Condo Practice: A Practical Guide for Paralegals
January 19 and 26, 2027
Live Online via Zoom
Condominium law presents paralegals with a distinctive and demanding practice area — one that spans governance disputes, tribunal proceedings, enforcement challenges, and an evolving human rights landscape. From navigating the jurisdiction of the Condominium Authority Tribunal to managing the documentation demands of nuisance and chargeback matters, paralegals working in this area must be technically grounded, procedurally confident, and alert to the points where condo law intersects with broader legal frameworks including the Human Rights Code.
This two-day live online program is designed for paralegals and paralegal candidates entering or expanding into condominium practice. The program builds from the foundations of condo governance and the Condominium Authority Tribunal through to current CAT practice, dispute resolution and enforcement, and the most frequently encountered issue categories in paralegal condo work. Participants will leave with practical tools, current case-law context, and downloadable reference materials to support their practice.
*Financial assistance is available to current paralegal students and paralegals licensed within the last two years. For information, please contact us.
*Financial assistance is available to current paralegal students and paralegals licensed within the last two years. For information, please contact us.
Who Should Attend
Megan Alexander, Paralegal Cohen Highley LLP
Megan Alexander is a paralegal practicing in general litigation and multi-residential housing. Her litigation practice focuses on Small Claims Court, including enforcement, where she represents both plaintiffs and defendants in contract and tortious disputes. Within her multi-residential housing practice, she represents condominium corporations at the Condominium Authority Tribunal (“CAT”) and assists property/condo managers and landlords with enforcement of arrears, damages, orders, and judgments. She also advises on regulatory compliance and risk management.
Megan has been a part-time professor, course creator, and mentor in the post-graduate Paralegal Program at Fanshawe College since 2015, and regularly presents for the Law Society of Ontario (“LSO”). She holds Honours degrees in Sociology and Criminology from Western University and was the recipient of the President's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Post-Graduate Paralegal Program at Fanshawe College. Megan is on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Condominium Institute (“CCI”) for the London and Area chapter and an active member in the CCI education committees for London and the provincial chapter.
Megan has been a part-time professor, course creator, and mentor in the post-graduate Paralegal Program at Fanshawe College since 2015, and regularly presents for the Law Society of Ontario (“LSO”). She holds Honours degrees in Sociology and Criminology from Western University and was the recipient of the President's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Post-Graduate Paralegal Program at Fanshawe College. Megan is on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Condominium Institute (“CCI”) for the London and Area chapter and an active member in the CCI education committees for London and the provincial chapter.
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Stephanie Sutherland, Lawyer, Cohen Highley LLP
Stephanie Sutherland is a lawyer at the Kitchener office of Cohen Highley LLP. Called to the Bar in 2009, she has spent her career working with condominium corporations, property managers, and unit owners on governance matters and disputes. Her practice encompasses condominium management and litigation, condominium development, and other forms of multi-residential housing law including landlord/tenant, co-ops, land and life leases, and non-profit housing. She has represented clients in mediation, arbitration, Superior Court, Divisional Court, Small Claims Court, and before administrative tribunals including the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Condominium Authority Tribunal, and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
An active member of the Ontario condominium community, Stephanie is involved in multiple Canadian Condominium Institute chapters, sits on various CCI committees, and is a frequent speaker at CCI conferences and seminars. She holds the LCCI (Leader of the Canadian Condominium Institute) designation and was elected as a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario in 2023 for the 2023-2027 term.
An active member of the Ontario condominium community, Stephanie is involved in multiple Canadian Condominium Institute chapters, sits on various CCI committees, and is a frequent speaker at CCI conferences and seminars. She holds the LCCI (Leader of the Canadian Condominium Institute) designation and was elected as a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario in 2023 for the 2023-2027 term.
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Day 1: Foundations and CAT Practice
Day 1 establishes the legal and practical foundation participants need to work confidently in condominium law. Beginning with the structure of condominium governance and the hierarchy of governing documents, the session moves into a substantive treatment of the Condominium Authority Tribunal including its jurisdiction, process, and current state of practice, before turning to the practical skills of dispute resolution, file management, and enforcement. Participants will leave Day 1 with a clear understanding of how condo disputes arise, how they are managed, and what the CAT can and cannot do.
- Condo Governance and Structure
Covers how condominiums operate as legal entities, the roles of the board, manager, unit owners, and residents, and the hierarchy and enforceability of governing documents including the Act, Declaration, Bylaws, and Rules. - CAT Jurisdiction and Process
Examines what the CAT can and cannot hear, the application flow and timelines, and the stages of CAT proceedings from negotiation through mediation to adjudication. - CAT Practice Update
Brings participants up to date on recent decision trends, areas of continuing uncertainty, jurisdiction and forum selection as between the CAT, Superior Court, and HRTO, and the application of proportionality, reasonableness, and enforcement thresholds in current case law. - Dispute Resolution and Enforcement
Addresses investigation, documentation, and correspondence in condo disputes, proportionality and reasonableness expectations, evidence gathering and file management, and knowing when escalation is appropriate. - Remedies and Enforcement Pathways
Reviews compliance orders, CAT to court escalation, interaction with Small Claims and Superior Court, and the consequences of breaching a CAT compliance order.
Day 2: Issue Resolution in Practice
Day 2 applies the framework established in Day 1 to the most frequently encountered dispute categories in paralegal condo practice. Each topic is examined through the lens of issue definition, jurisdiction, documentation, CAT procedure, and advocacy strategy, giving participants a practical and transferable approach to handling these matters. Day 2 closes with an extended practice clinic offering participants the opportunity to work through scenarios drawn from real practice.
- Records Disputes
Covers what records owners are entitled to request and in what form, CAT records jurisdiction and its limits, common corporation responses, and the procedural steps from request to CAT application. - Nuisance — Noise, Smoke, Vibration, and Related Complaints
Examines nuisance in the condo context under both statute and common law, the corporation's enforcement obligations, documentation and evidence requirements, and the points at which harassment and human rights considerations arise. - Human Rights Overlap
Addresses the intersection of human rights law with condominium matters, including accommodation obligations, the boundaries between CAT and HRTO jurisdiction, and advocacy strategy where human rights issues are engaged. - Chargebacks and Compliance Enforcement
Reviews chargeback authority and procedure, proportionality and reasonableness expectations in enforcement, and the procedural and advocacy considerations for both corporations and owners. - Practice Clinic and Closing
An extended Q&A and scenario-based session drawing on participant questions and practice situations, with closing remarks and direction to downloadable reference materials.
For more information, please contact Bernard Sandler, Professional Legal Education Manager, LincolnLawPD@torontomu.ca