When a couple heads for divorce, the law provides clear guidance for any disputes they cannot resolve. Laws dividing their assets and debts, calculating support payments and arranging parenting time all seek the best interests of those involved. However, it may not be so for Alberta couples who share pets. Family law has not quite caught up to changing trends in marriages.

Most everyone will agree that the drug trade creates problems in neighbourhoods. Where drugs are trafficked, other offences, including violent crimes, tend to rise. Because of this, police across Alberta and other provinces are zealously focusing on reducing drug crimes by targeting those whom they suspect are involved in the trade of illegal substances. After an arrest for drug offences, defendants may face a complex criminal law process.

Alberta police have a mission to put a stop to drug trafficking and the crime that often follows it. To this end, they have formed an agency called Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team, which unites police from surrounding units, including Edmonton police and RCMP. Investigations into organized crime and other matters of criminal law may take weeks or longer, and police may focus on subjects until they have cause to apprehend a suspect. A recent ALERT investigation resulted in three arrests.

Law enforcement relies on the public to provide information to help them solve crimes. This may be especially true in more rural areas where frequent police patrol is not always possible. However, while it is beneficial when citizens play a role in preventing criminal activity and bringing offenders to justice, those accused of crimes should know that eyewitness accounts and descriptions are not always reliable in a court of criminal law.

Changes in impaired driving laws in Alberta and across Canada went into effect recently. The new laws increase penalties for those convicted of driving offences related to alcohol or drug impairment. Drivers should be aware of the changes, especially over the New Year's holiday when police may be especially vigilant.