Toronto Sun: AI in Family Law - Featuring Christopher Yu, Shulman & Partners

In a feature with the Toronto Sun (later also published on Yahoo News), Christopher Yu, Partner at Shulman & Partners LLP, discussed the growing risks of AI-generated evidence in Ontario family courts. He highlighted how falsified digital content can influence high-conflict disputes, the challenges of verifying its authenticity, and why courts must adapt as technology continues to evolve. His insights draw attention to the importance of ensuring that family law decisions are based on accurate and reliable information.

“What we are seeing is a fabricated screenshot or an altered photo can be used to argue that a person is unstable, dangerous, or unfit, long before there’s any opportunity to properly test that evidence.” 
— Christopher Yu, Partner, Shulman & Partners LLP  

Digital evidence has become a common feature of family law disputes, particularly in cases involving divorce, parenting arrangements, and disagreements over assets. However, the growing accessibility of artificial intelligence has introduced concerns about whether the information presented in court can always be trusted.

Christopher discussed how digital communications, including screenshots, photographs, and recordings, are increasingly used to support claims during contentious family law proceedings. While these records can provide valuable context, they can also be altered to misrepresent another person's actions or behaviour.

The article identified several forms of potentially falsified evidence, including deepfake audio and video, AI-generated photographs, and fabricated text message conversations. As these technologies become more sophisticated, distinguishing genuine records from manipulated content presents additional challenges for Ontario family courts.

He emphasized that these risks are particularly concerning in high-conflict disputes, where one party may attempt to portray the other negatively. Fabricated evidence could influence perceptions of someone's credibility, behaviour, or parenting abilities before its authenticity has been properly examined.

Although digital forensic analysis can help challenge suspicious records, identifying manipulated evidence may take time. This creates a risk that misleading information could affect legal proceedings before it can be verified.

Lastly, Christopher also stressed the need for judges, lawyers, and individuals involved in family law disputes to develop a stronger understanding of digital evidence and the technologies used to manipulate it.

Read the full article here (subscription may be required).

This media appearance is part of Shulman & Partners LLP’s ongoing contributions to Canadian family law discussions. Explore more of our media features in our In the Media archive.