Practice Area
Family Law in Ontario
Family law is the one area where the legal problem and the personal one are the same problem. We handle the first properly so you have room to deal with the second.
Separation affects where your children sleep, what you live on, and whether you keep the house. It arrives at the point when you are least equipped to make careful decisions, and the decisions made in the first few weeks tend to set the shape of everything that follows.
Our role is to take the legal weight off you: to tell you where you actually stand under Ontario law, to set out the realistic options and what each one costs, and to move the file forward without manufacturing conflict. Most family matters in this province settle. We build files so that settlement is achievable on terms you can live with, and so that if the other side will not be reasonable, we are ready.
What we handle
Every family file draws on the same set of issues in different proportions. Whether yours settles in three months or is contested for two years, these are the questions that have to be answered.
Looking for a lawyer near you? See our pages for a family lawyer in Mississauga, Oakville, or Milton.
Resolution options in Ontario
Court is one route among several, and rarely the first. The right process depends on how much is in dispute, whether both parties will disclose honestly, and whether there is a history of family violence or a power imbalance that makes negotiation unsafe.
- Negotiation between counsel. The most common route. Disclosure is exchanged, positions are put, and a separation agreement is drafted.
- Mediation. A neutral third party helps you reach agreement. Effective where both parties are willing and disclosure is complete.
- Collaborative practice. Both parties and their lawyers commit in writing not to litigate, working with financial and parenting professionals as needed.
- Arbitration. A private decision-maker determines the issues, usually faster than the court and with a decision-maker you have chosen.
- Court. Necessary where there is urgency, non-disclosure, a refusal to negotiate, or safety concerns. In Ontario, most family matters go through mandatory case conferences before a trial date is available.
If there is family violence
If you or your children are in immediate danger, call 911. Where safety is a concern, the legal tools available include restraining orders under the Family Law Act or the Children’s Law Reform Act, exclusive possession of the matrimonial home, and urgent motions brought without notice where the circumstances require it.
Since 2021, family violence is expressly defined in the Divorce Act and is a mandatory consideration in any parenting determination, including patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour that involve no physical violence at all. Tell us about it early. It changes both the strategy and the process.
Family Law by location
Local pages for the cities we work in most
How much does a family lawyer cost in Ontario?
It depends almost entirely on how much is in dispute and how the other side behaves. An uncontested separation agreement where the terms are already largely agreed sits at one end of the range; a contested parenting and property matter that runs to trial sits at the other, and the gap between them is very wide. We give a written estimate at the consultation, bill against it, and tell you when a step will cost more than it can recover.
Do I have to go to court?
Probably not. The large majority of Ontario family matters resolve by agreement. Court becomes necessary where there is urgency, where a party will not disclose their finances, where an agreement is being ignored, or where safety is a concern. Even then, most matters that are issued in court still settle before trial.
Should I move out of the house?
Get advice before you do. Moving out does not forfeit your interest in the property; both married spouses have an equal right to possession of the matrimonial home under section 19 of the Family Law Act regardless of title. But it can affect the practical status quo for parenting, and it creates two households to fund out of one income. There are situations where leaving is clearly right, including any situation involving safety. It is a decision worth taking ten minutes of advice on first.
What should I bring to the first meeting?
Whatever you have to hand, and do not delay the meeting to assemble it. Most useful: the date of separation, the last three years of tax returns and notices of assessment for both of you, recent pay statements, a list of assets and debts with approximate values, mortgage and property details, pension statements, and any existing agreement or court document. If you have little of this, come anyway; we can start with what you know.
Tell us what happened. We will tell you where you stand.
A consultation gets you a clear read on your position, the realistic options, and what each one is likely to cost, before you commit to anything.