Find Lawyers in Canada for Family Law
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Province
Family Law - Canada
About this Practice Area
Experienced Family Law Practitioner. Called to the Ontario Bar in 1995. Graduate of Bishop's University 1988 .University of Windsor Law School (1993) Known for attention to detail and thorough preparation of materials used in litigation, mediation or arbitration to achieve successful resolution. Committed to resolving matters efficiently, fairly and without having to resort to litigation. Thorough and persuasive in court, when litigation is required. Avid downhill skier, water-skier and trave...
Michelle Bailey specializes in family law and is a partner at Moe Hannah LLP. In addition to resolving complex property division, Michelle is keen to preserve good will for parents as they move forward in their lives. She also provides mediation services for clients. Michelle’s first degree in Small Business Management provides her with a solid foundation for understanding the nuances and challenges involved when a family has a closely held company in the center of a family law dispute....
Karon Bales is a founding partner of Bales Beall LLP whose experience speaks for itself. Her practice is centred on family law, wills and estate issues. Her experience in trial and appellate advocacy in family law and estate matters is extensive, particularly with those involving partnerships, business corporations and commercial issues. Karon also provides sound guidance with estate administration and planning, domestic and off-shore trusts, and succession planning for owners of family busin...
Mediation gives people more control over the outcome of their disputes and provides privacy over what are often highly sensitive issues for the parties involved. Many people do not fully realize the lack of control one faces at trial nor do people understand the truly public nature of the courthouse. As a mediator, Diane helps clients overcome legal challenges in a fair and efficient manner. She manages emotions and expectations, and, by engaging in an active risk analysis, she helps to achie...
Wendy has a well-established family law practice and has earned ongoing recognition as a leading family law practitioner since being called to the bar in 1980. She joined Dunphy Best Blocksom in 1982 and became partner in 1986. Wendy was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1994. She acts primarily for high net worth individuals and families. While she settles most matters, Wendy’s practice includes litigation. She was inducted as a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers in...
Joanne Biron is Miller Thomson's National Specialty Lead, Family Law. In fact, she created this group which includes more than 20 lawyers throughout Canada, thus making Miller Thomson the only national law firm with a family law practice. Joanne represents primarily business people and professionals before all levels of court. Joanne has in-depth expertise in family law matters, including divorce, legal separation, child custody, alimony, parentage, common-law union contracts, separation of c...
Adam is a partner at Torkin Manes. He practises in all aspects of family law including divorce, custody and access, property, support, and domestic contracts. Adam’s focus on efficient resolution guides his practice and advice to his clients. Concurrently, Adam advocates effectively to achieve a result that is aligned with his clients’ interests. Adam regularly appears in courts throughout the Greater Toronto Area, including the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Just...
Dylana practices in the areas of family law, estate litigation and commercial litigation. Dylana joined the Vancouver office as an associate in 2001 and relocated from Vancouver to Kelowna in 2012 to head up the litigation group in the Kelowna office. Dylana’s family law practice includes all matters affecting families in British Columbia such as separation, divorce, property division, common law trusts, spousal support, child support, guardianship, residency, and parenting time. Dylana...
Scott Booth is the managing partner of the firm’s family law practice. Called to the British Columbia bar in 1994, he has focused exclusively on family law since 2006. His practice includes litigation as well as mediation and arbitration, both as counsel and as mediator/arbitrator. Scott’s strength is problem solving and assisting his clients in resolving complex issues. This includes the unique circumstances of high income/net worth families, families with generational wealth pla...
Sarah Boulby Boulby Weinberg LLP Family Law Toronto, Canada sboulby@b oulbyweinberg.com 647 494-0113, extension 101 Sarah Boulby of Boulby Weinberg LLP in Toronto has been named one of Canada’s Best Family Law lawyers by The Best Lawyers in Canada since 2008,. Sarah is President of the Canadian Chapter of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a worldwide association of practising lawyers recognized by their peers as the top family law lawyers in their countries. Sarah is a Direct...
John-Paul E. Boyd, KC is an accredited family law arbitrator, family law mediator and parenting coordinator. He is the principal of John-Paul Boyd Arbitration Chambers , providing services throughout Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and counsel to the preeminent Calgary family law firm, Wise Scheible Barkauskas . He is a senior family law lawyer nationally known for his approach to family justice issues, contributions to public and professional legal education on family law, and special ...
Jo Ann Carmichael, QC is an Associate Counsel at Alexander Holburn. Ms. Carmichael’s practice is primarily litigation based. She is a member of the firm’s Insurance and Family Practices. Ms. Carmichael commonly represents insurers with respect to life, accident and disability insurance matters and has a particular interest in fraud and bad faith claims. She also represents clients in family law matters, dealing with many clients in transition due to death, divorce, second marriage...
Alex has a broad practice in all areas of family law, including high conflict parenting issues and complex financial matters. She is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers with experience in jurisdictional issues and Hague convention cases. Alex is focused on resolutions. She is a strategic litigator, who has successfully represented clients at all levels of court in Ontario. Wherever possible, she strives to resolve family conflicts out of court through negotiation and alter...
Erin Chaiton-Murray echaitonmurray@murraylawsonllp.com 416-596-1708 Erin is a Partner at Murray Lawson LLP Erin has practised exclusively in the area of family law since her call to the Ontario bar in 2009. She has extensive experience in all aspects of family law, including advocating for clients before all levels of court in Ontario, and negotiating and drafting cohabitation agreements, marriage contracts and separation agreements. Erin frequently represents clients at both mediations and a...
Nikki specializes exclusively in the area of family law. Her practice includes all matters affecting families in British Columbia such as separation, divorce, property division, common law trusts, spousal support, child support, guardianship, residency, and parenting time. Nikki has extensive experience drafting complex cohabitation, marriage, and separation agreements, and has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia. As a member of the International Academy of Collaborative P...
Brenda is the founder and principal at Brenda Christen Mediation in Toronto. Brenda approaches family disputes with an emphasis on smart practical solutions. Her direct and approachable manner has earned her the respect and confidence of parties and colleagues alike. Brenda is again included in Best Lawyers annual publication for her work in Family Law Mediation. Brenda was selected by her peers as Mediator of the Year for 2021 by Best Lawyers for Toronto Family Law and as Lawyer of the Year ...
Stephen is a strategic and fearless advocate in the courtroom. He is known for his ability to diffuse highly-charged situations so that cooler heads can prevail when resolving contentious family law matters through mediation, arbitration or litigation. Recognizing that every client is different, Stephen effectively adapts his approach to their unique wants, needs, and circumstances to ensure their best interests are protected. As a partner at Epstein Cole, Stephen’s practice focuses on ...
With strong negotiation skills and extraordinary legal acumen, Kenneth is well-known for his ability to find creative, cooperative and beneficial resolutions to complex family law disputes. Whether through mediation, arbitration or litigation, he is sharp-witted, responsive, and empathetic in his approach to achieving his clients’ goals, meeting their needs and exceeding their expectations. Kenneth founded Epstein Cole with Philip Epstein in 1978. As a senior partner, his practice focus...
Carol Crawford is a partner in the firm's Ottawa office, practising in the area of family law. Carol has extensive experience in the negotiation and drafting of domestic contracts, including marriage contracts, cohabitation agreements and separation agreements. Her practice focuses on negotiating, mediating and litigating issues related to separation and divorce, including custody, support and property division. More specifically, she has experience in advising, negotiating, mediating and lit...
Wanda has been practicing as a lawyer for more than 20 years and is a returning partner of Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP. A family law practitioner, mediator, arbitrator and parenting coordinator, Wanda Dawson has argued successfully at every level of Court in Alberta. She has extensive training and experience in many methods of litigation and conflict resolution, including collaborative law, lawyer-assisted mediation, arbitration, interest-based negotiation, and parenting coordination. Wanda&rsqu...
A scholar, teacher and leader in the Alberta legal community, Rhoda I. Dobler’s practice spans two and half decades, and includes mediation, arbitration, collaborative law and litigation. Her positive attitude, compassion and creativity guide her conflict resolution approach, making her a valued mediator and arbitrator. An ardent believer in the importance of identifying new talent and mentoring junior lawyers, Rhoda teaches the Bar Admission (CPLED) course annually, and speaks at semin...
Isabelle Duval est membre du groupe Droit de la famille, des personnes et des successions. Elle pratique toutes les facettes du droit familial : divorce, séparation, relocalisation, garde, pension alimentaire pour enfants et pour conjoints. Titulaire d’un Juris Doctor en Common Law et d’une maîtrise en droit des affaires de l’Université de Montréal, Isabelle a plaidé avec succès de nombreux dossiers d’envergure, y incluant des d...
The stakes in Family Law cases don’t get much higher: it takes a special kind of lawyer to consistently win results at the highest level in Family Law. Jim Edney has been that kind of a lawyer for over 25 years, earning him recognition as a Certified Specialist in Family Law by The Law Society of Ontario. Vision Praised by clients for his ability to “put things in perspective” and described by them as “incredibly diligent, fair and intelligent”, Jim advises on co...
I have practiced family law since 1998, and have provided collaborative law services for the past 15 years. I am one of the founding members of Collaborative Practice Manitoba and currently am on its Management Committee as well as serving as the Chair of the Membership Committee. I have taught at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, as a sessional instructor since 2005. I currently teach the Clinical Family Law course and have done so since 2009. I am a frequent presenter at the Law S...
Divorce is one of the most difficult and stressful events anyone can experience. Lindsay’s passion is assisting people through this tumultuous experience in a manner that allows them to remain in control of their solution, minimize the conflict to which they and their children are exposed, preserve their assets and improve communication. Using mediation techniques tailored to client’s particular conflict level and matters in dispute, Lindsay maximizes the prospect for a mutually a...
Herschel Fogelman Fogelman Law Listed in Best Lawyers since 2006 www.fogelmanlaw.ca Family Law Toronto, Canada hfogelman@fogelmanlaw.ca 416-644-7975 Herschel Fogelman is the founder and principal of Fogelman Law in Toronto. He has been named a Best Family Lawyer in Canada every year since the Best Lawyer rankings began. Herschel is also an experienced and highly sought after mediator and arbitrator, able to deftly navigate and settle complex and sensitive family law matters. Herschel is ranke...
Experienced in all aspects of family law, Aaron’s clients trust him to recognize the unique complexities of their case and to provide practical solutions that work best for them not only now – but into the future. With extensive legal knowledge and a strategic mindset, he is equally effective at reaching creative, amicable resolutions through negotiation or mediation as he is advocating for his clients in court. As a partner at Epstein Cole, Aaron’s practice encompasses all ...
Brigitte Garceau is a senior partner in our Family Law Group. Her practice focuses on all aspects of divorce and separation, including child and spousal support, child custody, and parental plans, division of property, marriage contracts, family patrimony, matrimonial regimes, all aspects related to the separation between non-married partners, execution of a judgment and family mediation with a particular emphasis on complex cross-jurisdiction and international law cases. Brigitte has acted a...
Sheila is at her core an advocate. She is smart, strategic and sees the justice of a case. A thoughtful listener and intuitive problem solver, Sheila gets to the heart of the matter for her clients, and applies her top-notch analytical skills and judgment to assess the best path forward. Sheila is equally adept at building relationships to negotiate creative separation agreements as she is pursuing strong litigation strategy to achieve success in all levels of court. Drawing on her corporate ...
Cheryl Goldhart is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada and has practiced exclusively in the area of family law since she was called to the bar in 1987. She specializes in negotiating complex agreements encompassing all areas of family law and litigates in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Justice, and the Court of Appeal. She is also an accomplished mediator and arbitrator and is an OAFM accredited family mediator. Cheryl is the...
Pascale Gouin works in civil and commercial litigation, particularly in areas involving civil liability, relations between shareholders and between franchisors and franchisees, real estate law, labour relations and dispute arbitration. She pleads before the Court of Quebec, the Superior Court, the Court of Appeal and the administrative courts. She also applies her expertise in preventive ways, by drafting her clients’ employment contracts and commercial leases. Pascale also specializes ...
Robert is a partner and has been the Chair of our Family Law Group since 2000. His practice addresses all aspects of family law, including related business and personal financial protection planning. Robert has taught Family Law for the Bar Admission Course and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Bar Association – Family Law Section. He was a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada Family Law Specialist Selection Committee. He serves as a Dispute Resoluti...
Kevin has practiced almost exclusively family law for over 25 years. His more recent litigation has been at the appellate level but his practice has shifted to representing a few private clients and acting as mediator (most often with counsel present) and arbitrator (often of longer, more complicated arbitrations). His articles/papers on family law issues have been published by the Lawyer's Weekly and he is a regular contributor to the continuing legal education of Alberta's family bar throug...
Ms. Caroline Harnois is a member of the Family Law, Personal Law and Estate Law team. Her practice is focused on all aspects of family and estate law, which comprises private international family law, including international child abduction. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Harnois worked as a lawyer with the Children, Person and Family Law team at The Hague Conference on Private International Law in the Netherlands, where she developed an expertise in extraterritorial conflicts and the applica...
Andy is a Partner at Vogel LLP where he practices exclusively in the area of family law. He has appeared before all levels of court in Alberta and has extensive trial experience before the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta and significant experience advocating for clients before the Alberta Court of Appeal. He has also successfully acted as Respondent's counsel in multiple leave to appeal applications before the Supreme Court of Canada. Andy has been recognized by his peers as a leading famil...
AREAS OF PRACTICE: Litigation, Insurance, Personal Injury, Labour and Employment, and Aboriginal Law PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Maria received her B.A. degree from St. Thomas University in 1977, and her LL.B degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1980. She was admitted to the Newfoundland Bar in 1981 and to the New Brunswick Bar in 1989. Maria received her appointment as Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) in 2004. Her affiliations include membership in the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society ...
Ritu is the Owner and Managing Partner of Horra Family Law. Ritu has practiced exclusively in family law since her call to the Bar. Ritu’s practice includes all areas of family law including custody, access, support, property issues and collaborative practice. In May 2018, Ritu was appointed to the Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO) panel for the Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket, Ontario. Lawyers appointed to this panel support the family law court process by aiding parties in attem...
A founding partner of Burrison Hudani Doris, Farrah's practice encompasses all areas of family law including complex property and support claims and custody and access disputes. She has significant experience in jurisdictional issues, Hague Convention cases and mobility disputes. Farrah has argued leading reported cases in these areas and lectured at conferences in Canada and the United States. She has experience arguing cases at all levels of Court including the Ontario Court of Justice, the...
Sandra's international experience, multi-lingual fluency, and nuanced understanding of dispute resolution uniquely inform her approach to family law. Trained and experienced in negotiation and mediation, Sandra believes in resolving family law disputes in a solution-focused, efficient, and non-adversarial manner. Where necessary, Sandra engages in targeted litigation and has argued successfully in the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of Queen's Bench, and the Court of Appeal. Sandra art...
Dereck is a senior family law lawyer, having practiced exclusively in this area since being called to the Alberta Bar in 1995. Dereck holds a B.A. (Hons.) from McGill University followed by his L..L.B. from the University of Alberta. As a skilled litigator, he has appeared successfully at all levels of court in Alberta as well as in numerous arbitrations. Dereck also has extensive experience in negotiating settlements and drafting agreements. He applies a reasoned approach to his files and en...
Principal Lawyer and Mediator with Kelly D. Jordan Family Law Firm in Toronto, Ontario. Practises in the areas of family and fertility law, wills and estates. Certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the LSUC. Particular expertise in family law issues pertaining to the gay and lesbian community and assisted human reproduction. Fellow of the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys. Co-counsel on Baker v. Francis (1999) and Miglin v. Miglin (2002) before the Supreme Cou...
Family Law Definition
In Canada, family law is governed by federal and provincial laws (statue and case law) that deal with family related legal issues, including marriage, separation and divorce, custody and access, child protection, division of property, support and adoption. The area of family law often includes financial negotiations, inheritance issues and the drafting and interpretation of prenuptial contracts and separation agreements.
Primarily statute-based, family law is largely codified within statues including the federal Divorce Act, which applies to married people residing in Canada. Issues such as the division of family property, child protection and custody and support matters between people who are not married are governed by statutes which vary from province to province.
Family lawyers represent clients in court and in settlement negotiations and they prepare prenuptial, separation, divorce and custody agreements in the appropriate circumstances. Family lawyers are trained to resolve disputes between parties through a number of dispute-resolution mechanisms, including litigation (bringing a matter to court and asking a judge to make a determination) and negotiating with opposing counsel. Some lawyers are also trained in mediation (assisting the parties, in a non-partisan manner, to reach agreements on the issues).
In recent years, some Canadian family lawyers have received training in Collaborative Family Law. Collaborative Family Law is a process in which the parties and their lawyers make a formal commitment to resolve the dispute using an interest-based model rather than a ligation model. Clients engage lawyers to reach a settlement, but if the process breaks down, the lawyer must withdraw from the case. The collaborative process relies on principled negotiation techniques.
Oftentimes, a family lawyer helps clients through the most
difficult time in their lives. In the middle of family legal disputes,
clients’ emotions tend to run high especially in cases of physical abuse or
adultery. A good family lawyer not only possesses extensive knowledge of
the law but also exceptional “people skills” and the ability to help clients
navigate the complex legal realities of transitioning families.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
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