Toronto Family Law and Estate Lawyers

Family Law, Divorce and Estates

A breakdown of a relationship, mental incapacity or a death in your family are one's worst life experiences. We provide legal solutions to help clients overcome those difficult life challenges from the first meeting onwards.

As a starting point, we encourage you to review our Advisare newsletters to best inform yourself about Ontario divorce law, family law and estate legal matters.

If you or a family member needs assistance or would like to avoid challenging times, we invite you to contact us in Toronto at 416-322-3370.

Recent Family Law and Estates Cases

Mr. Parker successfully resolved a guardianship proceeding involving the Public Guardian & Trustee and complicated family law equalization issues. Court approval was obtained despite the objection of an interested party. The case is now under appeal.

Mr. Parker also won an Motion for, among other things, child support and spousal support, where a payor was determined to earn more than ten times his initially disclosed income.

Mr. Parker and Ms. Simone successfully resolved a dependents relief proceeding for a litigation guardian on behalf of a minor under Ontario's Succession Law Reform Act and despite the position of The Children's Lawyer, obtained an award of full indemnity costs for the client from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

Ms. Simone argued a complex spousal support matter, seeking to vary the amount of support despite the terms of the parties' Separation Agreement.

Ms. Simone also successfully helped a recently widowed senior recover the ability to manage her own affairs by overriding a finding of incapacity and the consequent statutory guardianship appointment in favour of the Public Guardian & Trustee.

Apart from solving contested family law, divorce, estate disputes, will challenges and passing of accounts proceedings, more and more we are assisting with Cohabitation Agreements, Marriage Contracts, Alter Ego Trusts, Henson Trusts, Wills and Powers of Attorney.

Also, we assist clients in collaborative family law matters. Mr. Parker completed training in Colloborative & Interdisciplinary Practice for family law matters.

Legal News

The Supreme Court has now decided the most important family law decisions of the decade in Kerr v. Baronow and Vanasse v. Seguin. See our newsletter on How Common Law Spouses Split Property - Part 1. Those cases will be much more influential that the Schreyer family law and bankrutpcy case the Court decided in July.

The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines must be considered in all family law cases if put into evidence says the Ontario Court of Appeal. See our newsletter on Fisher v. Fisher. You can search the Guidelines at www.justice.gc.ca.

The Ontario Court of Appeal signals that Marriage Contracts are to be upheld absent inappropriate conduct by a spouse. See our newsletter on Domestic Contracts.