I charge on an hourly basis at $400 per hour, plus HST and disbursements (Court fees, process serving fees, delivery services, etc.). I charge simply based on the time I spend on your matter and do not charge flat fees for Court appearances, mediation appearances, etc. as some lawyers do.

I also change flat fees for uncontested divorces, Wills, Powers of Attorney, and some other simpler matters, as per my sole discretion. Please contact me to discuss further.

I accept cash (up to $7,500 in the aggregate as per Law Society requirements), cheque, money orders, and electronic, and credit card, payments through a third-party system known as CLIO Payments. If you wish to use electronic and credit card payments, you will be asked to sign a document confirming this as personal information needs to be provided to CLIO Payments.

No. I am not your lawyer until I have been formally retained. This requires the execution of a written retainer agreement and the provision of a financial retainer. I do not represent clients in either Court matters or out of Court matters without a formal retainer.

Separating married spouses in Ontario have many things to consider during the separation process. One issue that can be difficult for clients to deal with on their own is the method of property division and equalization in Ontario. Property equalization is the scheme created by the Family Law Act to ensure that net family property accrued by either spouse during the marriage is shared equally between them upon separation. While the goal is simple, how we get there can be a journey as there are many rules about what is, and is not, included, and to determine how such a division is achieved.

I have experience and knowledge that can assist you in navigating through this often confusing area. Whether it is designing options to deal with the matrimonial home, splitting family business assets, or dividing a pension, I can help you understand the law and your rights. Property division is a complex area. You should never make any decision regarding matrimonial property without first consulting a lawyer. Let me help you make the right decision, fully informed of your rights and the consequences of your decision.

Child support is a sum of money paid each month to the parent that has the children residing with them for more than 40% of the time by the other parent. The amount paid is based on the paying parent’s income and is determined in accordance with the Child Support Guidelines. Justice Canada maintains an online calculator where you can enter your income, the number of children eligible for support, and the province the paying parent resides in, to obtain the amount of child support you should be paying or receiving.

However, child support can also create some more challenging questions such as when does it end, what is included and what is not included in the monthly payment, what if there are multiple paying parents, what if the children spend more than 40% with each parent, etc. Based on my decades of experience, I can help you navigate these more difficult questions and provide you with the advice and direction you need to achieve a resolution.

Spousal support, often referred to as alimony, is support paid by one spouse to another to assist them in dealing with any financial difficulties they sustain as a result of the ending of the relationship. It can be a monthly amount or a lump sum, or a combination of both. It can last a few months or a lifetime. The details of your relationship, including the length, the role each party played in the relationship, whether or not there were children, and a variety of other items all play a part in determining eligibility and terms for spousal support. This is a very complex area of law for which there are usually no easy answers.

Justice Canada commissioned a study on whether or not Canada should create spousal support tables such as they have with child support. Ultimately, it was decided that it was not appropriate to do so. The study did result, however, in the development of what are called the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (SSAGs). These are a tool that can be used to help the courts and parties determine what a likely result from a judge would be on the amount of spousal support given certain conditions. These results are not mandatory, although the courts do review them when making their decisions.

You can read more about the SSAGs here.

Divorces are granted by the Court in Ontario, upon filing of an Application. A divorce can be sought alone as the only claim, or it can be included in an Application that also makes claims for child related issues, spousal support, property issues, etc.

Regardless of whether or not the divorce is sought alone or in combination with other claims, you will need to file your original marriage certificate with your Application before the Court will process the divorce. If the marriage certificate was issued in another jurisdiction in a language other than English or French, it must be translated into English or French by a certified translator.