Divorce and separation, parenting, child and spousal support, and dividing property. Divorce is governed by the federal Divorce Act, but property division and the rights of common-law couples depend on your province.
The rules depend on your province, so the points below are set out province by province.
Lawyers whose own published profile focuses on family work. Each lawyer was checked on their provincial law society's public directory before being listed — check again before you hire, as people move firms.
Tim Stodalka · Partner · Regina
2398 Scarth Street, Regina, SK S4P 2J7
Partner whose practice is mainly family law — divorce and separation, parenting, support and property — and who also handles personal injury claims and general civil litigation. The firm acts for people injured in accidents and for people treated unfairly by an employer, and also covers home purchases and sales, and wills and estates.
Paul H.A. Korpan, K.C. · Partner · Regina
2500 Victoria Avenue, Suite 1400, Regina, SK S4P 3X2
Partner practising primarily family law, estate litigation and civil litigation, who has appeared before all levels of court in Saskatchewan and also works in mediation and arbitration. The firm also covers wills and estate planning and residential real estate.
Aaron Franks · Partner, Family Law · Toronto
393 University Avenue, Suite 2200, Toronto, ON M5G 1E6
Partner at a Toronto firm that practises only family law. He handles all areas of family law, including property and cross-border issues, complex financial matters and child abduction cases, and also works as a mediator and arbitrator.
Eva Iacobelli · Partner, Family Law · Brampton
29 Queen Street East, Brampton, ON L6W 2A7
Family law partner who, according to her firm, has practised only family law in Brampton for more than 24 years, with courtroom experience in the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice and on appeals. The firm also covers employment law, residential real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Tiffany M. Paulsen, K.C. · Family Lawyer, Mediator and Arbitrator · Saskatoon
105 21st Street East, Suite 600, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0B3
Practises family law and also works as a mediator, arbitrator and parenting co-ordinator. The firm also covers employment law for employees and employers, residential real estate, and wills and estates.
Heidi Taylor · Partner · Kelowna
1628 Dickson Avenue, Suite 400 (Landmark 4), Kelowna, BC V1Y 9X1
Partner practising family law and estate litigation. The firm also covers immigration for individuals and families, employment law for employees and employers, residential real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Diane C. Ferrante · Managing Partner · Edmonton
10060 Jasper Avenue, Suite 2800, Edmonton, AB T5J 3V9
Managing partner who leads the firm's litigation group, practising family law, insurance and personal injury law, and mediation and arbitration. She became a partner in 2015. The firm also covers employment law for employees and employers, residential real estate, and estates.
Laurence S. Klass · Partner, Family Law Group Leader · Vancouver
1075 West Georgia Street, Suite 1200, Vancouver, BC V6E 3C9
Leads the firm's Family Law Group. His practice covers divorce, division of property and debt, spousal and child support, parenting time, guardianship and family law agreements, with an emphasis on mediation and negotiation. He practised in London, England before moving to Vancouver in 2007. The firm also covers workplace law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Barbara Oley · Partner · St. John's
55 Duckworth Street, St. John's, NL A1C 1E6
Partner and family law litigator who also represents clients in employment matters and in wills and estates. The firm also acts for people injured in car accidents, and for both employees and employers in wrongful dismissal and severance matters.
Kanchan K. Dhahan · Partner, Head of Family Law Group · Surrey
7565 132 Street, Suite 220, Surrey, BC V3W 1K5
Heads the firm's Family Law Group and practises only family law, appearing in the BC Provincial Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and using out-of-court processes where they fit. The firm's main office is in Surrey and it also covers employment and human rights law, immigration, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Alison Boyce · Lawyer and Practice Lead, Family Law · Ottawa
11 Holland Avenue, Tower A, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4S1
Leads the firm's Family Law Group and practises only family law, including divorce, property division, support, parenting arrangements and domestic contracts, through negotiation, mediation and court. She joined the firm in 2021. The firm also covers employment law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Raman De Souza · Family Lawyer · Kitchener-Waterloo
31 Union Street East, Waterloo, ON N2J 1B8
Practises only family law litigation, including parenting disputes, support claims, property division and complex financial issues, and has appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. The firm also covers employment law, residential real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Emily Banks · Partner, Family Law Group · Mississauga
3 Robert Speck Parkway, Suite 900, Mississauga, ON L4Z 2G5
Has practised mainly family law in Peel since her call to the bar in 2016, acting in negotiations, mediation, arbitration and court on separation, parenting and child protection matters. The firm also covers employment law, real estate, and wills and estate planning.
Anne Rupcich · Partner · Calgary
707 5 Street SW, Suite 500, Calgary, AB T2P 1V8
Partner in the firm's downtown office who now practises only family law — separation, parenting, support and property division — after starting in litigation. The firm also covers personal injury, employee rights, residential real estate, and wills, trusts and estates.
Matthew J. Villeneuve · Managing Partner, Family Law · London
140 Fullarton Street, Suite 1800, London, ON N6A 5P2
Managing partner of the firm since 2023, practising family law: separation and divorce, property division, child and spousal support, parenting, adoption, and marriage and cohabitation contracts, through negotiation, mediation and court. The firm also covers employment law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Kate L. Crisp · Partner · Saskatoon
211 19th Street East, Suite 500, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5R6
Partner in the Saskatoon office who practises only family law — division of family property, child and spousal support, parenting and divorce — through both negotiated agreements and court. The firm also prepares wills, powers of attorney and family trusts.
Alison Rhynas · Partner, Family Law · Victoria
931 Fort Street, 4th Floor, Victoria, BC V8V 3K3
Family law partner who represents clients in the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court and negotiates out-of-court settlements. The firm also covers immigration, employment law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Ontario for a full year before applying.
Married spouses share the value of what they built up during the marriage. Each spouse's 'net family property' is worked out, and the one with more pays the other half the difference — an equalization payment. The family home gets special treatment: its full value is shared even if one spouse owned it before the marriage. You must claim within six years of separating or two years of the divorce, whichever comes first.
Not for property. Common-law couples in Ontario are not legally required to split property acquired while they lived together — it generally stays with whoever bought it — unless they have a cohabitation agreement. Common-law partners may still be able to claim support, and both parents owe child support whatever their relationship was.
It depends where you live. In the 25 locations with a Family Court branch of the Superior Court of Justice (including Ottawa, Hamilton, London and Kitchener), that one court hears every family matter. Elsewhere (including Toronto and Brampton), divorce and property division go to the Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Justice hears other matters such as parenting and support.
To practise law in Ontario a lawyer must be licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, which also licenses paralegals. You can look up anyone in the Law Society's public Lawyer and Paralegal Directory, which shows their status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in British Columbia for a full year before applying.
Under BC's Family Law Act, couples generally share equally any property acquired during their relationship. Property each person brought into the relationship is kept, but its increase in value can be divided. The time limit to ask a court for an order is two years after a divorce order for married couples, or two years from the date of separation for unmarried couples.
Yes, if they lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least two years. BC's property division rules apply to them in the same way as to married couples. This is different from some other provinces, such as Ontario.
Only the Supreme Court can deal with divorce and property division. The Provincial Court can deal with parenting arrangements, child support, spousal support and protection orders, and the Supreme Court can deal with those too.
To practise law in British Columbia a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of British Columbia. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Directory, which shows their practising status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Alberta for a full year before applying.
Yes, if they are 'adult interdependent partners'. Since 1 January 2020 Alberta's Family Property Act applies to adult interdependent partners as well as married spouses. That means two people who have lived together in a relationship of interdependence for at least three years, or for less time if they have a child together, or who have signed an adult interdependent partner agreement.
Yes. An adult interdependent partner must make a claim within two years of when they knew, or should have known, that the relationship had ended. Time limits also apply to married spouses under the Family Property Act — a lawyer can confirm the date that applies to you.
Only the Court of King's Bench can grant a divorce and divide property. The Alberta Court of Justice can deal with child and spousal support, parenting and guardianship, and the Court of King's Bench can deal with those too.
To practise law in Alberta a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Alberta. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Directory, which shows whether they are currently practising and any discipline history back to 1 January 2015. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Saskatchewan for a full year before applying.
Under The Family Property Act the general rule is that family property, including the family home, is divided equally between the spouses. A court can order a different split where an equal one would be unfair.
Yes, if they lived together as spouses continuously for at least two years. The Family Property Act then applies to them as it does to married couples — but they must apply within 24 months after they stop living together.
The Family Law Division of the Court of King's Bench handles all family law matters, including divorce and the division of family property. Its judges sit in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
To practise law in Saskatchewan a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public directory, which shows where they practise and has a discipline column; the Law Society also publishes its discipline decisions. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Concerns about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Manitoba for a full year before applying.
Yes, if they registered their common-law relationship or lived together for at least three years. The Family Property Act then gives each partner a right to an equal share in the value of family property when they separate, as it does for married spouses.
Yes, and it can be very short. An application must be made within 60 days after a divorce takes effect, or within 60 days after registering the end of a registered common-law relationship. Common-law partners who did not register have three years from the date they separated. Speak to a lawyer before your divorce is granted.
The Court of King's Bench (Family Division) is a unified family court that hears all family matters throughout Manitoba. The Provincial Court cannot deal with divorce, division of family property or adoption.
To practise law in Manitoba a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Manitoba. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Lookup, which shows their practising status and, under their practice history, any discipline history or restriction. Each lawyer on these pages was checked there before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Nova Scotia for a full year before applying.
Under the Matrimonial Property Act, the basic rule is that spouses are entitled to an equal division of matrimonial assets when they separate or divorce. Time limits may apply, so get advice early.
No. The Matrimonial Property Act only applies to married couples and couples who have registered a domestic partnership with the government. It does not apply to other common-law couples, who have to rely on other legal claims to share property.
The Supreme Court (Family Division) deals with family law matters, including divorce and property division, in every part of the province.
To practise law in Nova Scotia a lawyer must be a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society. You can look up any lawyer in the Society's public lawyer search to check their status and to see whether they have been formally disciplined. Each lawyer on these pages was checked there before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in New Brunswick for a full year before applying.
Under the Marital Property Act each spouse is entitled to have the marital property divided in equal shares. An application must be made no later than 60 days after a divorce, so raise property before the divorce is granted.
No. The Marital Property Act defines a spouse as a married person, so its equal-division rule does not cover unmarried couples. They have to rely on other legal claims to share property.
The Family Division of the Court of King's Bench deals with all family matters, including divorce, the division of marital property, support and parenting orders.
To practise law in New Brunswick a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of New Brunswick. You can look up any practising lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Search, and it publishes a list of complaints referred to its Discipline Committee. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in the Lawyer Search before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Newfoundland and Labrador for a full year before applying.
Under the Family Law Act each spouse has a one-half interest in the matrimonial home, and either spouse can apply to have the matrimonial assets divided in equal shares. The application must be made by the earliest of two years after a divorce, six years after separation, or one year after the first spouse's death.
Not automatically. The Family Law Act's property rules apply to married spouses. Two people who live together without marrying can sign a cohabitation agreement, and if that agreement adopts the Act, the Act applies to them.
In its judicial areas, including the St. John's area, the Family Division of the Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction over family law matters. Elsewhere the General Division may hear divorce and property matters, and the Provincial Court can deal with parenting and support — but it can never grant a divorce or divide matrimonial assets.
To practise law in Newfoundland and Labrador a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Its online Lawyer Directory lists the lawyers practising in the province with their contact details, and the Law Society publishes its disciplinary decisions. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in the directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society, in writing.
Divorce is federal law, so the rule is the same across Canada: the only ground is marriage breakdown, usually shown by living apart for one year or more. You or your spouse must have lived in Prince Edward Island for a full year before applying.
Under the Family Law Act each spouse's 'net family property' is worked out, and the spouse with the smaller amount is entitled to half the difference. The application must be made by the earlier of two years after a divorce, or six years after the spouses begin to live separate and apart.
No. For property division the Family Law Act defines a spouse as a married person, so the equalisation rule does not cover unmarried couples. The Act's support rules are wider and can cover unmarried partners.
The Family Section of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island deals with divorce and matrimonial property.
To practise law in Prince Edward Island a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island. You can look up practising lawyers in the Law Society's online lawyer directory to verify their status, and it publishes discipline case summaries. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in the directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society, in writing.