Experienced Family Law Lawyers Providing Independent Legal Advice with Offices throughout Toronto and Ontario

Even if you and your partner (or soon to be ex-partner) have drafted a document that you believe sufficiently addresses each of your concerns, it is always advisable that each of you retain your own lawyer who will act in your best interests. Never sign a contract without first doing so.

When you meet with your lawyer, he or she will:

obtain information about your current situation;
provide you with direction regarding your legal rights;
review documents with you;
discuss and provide feedback on any possible concerns you may have; and
suggest changes that might strengthen your position.

Following these conversations, your lawyer will then negotiate with your partner’s lawyer to attempt to reach satisfactory outcomes. Once this process is complete, your lawyer will confirm – in writing – that you have received independent legal advice.

Why should I seek out Independent Legal Advice?

When you and your partner (or soon to be ex-partner) obtain independent legal advice, you have greater assurances that the agreement(s) will be upheld in the future and are less likely to be challenged in Court.

In the absence of such protections, either party may claim that they did not understand what it was they were signing, nor fully understood their rights at the time. Should that occur, you will both face increased legal costs and additional stress in the resolution of your family law matter.

For Independent Legal Advice, Contact Our Family Law Lawyers at one of Our Six Offices throughout Aurora, Barrie, Downtown Toronto, Mississauga North York and Scarborough

At Gelman & Associates, our lawyers can provide you with the necessary expert counsel so that you fully understand the nature of your contracts and ensure that your rights are protected. With six offices throughout Aurora, Barrie, Downtown Toronto, Mississauga North York and Scarborough, we are just a short distance away in any direction. Call us at (416) 736-0200 or 1-844-736-0200 or contact us online for a confidential initial consultation.

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From the Blog

Latest posts from the Gelman & Associates blog

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13 Mar 2019

Court Determines That it Lost Jurisdiction in Custody Dispute

Is it possible for a court, which has jurisdiction to deal with a matter, to subsequently lose jurisdiction? In a recent decision, an Ontario court found that, indeed, it could not maintain jurisdiction over the parties’ custody dispute since they had both returned to live in Japan. The Parties’ Story In 2011, the parties …

Court Looks At Whether It Has Jurisdiction To Order Reunification Therapy

Issues around custody and access to children can be one of the most stressful aspects of a separation or divorce. These issues can become more contentious when one parent is denied access to a child, or when one parent tries to influence the relationship between the child and the other parent. In a recent decision …

Does a Child Getting Older Constitute a “Material Change in Circumstances” When Varying Parenting Time?

An Ontario court recently considered the interesting question of what constitutes a material change in circumstances when determining a party’s request to vary parenting time. The Parties’ Story The parties had a child in 2014, but they never cohabited or had a relationship (they had several casual encounters only). The father was not present …

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