Most people delay calling a family lawyer because they fear an unknown bill. The antidote is a published rate, a free first 15 minutes, and flat quotes for defined work — in writing, before you retain.
This page is the fee picture for our family practice. It is not a promise that every file costs the same; contested court work cannot be honestly flattened. It is a promise that you will know the model before the clock starts.
The published consultation rate
The first 15 minutes of every consultation are free — in person at 25 Watline Avenue or by Google Meet. Continued time is $199 per half-hour (CAD). We tell you before billed time begins. That is the only hourly number this firm publishes.
What we quote flat
Defined family-law tasks are quoted in writing after we see the facts:
- Uncontested and joint divorce applications
- Separation agreements (drafting or independent legal advice on one already written)
- Marriage contracts and cohabitation agreements
- Independent legal advice certificates
What stays hourly — and why
Contested parenting, support motions, disclosure fights and trials cannot be honestly flattened. Those files run at $199 per half-hour with a strategy and a budget agreed first. Limited-scope retainers — one motion, one negotiation round — keep the spend proportionate when you do not need full representation.
How to keep the bill down
Bring a one-page timeline, income documents and your three questions to the free first 15 minutes. Answer disclosure requests once, completely. Settlement-first files cost less than court files — that is a fact, not a slogan.