Getting started
What to bring to your first consultation
A first consultation is short. A little preparation converts it from a general conversation into concrete advice about your situation.
Bring, if you have them
- The date you separated, or when you expect to
- Names and ages of your children
- A rough sense of both incomes
- A list of major assets and debts, and whose name they are in
- Any existing agreement, order or court document
- Any correspondence from the other party's lawyer
Think about beforehand
What outcome would you consider acceptable — not ideal, acceptable? What are you most worried about? Those two answers shape strategy more than any document.
What to expect
An honest assessment, including the parts you may not want to hear. A lawyer who tells you at the first meeting that you will get everything you want is not being straight with you.
Questions worth asking
- What are the realistic outcomes here?
- What will this likely cost, and what drives that?
- How long will it take?
- What should I do — and avoid — in the next month?
- Who will actually handle my file?
General information about Ontario family law, current as at the date of publication. It is not legal advice for your situation and reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Family law changes, and outcomes depend heavily on individual facts.
Your situation is your own
General guidance only goes so far. A short conversation is usually enough to know where you stand.
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