Family Lawyer in Vaughan

Helping Vaughan families through separation

Some separations are simple. Others involve a family business, more than one property, or parents who helped buy the home. Whatever your situation, you deserve advice that’s honest about your options and respectful of your family.

We help Vaughan residents with separation agreements, divorce, parenting arrangements (decision-making responsibility and parenting time, once called custody and access), support, and property division. Elliot Wren focuses on negotiation and litigation; Marcus Ashby is an accredited family mediator who also practises collaborative family law.

Our office is in Newmarket, but you don’t need to make the drive for every meeting. Most conversations can happen by phone or secure video, with in-person meetings whenever you’d prefer to sit down face to face.

The court process for Vaughan residents

A family court case started by someone living in Vaughan is heard in Newmarket, at the Superior Court of Justice – Family Court on Eagle Street West. From most of Vaughan that’s about 30–45 minutes by car, so it pays to plan the trip before any court date.

If a case begins, you’ll usually attend the Mandatory Information Program early on. Free mediation is available at the courthouse for people with an appearance that day, and lower-cost mediation away from court is offered on a sliding scale. Mediation is voluntary and isn’t right for everyone, especially where there has been abuse or one person is afraid of the other.

Property, family businesses and other practical points

• Married and common-law are treated differently. Married spouses usually share the growth in their net worth during the marriage through equalization of net family property. Common-law partners don’t have that right and rely on other claims, such as unjust enrichment.

• Family businesses need careful handling. If you or your spouse owns or works in a family company, its value, the income it pays and any shares held by relatives can all matter. We work alongside business valuators and accountants when needed.

• Gifts and inheritances may be treated differently. Money from parents or other relatives can sometimes be excluded from division, depending on how it was given and how it was used. Keep whatever records you have.

• Time limits apply. Equalization claims are generally due within two years of a divorce or six years of separation, whichever is earlier. There are exceptions, so get advice before time runs short.

Let’s talk. Book a free 30-minute confidential consultation in person, by phone or by video. We’ll help you understand where you stand and what a fair, realistic outcome could look like. Call (905) 555-0142, or send a note to hello@wrenashby.ca.