Family Law
Whatever your challenge and however complex or simple, we realize that it is the most pressing and important thing in your life. From our family at McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP to yours, we are here to help.
Family Law is What We Do.
At McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP we recognize your need for a legal team with the ability to deliver unparalleled guidance and advocacy. We practise before all courts in the Province of Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada and represent clients in mediation and arbitration proceedings.
Every case, every family, is unique and we are ready to put our breadth of experience and knowledge at your service. We represent and advise clients on all areas of family law, including issues related to divorce, custody and access, spousal and child support, mobility matters, division of property, separation agreements, domestic contracts, religious marriage contracts, adoption, and cross-border family law issues.
We frequently work on matters that involve the highly complex intersection of family law and other areas of law, including business, tax, trust and estate matters and criminal proceedings. That means working closely with other lawyers, valuators and accountants when needed.
Our lawyers also represent children and parents in domestic and child protection matters.
We are frequently called on by family law counsel in other jurisdictions to provide opinions as to the impact of Canadian law in international proceedings.
We are Trial Lawyers.
We pride ourselves in resolving family law disputes quickly and cost-effectively. Most often that means not using resources in court. However, our extensive experience in court allows us a helpful perspective in moving matters forward in a pragmatic, resolute manner. When court is inevitable, we rely on our strength and experience and you can too. Our lawyers have maintained an active litigation practice for almost two decades.
HNW Advisory / Family Office Support
The goal of family offices and other HNW advisors is often intertwined with the complexities of family law. The preservation of wealth across generations is often impacted by unexpected and unintended breakdowns of family structures. Family offices, their advisors and counsel, are increasingly attuned to the benefits of an early understanding of the family law implications in long-term intergenerational wealth planning. In addition to assisting with domestic/marriage contracts (including religious marriage contracts), our firm has significant experience assisting family offices understand risk and employ practical strategies for risk mitigation and long-term planning.
International
Although we practice exclusively before the courts of Canada, we are often called upon by counsel around the world to provide support and opinions with respect to Ontario/Canadian law, including as it relates to family relocations and complex child/custody matters. Our lawyers also have significant experience dealing with matters pursuant to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. We are proud members of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and can assist with the coordination and management of multi-jurisdictional disputes.
At the Forefront of Appellate and Charter Litigation.
The lawyers of MHC have significant experience in Charter litigation, particularly in cases involving progressive equality rights. MHC lawyers have been at the forefront of changing family law to respect the diversity of families. Our team has been lead counsel in the following historic Charter cases: