Nova Scotia directory

Family Law Firms in Halifax County, Nova Scotia

42 law firms.

What does a family lawyer in Halifax do?

A Halifax family lawyer helps people through separation, divorce, parenting arrangements, and the division of property and support. Much of the work happens away from court, through negotiation and written agreements, but when a matter needs a judge it goes to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division), which sits at 3380 Devonshire Avenue in Halifax. It's a unified court, so it hears divorce, property, parenting, and support together instead of splitting them between different benches. The same court serves families across Dartmouth, Bedford, Lower Sackville, and Fall River.

Ask early how a firm charges and who will actually run your file. Fee arrangements vary, so get the terms in writing before you commit.

Which laws decide a family case in Nova Scotia?

Two levels of law apply at once. Divorce itself runs under the federal Divorce Act, which sets the rules for ending a marriage anywhere in Canada. Parenting and support, whether or not a couple ever married, fall under the provincial Parenting and Support Act. That law now speaks of parenting time and decision-making responsibility rather than the older language of custody.

For married spouses, dividing what the couple built is governed by the Matrimonial Property Act. It starts from the principle that matrimonial assets are shared and usually split equally, though a judge can order otherwise when the facts call for it.

What happens when a Halifax matter goes to the Family Division?

Because the Family Division is a single court, one file can resolve divorce, parenting, and support in the same proceeding instead of three separate cases. The design is meant to reduce delay and make the process easier to follow. Before an early appearance, parents across the Halifax region usually take part in the court's information and parenting programs, which explain what the court expects.

Timing matters more than people expect. Some steps carry deadlines, and parenting or support orders can be varied later if circumstances change. Bring whatever financial paperwork you have, since disclosure drives most of the decisions a judge makes.

How do you choose a family law firm in Halifax?

Start with a firm that regularly handles your kind of matter, whether that's a contested parenting dispute, an equal division of property, or a straightforward uncontested divorce. Ask who will carry your file day to day, how the firm approaches settlement versus court, and how it bills. A firm near you in Bedford or Dartmouth may be more convenient, but experience with your specific issue matters more than the address.

You can confirm any lawyer's standing through the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society. Browse the family law firms in Halifax below.

Atherton Nicholson

6 lawyers · Est. 2013

Atherton Nicholson, Barristers and Solicitors, is a small trial-law firm in downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Formed as a partnership in 2013 by Patrick Atherton and Tanya Nicholson, who had previously practised togeth…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Bailey and Associates

4 lawyers · Est. 1984

Bailey and Associates is a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia law firm founded in 1984 as Bailey and Black. It practises criminal law, family law, real estate and residential law, wills and estate planning, motor vehicle charges,…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

BOYNECLARKE LLP

48 lawyers · Est. 1972

BOYNECLARKE LLP is a large full-service law firm based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, founded in 1972. It's grown into one of Atlantic Canada's largest firms, with more than 55 lawyers covering personal matters like real …

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsFamily LawFamily LawPersonal InjuryPersonal Injury

Burchell MacDougall LLP

30 lawyers · Est. 1944

Burchell MacDougall LLP was founded in Truro, Nova Scotia in 1944 by Wilfred Burchell and R. Lorne MacDougall and is one of the oldest, most established law firms in the province. It has grown from its Truro roots to …

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsFamily LawFamily Law

Burchell Wickwire Bryson LLP (BWB) is a full-service law firm based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a history spanning well over a century. The firm advises businesses, institutions and individuals across litigation, co…

Indigenous LawIndigenous LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawBankruptcy & InsolvencyBankruptcy & InsolvencyConstruction LawConstruction Law

Burnside Law Group

3 lawyers

Burnside Law Group is a small general practice firm based in the Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, serving individuals, families and small businesses. The firm handles business law, civil litigation,…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour Law

CDR Law

7 lawyers

CDR Law (Conrad Dillon Robinson Law) is a family law firm based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, formed through the merger of several Nova Scotia practices including Conrad Connors Law, Sealy Cornish Coulthard, and the form…

Family LawFamily LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionPersonal InjuryPersonal InjuryInsurance LawInsurance Law

CIR LAW Inc.

2 lawyers

CIR LAW Inc. is a small law firm centrally located in Halifax with two full-time lawyers. It practises in family law, civil litigation, administrative law, wills and estates, residential tenancies, securities and nota…

Family LawFamily LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Cox & Palmer

221 lawyers

Cox & Palmer is a full-service regional law firm with roughly 200 lawyers and more than a century of experience serving individuals and businesses across Atlantic Canada. It has offices in New Brunswick, Newfoundland …

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawTax LawTax LawFamily LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Damian Penny Law Office is a solo family law practice based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Damian Penny has over twenty-five years of experience practising family law in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, and he p…

Family LawFamily LawNotary & Commissioner ServicesNotary & Commissioner Services

Elliott Law Inc.

1 lawyer · Est. 2010

Elliott Law Inc. is a Halifax-area family law practice founded by Robyn L. Elliott, K.C. in 2010. The firm advises clients on separation and divorce, parenting, child support, property division, spousal support and ma…

Family LawFamily Law

Enterprise Law Group is a boutique law firm based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, serving individuals and businesses across the province. Its three lawyers cover tax law, family law, corporate transactions, civil and comme…

Tax LawTax LawFamily LawFamily LawEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawTechnology & StartupsTechnology & Startups

Fall River Law

2 lawyers · Est. 1996

Fall River Law opened in 1996 and offers real estate, small business, and wills and estate law services, with a specialty in mediation and collaborative family law. The firm emphasizes a relaxed, plain-language approa…

Family LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Farrow Hicks McDade Law

5 lawyers · Est. 2009

Farrow Hicks McDade Law is a general practice law firm in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, founded as Farrow Law by Jacqueline Farrow in 2009. The firm handles real estate, corporate and commercial law, family law, wills…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Fellows Law

1 lawyer

Fellows Law is a general practice law firm in Halifax, Nova Scotia, led by Noel Fellows, offering services in criminal law, family law, wills and estates, property law, and personal injury. The firm also operates Atla…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Fitch Violande

4 lawyers · Est. 2015

Fitch Violande is an association of independent legal practitioners in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded by Nicholaus Fitch and James Violande in October 2015. The firm offers legal help in corporate and commercial law, c…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawPersonal InjuryPersonal Injury

Fownes Law Offices

2 lawyers · Est. 1985

Fownes Law Offices is a general-practice firm founded in 1985 by Allen Fownes, with offices in Halifax, Liverpool (South Shore) and Barrington (Shelburne County). It serves the Queens, Lunenburg, Shelburne and Halifax…

Wills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsReal Estate LawReal Estate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Godfred T. Chongatera is a solo law practice based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, serving clients across the province including Truro, Kentville, Bridgewater and New Glasgow. The practice covers immigration law, criminal de…

Immigration LawImmigration LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily Law

Harris North Law

2 lawyers

Harris North Law is a Bedford, Nova Scotia law firm providing helpful, practical legal advice to families near Halifax, with an emphasis on accessible, straightforward and affordable service.

Family LawFamily LawPersonal InjuryPersonal InjuryWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Heritage House Law

6 lawyers · Est. 1986

Heritage House Law is a general practice law firm based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, serving clients since 1986 (formerly known as MacIntyre MacKinnon). It has offices in downtown Dartmouth and on the Eastern Shore in M…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsFamily LawFamily Law

Highlander Law Group is a law firm based in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, just outside Halifax, serving the greater Halifax Regional Municipality including Tantallon, Hammonds Plains, St. Margaret's Bay, Hubbards, Tim…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Kennedy Schofield Lutz Lawyers

5 lawyers · Est. 2010

Kennedy Schofield Lutz Lawyers is a full-service law firm based in Head of St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, offering real estate, corporate, family, notary, probate, and wills and estates services. It grew from Tracey…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily LawNotary & Commissioner ServicesNotary & Commissioner Services

Kimball Law

7 lawyers · Est. 1978

Kimball Law is a general practice firm serving clients across Nova Scotia, with offices in Wolfville, Bedford and Coldbrook to cover the Annapolis Valley and Halifax areas. Founded in 1978 as Kimball & Associates, the…

Personal InjuryPersonal InjuryFamily LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Landry McGillivray

5 lawyers · Est. 1976

Landry McGillivray is a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia law firm founded in 1976 by Peter Landry and Maurice McGillivray. It serves individuals, small businesses, financial institutions, and land developers across the Halifax …

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawPersonal InjuryPersonal InjuryBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily Law