Ontario directory

Family Law Firms in City of Ottawa, Ontario

169 law firms.

What does a family lawyer in Ottawa do?

A family lawyer in Ottawa helps people work through separation, divorce, parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, and the division of property. Much of that work happens through negotiation, mediation, or a written separation agreement, and only some files reach a courtroom. When a case does go to court, family matters are heard at the Family Court, a branch of the Superior Court of Justice, at the Ottawa Courthouse, 161 Elgin Street. Ottawa is a Unified Family Court site, so this one court handles the whole family file, from divorce to parenting and support. Many separating couples in Kanata, Nepean, and Orleans settle these issues by agreement, which is usually faster and less costly than a contested hearing.

How does divorce and property division work in Ontario?

Divorce itself is federal. It's granted under the Divorce Act, which sets the grounds for ending a marriage and the framework for support and parenting afterward. Only the Superior Court of Justice can grant a divorce. Property, by contrast, is provincial. When a marriage ends, Ontario divides the growth in each spouse's wealth through equalization of net family property under the Family Law Act. In plain terms, the spouse whose net worth grew more during the marriage usually pays the other half of the difference. The rules for married spouses and common-law partners aren't the same, so get advice specific to your circumstances. Because Ottawa has a Unified Family Court, that same court also decides parenting, support, and child protection, so the whole case stays together.

What happens before your first court date in Ottawa?

Before your first court date, both parties usually have to attend a Mandatory Information Program session. It's a free session that explains the court process, the ways to resolve a case, and how separation affects children and adults. You and the other party attend separately, then file a certificate to show you went. Timing matters elsewhere too: claims to equalize property carry limitation periods that run from separation or divorce, so waiting too long can cost you a right you'd otherwise have. Getting advice early gives a lawyer time to gather documents and calendar the dates that count.

How do you choose a family law firm in Ottawa?

Start with a firm that handles your kind of matter, whether that's a high-conflict parenting dispute, a support claim, or a property division with a business or pension in the mix. Ask who will actually run your file, how the firm bills, and whether it leans toward negotiation or is ready for court when needed. Firms serve clients across Ottawa and its surrounding communities, from Stittsville in the west to Orleans in the east, so there's usually one within reach.

You can confirm any lawyer's standing on the Law Society of Ontario directory. Browse the family law firms in Ottawa below.

A & C Law Firm LLP

3 lawyers

A & C Law Firm LLP is an Ottawa firm focused on immigration and civil litigation. It also handles family law and notary matters, including wills, estates, separation and divorce, and offers document certification serv…

Immigration LawImmigration LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Addelman Baum Gilbert LLP

6 lawyers · Est. 2010

Addelman Baum Gilbert LLP is an Ottawa criminal defence and child protection law firm formed in January 2010 by Richard Addelman, Douglas Baum, Jason Gilbert, and Joseph Addelman. It represents clients across Ottawa a…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawLegal aidLegal Aid

Addo Law Professional Corporation is a client-focused law firm with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, practicing civil litigation, family law, construction law, and real estate law, including real estate litigation and t…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawConstruction LawConstruction LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

AGB Lawyers

4 lawyers · Est. 1996

AGB Lawyers is a boutique Ottawa firm that has practised since 1996, focused on family law, estate planning, estate administration, and real estate law. It's located at 2249 Carling Avenue and offers a free initial co…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsReal Estate LawReal Estate LawNotary & Commissioner ServicesNotary & Commissioner Services

Ahmad-Yousuf & Associates

2 lawyers · Est. 1998

Ahmad-Yousuf & Associates is a bilingual law firm in Ottawa that has served Ontario clients since 1998. Its team practices family law, real estate, wills and estates, and immigration matters, and offers services in En…

Family LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsImmigration LawImmigration Law

Allen Law

1 lawyer

Allen Law is an Ottawa-based family law practice that helps clients with divorce, separation, parenting arrangements, and fertility law matters. It also serves Eastern Ontario communities including L'Orignal, Perth, C…

Family LawFamily Law

Anders Law

2 lawyers · Est. 1973

Anders Law is a general practice law firm in Ottawa, founded by Kurt Anders in 1973 and now run alongside his daughter Katrina Anders. The firm handles family law, real estate, wills and estates, corporate and commerc…

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

Andrew McMurray

1 lawyer

Andrew McMurray practises family law from a downtown Ottawa office across from the courthouse, focusing on separation, divorce, and marriage and cohabitation agreements. He offers notary services on premises and serve…

Family LawFamily Law

Beesley Gahrns

2 lawyers

Beesley Gahrns is an Ottawa family law firm where two lawyers, Susan Gahrns and Raquel Beesley, practice individually in association rather than as partners. The firm focuses on out-of-court resolution, including medi…

Family LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Behrendt Law

2 lawyers

Behrendt Law is a sole-practitioner family and estates law firm in Ottawa, run by Jeffrey Behrendt from an office on Ogilvie Road. The firm handles divorce, child custody and access, support, and property division, al…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Bell Baker LLP

13 lawyers · Est. 1957

Bell Baker LLP is a full-service law firm based in Ottawa, founded in 1957. The firm has about fifteen lawyers serving individuals, corporations, and institutions across the greater Eastern Ontario area, with practice…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law

Bennett Family Law

1 lawyer · Est. 1999

Bennett Family Law is an Ottawa firm that has represented clients in family law matters since 1999, including complex parenting and property issues. It's run by Deborah E. Bennett, who also handles adoptions and child…

Family LawFamily Law

Bennett McIntyre Mysicka LLP is a general-practice law firm based in Carleton Place, Ontario, with a second office in Nepean, serving Lanark County, the Ottawa Valley and the Greater Ottawa area. The firm focuses on r…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Binny Law Professional Corporation is a sole-practitioner firm based in Ottawa, Ontario, led by Binny Joseph, a Barrister and Solicitor licensed with the Law Society of Ontario. The firm practices immigration law, fam…

Immigration LawImmigration LawFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Blake Family Law is a family, estate, and elder law practice based in Ottawa, Ontario. It handles family law matters such as custody, child and spousal support, property division, and divorce, along with estate planni…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Boivin Perera Termos Associates, operating online as Kanata Law, is a small law firm serving Kanata, Orleans, Nepean, and the wider Ottawa area. It practices real estate, wills and estates, business and corporate law,…

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

Bruce Stedman

1 lawyer

Bruce Stedman is an Ottawa family law mediator and lawyer with more than 34 years of experience, offering confidential mediation for separating and divorcing couples. He works with both spouses to resolve parenting an…

Family LawFamily Law

Bunning & Farnand

2 lawyers · Est. 1982

Bunning & Farnand, Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries, has served the Blackburn Hamlet community in Ottawa for over forty years, since Les Bunning opened the firm in 1982. It handles real estate, wills and estates, corp…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawNotary & Commissioner ServicesNotary & Commissioner Services

Bytown Law

1 lawyer

Bytown Law is a solo family and divorce law practice in Ottawa run by Joshua Chmielewski, who also handles wills, estates and trusts, immigration, and civil litigation matters. The firm serves the greater Ottawa area,…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsImmigration LawImmigration LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Carman Feng Law

2 lawyers

Carman Feng Law is a Professional Corporation in Ottawa with a primary focus on civil litigation, along with family law, real estate law, and trusts and estates. The firm's two lawyers, Carman Feng and Mylene Feng, ar…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Caspar van Baal Family Law and Mediation is a sole-practitioner family law firm in Ottawa. Caspar van Baal has practised family law for more than 35 years and offers traditional family law services alongside collabora…

Family LawFamily Law

CCY Family Law

4 lawyers · Est. 1986

CCY Family Lawyers (CCY Family Law), Associates in the Practice of Law, evolved from Gerald Yemensky's private Ottawa practice, founded in 1986. The firm focuses on family law, including collaborative family law, medi…

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

Cedric Nahum Law

2 lawyers

Cedric Nahum Law is a criminal defence firm based in Ottawa, Ontario. It represents clients facing criminal allegations, including assault, robbery, sexual assault, drug, and fraud charges, as well as Children's Aid S…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawLegal aidLegal Aid

Chand & Co.

6 lawyers · Est. 2016

Chand & Co. (Chand Snider LLP) is a boutique litigation firm founded in Toronto in March 2016 by Pradeep Chand and Murray Snider. It handles civil, commercial, regulatory, and criminal litigation matters from offices …

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawFamily LawFamily Law