A. Shawn Richard Family and Estate Law
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,276 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 423 handling Family Law.
About A. Shawn Richard Family and Estate Law
ASR Family and Estate Law is a Toronto litigation practice that takes on family law and estates litigation in every form. Founder A. Shawn Richard has built a practice around hard-to-solve money questions and cross-border disputes in family and estate cases.
Richard founded the firm and is its lawyer, with a J.D. from the University of Toronto in 2008 and a call to the Ontario bar in 2009. Plenty of clients arrive after working with more than one lawyer and still needing a resolution. Whether it's a second opinion or a first meeting, Richard starts by understanding the client's story, the legal and practical issues, and what the client wants out of it. Two law clerks support the practice, one with more than 10 years in family law and the other with over five, and both help draft documents and get files ready for trial.
Richard acted for Gulian in Yenovkian v. Gulian, a family law case in Ontario's Superior Court of Justice that added a new tort to Ontario law: publicly placing a person in a false light. Richard successfully argued it, and it was the first case in Canada to recognize that privacy tort, winning compensation for the client over online abuse from the client's ex-spouse. ASR often gives other lawyers strategic advice on their files.
Clients can meet with ASR in person or virtually.
Practice areas
Separation, support and domestic contracts
ASR's family work covers divorce, support, parenting and property division, along with domestic contracts such as marriage contracts and cohabitation or separation agreements.
Our guide: How to Hire a Family Lawyer in Toronto
Estate and trust litigation
On the estates side, ASR brings breach-of-trust claims against trustees who fall short of their fiduciary duties and defends trustees facing those claims. It challenges wills on grounds like undue influence or lack of testamentary capacity, acts for dependants left with too little support or nothing, and handles removing an executor and passing of accounts.
Power of attorney misuse
When someone holding a power of attorney abuses or misuses that authority, ASR takes on the dispute.
Our guide: How to Get a Divorce in Ontario
Good to know
Accessible parkingHow A. Shawn Richard Family and Estate Law works
Work at ASR starts with a first consultation where clients explain their circumstances and goals, then talk through their rights and realistic options before a plan is built together. The aim is to settle matters without long, expensive court proceedings, though the firm will push for the right outcome whether that happens in court or outside it. Mediation and arbitration are also among ASR's services.
Cultural competence is a core commitment. For ASR it means understanding each client's perspective and history, and spotting where the legal system might misread them so the client is truly heard. Clients can also draw on the firm's network of accountants, financial advisors, business valuators and psychologists.
Milestones & recognition
- In 2013 A. Shawn Richard was co-counsel for the Elliot Lake Mall Action Committee at the Elliot Lake Inquiry.
- A. Shawn Richard received the Ryerson G. Raymond Chang Volunteer Award in 2019.
- A. Shawn Richard was named to the Ontario government's three-person team reviewing the Peel District School Board on equity, anti-Black racism, governance, leadership and human resources practices; the final report is dated February 28, 2020.
- At the time of that review, Richard was a partner at Lenkinski Law, a firm due to take the name Lenkinski Carr & Richard LLP in 2020.
- A. Shawn Richard has co-chaired the Law Society of Ontario's Family Law Summit since 2021, including the 18th summit in March 2024.
- A. Shawn Richard has been recognized by Best Lawyers.
- A. Shawn Richard co-authored Tactics and Strategy on Examinations and Motions in Matrimonial Cases with Esther Lenkinski, part of the Ontario Family Law Practice related materials since 2015.
In the community
- A. Shawn Richard co-created a program that trains members of RODA organizations in advocacy skills, run as a partnership between the Court of Appeal for Ontario and The Advocates' Society.
- A. Shawn Richard co-founded a working group bringing together the Court of Appeal for Ontario and equity-seeking groups.
- A. Shawn Richard served on the Legal Aid Ontario Test Case Committee from 2017 to 2018 and has sat on the program advisory committee for the Ryerson University law school since 2017.
- ASR supports and upholds the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action.
Affiliations & connections
- STEP Canada: A. Shawn Richard is a full member of STEP Canada, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
- International Academy of Family Lawyers: A. Shawn Richard is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
- Canadian Association of Black Lawyers: A. Shawn Richard is a past president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers and, in that role, appeared before standing committees and provincial and federal parliamentarians on anti-Black racism and human rights.
- The Advocates' Society: A. Shawn Richard is a member of The Advocates' Society.
- Canadian Bar Association: A. Shawn Richard is a member of the Canadian Bar Association.
- Lincoln Alexander School of Law: A. Shawn Richard teaches torts at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
Lawyers 1
The neighbourhood
ASR's office is in Toronto, or Tkaronto, a Mohawk name meaning the spot where trees stand in the water. The city falls under Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation and under the Williams Treaty with several Mississauga and Chippewa bands. The team works virtually most of the time and gathers in shared office space one to three times a month.
Frequently asked questions
- My family or estate dispute reaches into the UAE, Japan or another country. Can ASR Family and Estate Law help?
- ASR Family and Estate Law regularly handles complex estate matters along with conflict-of-laws and cross-jurisdictional issues. It advises clients worldwide, in countries ranging from the United States and United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates and Japan.
- I'm representing myself. Can ASR coach me on oral advocacy for a motion, trial or appeal?
- ASR Family and Estate Law helps self-represented litigants understand the law, put together thorough and persuasive court materials, and build oral advocacy skills. A. Shawn Richard, who teaches torts at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and taught trial advocacy at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, can teach effective advocacy for motions, trials and appeals.
- Can I get a fixed price from ASR, or pay only for specific tasks?
- ASR Family and Estate Law offers some limited services for a fixed fee. Before any work begins, it reviews the file and sets out an itemized plan listing every service and what it costs. Unbundled help is available for discrete tasks, and hourly billing remains an option for clients who prefer it.
- Does ASR handle claims for support of a parent by an adult child?
- ASR handles parental support claims as part of its family law work. A parent may bring a support claim against an adult child, and in April 2022 Shawn Richard explained when such claims can be made at the Osgoode Certificate in Elder Law.
- As a surviving spouse, should I take what the will leaves me or an equalization payment, and can ASR advise?
- ASR Family and Estate Law helps widowed spouses make sound financial decisions. A surviving spouse can choose between what the deceased spouse's will provides and an equalization payment.
- Can I follow my ASR file online instead of calling for updates?
- ASR Family and Estate Law uses technology so clients see what's happening on their case in real time, without phoning or emailing. Clients who aren't comfortable with technology get help at whatever level they're at.
Where to find them
365 Bloor St. E., Suite 1802 Toronto ON M4W 3L4 · 416-718-4040
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