A. Shawn Richard Family and Estate Law
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 579 handling Family Law.
About A. Shawn Richard Family and Estate Law
A. Shawn Richard Family and Estate Law, known as ASR Law, is a small Toronto law firm that focuses on family law and estates litigation. Founder A. Shawn Richard earned an Honours B.Sc. and an M.A. from the University of Toronto before completing a J.D. there in 2008 and being called to the Ontario bar in 2009. The firm handles divorce, custody, and support disputes alongside will challenges, dependant support claims, and other contested estate matters, often turning to negotiation, mediation, or arbitration instead of a full trial. It also helps people who choose to represent themselves in family court, drafting applications, affidavits, and factums on their behalf.
Richard is a full member of STEP Canada and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and has advised clients on cross-jurisdictional estate matters reaching into the United States, the UAE, the UK, France, Denmark, and Japan. Richard also represented a party in Yenovkian v. Gulian, an Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision that recognized the tort of publicly placing someone in a false light.
Milestones & recognition
- Founder A. Shawn Richard earned a J.D. from the University of Toronto in 2008 and was called to the Ontario bar in 2009.
- Richard became a full member of STEP Canada, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, in early 2023.
- Richard is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a past president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers.
- Richard joined the Board of Directors of The Advocates' Society in December 2023.
- Richard has been recognized by Best Lawyers.
- Richard received the Ryerson G. Raymond Chang Volunteer Award in 2019.
- Richard represented a party in Yenovkian v. Gulian, an Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision recognizing the tort of publicly placing someone in a false light.
In the community
- Richard was appointed by the Ontario government as a reviewer addressing equity and anti-Black racism concerns at the Peel District School Board.
- Richard co-founded a working group on equity-seeking groups at the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
- Richard serves on the Program Advisory Committee for the law school at Toronto Metropolitan University and teaches torts there at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
- Richard previously taught trial advocacy at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
- Richard co-chaired the 17th and 18th annual Family Law Summit.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleWho handles what
The neighbourhood
ASR Law's office is in Postmedia Place at 365 Bloor Street East, a 20 storey office tower in downtown Toronto.
The firm's website includes a dedicated page on reconciliation and land acknowledgement, describing its office as sitting within Tkaronto on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe, and the Huron-Wendat, land covered by Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. The firm states an ongoing commitment to learning about residential school history, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and Indigenous law.
Frequently asked questions
- Does ASR Law handle divorce and child custody cases in Toronto?
- Yes. ASR Law's family law practice covers divorce, child and spousal support, custody and access, and property division, as well as cohabitation agreements, marriage contracts, and separation agreements.
- Can ASR Law help if I want to represent myself in family court?
- Yes. The firm has a self-represented litigant service that assists with drafting applications, answers, briefs, financial statements, affidavits, and factums, and can also help prepare for speaking at motions, trials, or appeals.
- Does ASR Law handle will challenges and disputes between beneficiaries?
- Yes. The firm's estate litigation work includes will challenges involving undue influence or testamentary capacity, executor removal, breach of trust claims, dependant support claims, and estate administration and guardianship matters.
- Can ASR Law handle an estate or family law matter that involves people or assets outside Canada?
- Yes. The firm advises on cross-jurisdictional and conflict of laws issues, and has worked on matters reaching into the United States, the UAE, the UK, France, Denmark, and Japan.
- Does ASR Law offer mediation or arbitration instead of going to trial?
- Yes. Alongside litigation, the firm offers negotiation, mediation, and arbitration as ways to resolve family and estate disputes outside of a courtroom.
- How does ASR Law structure its legal fees?
- The firm offers three options: an itemized fixed fee action plan, unbundled services for specific discrete tasks, and traditional full-service hourly billing.
Where to find them
365 Bloor St. E., Suite 1802 Toronto ON M4W 3L4 · 416-718-4040
Similar firms in City of Toronto
Bogo Law, formally Geoffrey Bogo Law Professional Corporation, is a Toronto personal injury firm founded by Geoffrey Bogo that has served the area for more than 20 years. It handles motor vehicle accident, accident be…
Personal Injury
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Family Law
Criminal Defence
Law365 is an Ontario law firm that says it provides legal services at affordable rates for both business and personal matters. It describes assisting clients with starting a business, purchasing a house, creating a wi…
Business & Corporate Law
Real Estate Law
Wills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Ahangama Law Professional Corporation is a Toronto firm founded in 2017 and led by principal lawyer Anoshan Ahangama, offering legal and paralegal services to individuals, families, and businesses across the Greater T…
Real Estate LawFamily Law
Immigration LawWills, Estates & TrustsListing compiled from the firm’s public website in July 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗