Does Epstein Cole handle divorce, custody and parenting disputes?

Yes. The firm's practice areas include asset and property division, child and spousal support, and children and parenting matters, along with domestic contracts and litigation.

Can Epstein Cole help with a family law case that crosses provincial or national borders?

Yes. The firm takes on international and multi-jurisdictional matters, including international child mobility and abduction cases and inter-jurisdictional marriage contracts.

Does Epstein Cole offer mediation or arbitration instead of going to court?

Yes. The firm runs its own Dispute Resolution Centre, where lawyers work as mediators and arbitrators on family law matters.

Can Epstein Cole draft a marriage contract or separation agreement?

Yes. Domestic contracts and agreements, including prenuptial, marriage and separation agreements, are part of the firm's practice.

How long has Epstein Cole been practising family law in Toronto?

The firm was founded in 1978 by Philip M. Epstein and Kenneth Cole and has practised from Toronto since.

Epstein Cole LLP | LawOnline Directory

About Epstein Cole LLP

Epstein Cole LLP is a family law firm based in Toronto, at 393 University Avenue. Philip M. Epstein and Kenneth Cole founded it in 1978 as a small litigation firm. As their caseload shifted toward family law, the founders came to see the field as multi-disciplinary, reputation based and central to social justice, and the firm has practised exclusively in that area since. Today it handles asset and property division, child and spousal support, parenting arrangements, domestic contracts, litigation, and professional liability matters.

Epstein Cole also takes on international and multi-jurisdictional cases, including cross-border child mobility and abduction disputes and inter-jurisdictional marriage contracts, and it has built a national and international client base around this end of family law practice. Alongside its litigation work, the firm runs an in-house Dispute Resolution Centre, where lawyers act as mediators and arbitrators instead of going to court. Epstein Cole describes its approach as personal, practical, responsive and solution-focused, mixing negotiation, alternative dispute resolution and litigation depending on what a case needs.

Practice areas

Family Law

Milestones & recognition

Founded in 1978 by Philip M. Epstein and Kenneth Cole as a small litigation firm.
Co-founder Philip M. Epstein was called to the Ontario Bar in 1970, appointed Queen's Counsel in 1981, awarded the Law Society Medal in 1999, invested in the Order of Ontario in 2018, and appointed to the Order of Canada in 2020.
Co-founder Kenneth Cole was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1976 and received the Catzman Award for Professionalism and Civility from The Advocates' Society in 2017.
Five former Epstein Cole lawyers have been appointed judges in Ontario, three of whom currently sit, including Justice Lene Madsen at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and Justices Sharon Shore and Melanie Kraft at the Superior Court of Justice.
The firm is ranked Band 1 in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide (Canada) for Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth.

In the community

Epstein Cole partnered with Pro Bono Students Canada and Legal Aid Ontario to launch the Family Justice Centre, which pairs law students and volunteer lawyers to provide free legal help to low income, self represented family law litigants in Ontario. The firm's foundational gift to the centre was $150,000.
Kenneth Cole teaches Advanced Family Law as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and has lectured for the Law Society of Ontario and the Ontario Bar Association on family law topics.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible A rainbow pride heart

LGBTQ+ friendly A blue parking sign beside a car in a parking space

Parking available A laptop showing a video call

Virtual appointments A calendar with a checkmark beside a clock

By appointment An office interior with a desk and chairs

In-person services

Lawyers 30

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar: 1976–2025 · median 11 years in practice 29 of 30 lawyers
Law schools: Osgoode Hall Law School (7), University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (7), Queen's University, Faculty of Law (3), University of Ottawa Law School (3), University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law (2), University of Windsor, Faculty of Law (2) and 6 more 30 of 30 lawyers
Languages on the roster: Arabic, French, Italian, Romanian, Spanish

Who handles what

The neighbourhood

Epstein Cole's office is at 393 University Avenue, Suite 2200, in downtown Toronto. That same address houses the Associate Judges Office of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which handles the region's civil motions, case conferences and pre-trials, so the firm shares a building with part of the court system its litigators appear before. A short walk north, 361 University Avenue is the Superior Court's dedicated criminal and family courthouse, where family trials, motions, conferences and child protection matters are heard. For a firm that started out in 1978 as a litigation practice, an address on University Avenue puts it close to the courts its lawyers use regularly.

Frequently asked questions

Does Epstein Cole handle divorce, custody and parenting disputes?: Yes. The firm's practice areas include asset and property division, child and spousal support, and children and parenting matters, along with domestic contracts and litigation.
Can Epstein Cole help with a family law case that crosses provincial or national borders?: Yes. The firm takes on international and multi-jurisdictional matters, including international child mobility and abduction cases and inter-jurisdictional marriage contracts.
Does Epstein Cole offer mediation or arbitration instead of going to court?: Yes. The firm runs its own Dispute Resolution Centre, where lawyers work as mediators and arbitrators on family law matters.
Can Epstein Cole draft a marriage contract or separation agreement?: Yes. Domestic contracts and agreements, including prenuptial, marriage and separation agreements, are part of the firm's practice.
How long has Epstein Cole been practising family law in Toronto?: The firm was founded in 1978 by Philip M. Epstein and Kenneth Cole and has practised from Toronto since.
Where is Epstein Cole's office located?: The firm's office is at 393 University Avenue, Suite 2200, in downtown Toronto.

Where to find them

393 University Avenue, Suite 2200, Toronto, ON M5G 1E6 · 416-862-9888

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Listing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗