19 lawyers · Established 2001 · City of Toronto, York Region, Simcoe County and 5 more locations
One of 225 law firms listed in North York, and one of 64 handling Family Law.
Accepts Legal Aid
Free consultation
Virtual appointmentsClients rate this firm highly on Google.
Gelman & Associates is a family law firm for people in Toronto and across Ontario, founded by childhood friends Lisa Gelman and Karen Kotansky. Its lawyers help clients who are thinking about leaving a relationship, working out a separation agreement, answering court papers or getting ready for a contested divorce, so they understand the process and know what to do next.
Lisa Gelman has practised family law since 1995 and started the firm in 2001. The head office is at 4211 Yonge Street in North York, and there are offices in Aurora, Barrie, Cambridge, Grimsby, Hamilton, Mississauga, Scarborough, St. Catharines and Whitby too. Gelman earned a B.A. in political science at Western before studying law at Osgoode Hall. Karen Kotansky doesn't practise law at the firm. Kotansky runs its day to day operations instead, after a stint at LawPRO, the professional liability company of the Law Society of Ontario.
Paul D. Slan has practised family law since 1977. Slan is a past chair of the Ontario Bar Association's Family Law Section and has taught a family law Bar Admission Course. Jennifer Shuber holds the Law Society of Ontario's certification as a Specialist in Family Law. Rachelle Moncur moved into family law after more than twenty years of insolvency and restructuring work, and also serves as a Deputy Judge in the Small Claims Division of the Superior Court of Justice.
Phone lines are open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., and clients who'd rather not come in can meet a lawyer by phone or video. The first consultation is free.
Paul Slan and Irina Davis are trained in collaborative family law, and other lawyers at the firm have mediation and collaborative training, so clients can pick the out-of-court route that suits their situation. Jennifer Shuber is an Accredited Family Mediator with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and a Certified Specialist in Family Mediation through the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario.
Our guide: How to Hire a Family Lawyer in Toronto
Gelman & Associates acts for parents and caregivers once a Children's Aid Society or social workers become involved with their children. Drawing on its knowledge of Toronto's CAS system, the team aims to protect each child's welfare while safeguarding the parents' rights. Evan Clemence once sat on the Durham Region Law Association's Best Practices Committee, a group of lawyers that drew up child protection policy for the Oshawa courthouse.
Our guide: How to Get a Divorce in Ontario
A dedicated service line helps clients whose separations involve narcissistic traits, coercive control, emotional or financial abuse, or high-conflict litigation. Lisa Gelman, Negin Sari and Irina Davis each have professional training in narcissism and narcissistic abuse.
On inheritance questions, Gelman & Associates has acted for spouses on both sides: those trying to shield an inheritance and those seeking access to a spouse's.
The firm's lawyers can draft, update or review a will at any time, and because the firm handles both family and estate law, it can weigh how the two areas overlap when clients plan ahead.
Wheelchair accessible
Woman-owned
LGBTQ+ friendly
Free parking
Virtual appointments
By appointment
In-person services
Free consultation
Legal aidA designation granted by the Law Society of Ontario, not a self-declared area of focus.
The head office is on Yonge Street in midtown Toronto, between York Mills Road and Highway 401. York Mills subway station is just steps away, the 401 off-ramp is close by, and there's plenty of parking. The station sits where Wilson Avenue meets York Mills Road in Hoggs Hollow, and it opened in 1973, back when the area was still the Borough of North York, as the new northern end of the Yonge line.
Outside Toronto, the Cambridge office is at 73 Water Street North in the downtown, near the Grand River and the city's historic core. The Barrie office, close to where Mapleton Avenue crosses Ardagh Road, is in the southwest part of that city. In Scarborough, the firm's satellite office is at Milner Business Court, near Highway 401 and the Markham Road and Sheppard Avenue East area.
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Family LawThis listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on the firm’s own website. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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