Questions people actually ask

No, you are allowed to do it yourself. But court forms are unforgiving, and an application that is filled in incorrectly gets returned, which costs you weeks. A lawyer also makes sure you are not signing away something you did not realise you had.

You get an email straight away with a reference number and a secure link to your application form. Our team is notified at the same time. A lawyer reads your file before we agree to act, and we come back to you either with a quote or with questions.

No. Submitting a form does not create a solicitor-client relationship. That starts only once we have checked for conflicts, confirmed in writing that we can act, and agreed the terms with you. Until then, please do not send us confidential information.

No. We are an online practice and act for clients anywhere in Ontario. Everything is handled by secure upload, email and phone or video, so where you live in the province makes no difference to the service or the cost. Our office is in Thornhill and you are welcome to visit by appointment, but nobody needs to.

Sometimes. If the disagreement is narrow, an agreement can often still be negotiated. If it is fundamental, you may need a litigator rather than an online service, and we will tell you that rather than take your money.

For a joint divorce, often not. For a separation agreement or a marriage contract, yes in practice - each person is normally expected to get their own independent legal advice, and an agreement signed without it is much easier to challenge later. We cannot advise both sides.

Usually your marriage certificate, proof of your identity, and the date you separated. The most common ground for divorce in Ontario is that you have been living separate and apart for at least one year.

It is possible. Living under the same roof does not automatically mean you are not separated, but you need to be able to show that the relationship has actually ended. Tell us the details and we will assess it.

A divorce order does not take effect immediately. Under the Divorce Act it takes effect on the 31st day after the order is made, and you can then request a certificate of divorce, which is what you need if you want to remarry.

No. Court filing fees are set by the government and are separate from our fee. We will tell you what they are before you commit so you can see the full cost.

Not by itself. A divorce ends the marriage. Property division, support and parenting arrangements are dealt with separately, usually in a separation agreement. Most people need both.

Broadly: it has to be in writing, signed by both people, and witnessed. Beyond that, full and honest financial disclosure on both sides matters enormously - agreements are most often set aside because someone hid an asset, not because of a drafting error.

You can, and people do. The risk is that a will which does not meet the formal requirements can fail entirely, and the mistake only surfaces when you are no longer around to fix it. A reviewed will is inexpensive insurance against that.

Not necessarily. Ontario permits wills and powers of attorney to be witnessed remotely by audio-visual link, provided one of the witnesses is a licensed lawyer or paralegal. We will tell you which method applies to your documents.

Someone still has to make decisions about your money and your care, but it will not necessarily be the person you would have chosen, and your family may need to apply to have someone appointed. A power of attorney avoids that entirely.

It depends on the service and the complexity of your situation. You will receive a written quote before any work begins, and we do not start until you have agreed to it.

We tell you about court filing fees and any government charges up front, because they are real costs even though they are not ours. If something changes the scope of the work, we tell you before doing it, not after.

We email you an invoice with our bank details and you pay by transfer. We do not take card payments through this website.

No. The contact form and the application form are free, and you are under no obligation to continue at any point.

The honest answer is that it depends on the court, not on us. Processing times vary between court locations and change through the year. We will give you a realistic estimate for your situation and tell you promptly if it shifts.

We aim to respond to new enquiries within one business day. If your matter is genuinely urgent, please call rather than wait on email.

Missing documents, almost every time. The faster you get us your identification, your marriage certificate and any existing agreements, the faster everything else moves.

Yes. Everything is sent over an encrypted connection. Uploaded documents are stored outside the public part of the website and can only be opened by authorised staff, and every access is recorded.

To run a conflicts check. We have to be certain we have not previously acted for them, or for someone whose interests conflict with yours. It is a professional obligation, not curiosity.

It varies. Commonly: government photo identification, your marriage certificate, and any existing agreements or court orders. After we read your application we will tell you exactly what is still needed.

You can ask at any time what we hold and request corrections. Law firms are required to keep certain records for a set period, so some information may have to be retained. Our Privacy Policy explains this.

We keep case detail out of email wherever we can, and send you a notification asking you to sign in instead. If you share an email account or a computer with someone, tell us and we will be especially careful.