How to Find the Right Divorce Lawyer in Toronto and Get a Free Consultation [2024 Updated Guide]

If you and your partner have finally decided to break off your marriage through a divorce, you need to hire an experienced divorce lawyer to represent you. You can choose the best divorce lawyer for your case based on client reviews and the first free consultation. If you go in prepared, the free consultation with the  divorce lawyer can provide you with useful insights about your situation and potential outcomes of the divorce process.

Some divorce cases drag on for a long time when a spouse opts not to cede ground or come to an agreement with the other party. The only person who can help you navigate these murky waters is an experienced divorce attorney.

Objective Guidance in Emotional Times

You cannot be objective when it comes to your family. No matter how hard you try, you will always be stuck looking at the situation from the inside. A good lawyer, however, will be able to take a wider view of the situation and provide you with advice that will actually help you. While your lawyer is always your advocate, he or she can also see things that you simply cannot see as a party involved with the issue. Having someone around who can advise you from a legal position rather than one of emotion is a valuable asset that anyone involved in a family dispute should be able to appreciate.

Before the divorce proceedings start, you should get a good divorce lawyer who will fight for your rights. The outcome of the case will depend on his or her ability to represent you.

How do you determine the best lawyer? First off, the lawyers should not be charging a fee for the initial consultation. You will also need to consider other important factors and reasons below.

4 Reasons Why You Should Get a Free Consultation with a Divorce Lawyer

#1 It can help you with early preparations

An initial, free consultation with a family law attorney helps you prepare in advance for the case. During the first meeting with your potential lawyer, you will be discussing things that are very personal, some of which you might have not discussed with anyone else. While it’s natural to want to keep some embarrassing information private, being honest will help the lawyer get a better understanding of your information. Remember that all information you share with your lawyer is private, so you don’t have to worry about confidentiality.

When you’re having marital or familial difficulties, it’s normal to feel pain, anger or frustration. Dealing with these emotions before meeting with a lawyer will make the process much easier.

#2 It can help you identify any potential issues

During the initial consultation, you will be required to discuss what type of assets you own as well as your income. Types of assets may include homes, cars, retirement funds, boats, investments or bank accounts. You should also be ready to discuss debts which may include bank loans, credit card debts, student loans, equity loans and mortgages. An initial discussion of assets and debts will allow the lawyer to identify those potential areas that can cause complications during the divorce process. It allows the lawyer to address those issues before they arise.

#3 It is the best way to find the right divorce lawyer for your case

Family law is an area that involves intricate legal concepts which require time and experience to learn. These sub-specialties include custody law, guardianship, alimony, restraining order, child support, division of property and division of retirement benefits. Laws regarding these sub-specialties are usually updated by the legislature so you need to find a lawyer that is familiar with the new rules. A free consultation gives you a chance to meet with the lawyer to see whether you can work with him or her.

#4 An experienced attorney helps to set realistic goals

At the initial divorce consultation, time is spent at seeking what your goals are. These goals will be explained in terms that are easy to understand, you will also get a detailed explanation on where the law can help you meet those goals. The lawyer will explain what needs to be done to help you meet those goals. The more open you are with your lawyer, the more effective your lawyer will be.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Divorce Lawyer?

There many reasons as to why you should hire a specialist in family law as well as benefits that can be reaped if you retain the services of this professional.

1. Extensive Knowledge of Family Law

Divorce lawyers make their living convincing judges and other parties of the merits of their client’s cars. They are usually knowledgeable on all aspects pertaining family law and the various elements that must be proven in each unique case. The lawyer will search for information relevant to court proceedings in order to develop a worthy presentation. If you were to handle the case on your own, you might not know which information is relevant.

2. Likelihood of Success

While no attorney can guarantee that you will win a case, a good family attorney will help you to make sure that any outcome will be beneficial to you. There is a much higher chance of success when you hire a divorce lawyer than not. Judges will recognize that you are serious about the family law matter at hand and that you are willing to sacrifice financially to pressure the matter. Similarly, since you are using the services of an experienced professional, he or she will come up with a strategy that will guarantee better results.

3. Protecting Your Rights

One of the most important reasons of hiring a family attorney is protecting your rights. Stakes are usually high in family law cases, including losing custody of your child to another parent, children being removed from the home to a child protection services agency and losing assets through divorce. If you hire a reliable family attorney in Toronto, he or she will advocate for your rights.

How to Find a Good Divorce Lawyer in Toronto?

There are many family law attorneys in Toronto today. You stand to reap maximum benefits from the process only if you settle for the most suitable lawyer. Finding a lawyer at the spur of the moment is not recommended at all. It is always better to find and brief a lawyer when you realize that the relationship is coming to an end. This will give you more time to find the best suited family law attorney and bring them up to speed with all the events thus far. If you choose to wait until things get too heated, you may cause yourself unnecessary stress that could have otherwise been avoided.

It is hence very important to evaluate the suitability of prospective lawyers before settling on one. Look for:

• Experience – check how long he or she has been handling similar cases.
• Qualifications and licensing — is the lawyer qualified from a recognized law school?
• Cost of legal services — check how much it will cost you to retain his or her services.
• Reputation — check how his or her previous clients rate the services provided.

Remember that your lawyer’s judgment will be based on legal training and experience. Sometimes, the best legal advice may not be what you expected to hear. However, bear in mind that your lawyer has your best interest in mind.

Before you start looking for an attorney, you need to consider a number of things:

• What budget have you set aside for hiring a divorce lawyer or a family law firm?
• Will you be remaining in the same geographical area as your spouse after the divorce or will you move to a different area?
• Is the impending divorce friendly or is it likely to be a major legal battle?
• Will you want to keep the children or are you looking for joint custody?
• Is divorce the only route to your dispute or can you explore other options such as arbitration or mediation?
• Are you more concerned about maintaining your relationship with your children or protecting your financial interest?
• Do you need a lawyer just to offer advice or to be more involved in the case?

Use a Lawyer Referral Service

Contact the Toronto State Bar office and ask for recommendations of a good divorce lawyer. You can also use other lawyer referral services to find divorce lawyers in your city. At the lawyer referral website, you can choose the type of lawyer you want and the city they serve. This will automatically filter the potential lawyers near you for your case.

Many law firms will register with their local chamber of commerce. This is a way for them to spread their name out to the community. If you are looking for a family lawyer, it may be a good idea to get a list of lawyers through the Toronto chamber of commerce.

Word of Mouth: Get Referrals from People you Trust

It is always a great idea to do an ample amount of research on a potential family divorce lawyer, before hiring them. Clients should make use of search engines like Google, but your friends and family that have gone through divorce can also refer you to good lawyers. The same also applies to colleagues from work or your family lawyer.

One of the best ways of finding a competent family divorce lawyer is by speaking to people you know. This includes family, friends and people in your neighborhood. If the majority of people recommend a certain lawyer, you should jot them down as possible choices. 

Here are some things you may want to ask them:

• How did they handle your case?
• What did you like about their personalities?
• What did you wish you could change?
• What are their views on divorce and custody?
• Did you feel they were on your side?
• Do you feel they would be a good fit for me?

However, if you have a complex case or one that involves large amounts of money, you should take your research a step further.

Finding a Family Lawyer Online

There are many websites that allow lawyers to put up a profile for you to view. You can easily go onto the website or search an online legal directory in your area and choose from the profiles that you read. Be sure to read through any reviews that are available.

Another way to find a top family law lawyer near you is to find businesses that may come in contact with lawyers frequently. Let’s take this example. You are about to embark on a divorce that involves custody of children. You may want to find a trustworthy child therapist that specializes in working with children of divorced parents. They may have worked with local family lawyers while testifying for their clients.

Related: When You Should Consider Changing Your Divorce Lawyer

What Are Some Qualifications of a Good Family Lawyer?

Check that the lawyer you choose is certified to practice law in your state. You can check with the Law Society of Upper Canada to review their status as practitioners. Other things to look for when determining a lawyer’s qualification include testimonials, referrals, practice history and membership.

1. Experience In and Out of Court

Family law includes many subspecialties such as child custody, support and property division. A lawyer who specializes in child support is not necessarily experienced in divorce cases. Your potential family lawyer should be familiar with new legislations regarding his or her area of expertise. If you are seeking litigation, you may want to check how he or she has excelled in court.

2. Good Communication Skills

It’s important to assess how the potential family lawyer treats you because it reflects how he or she practices. An experienced family lawyer uses simple language when communicating with you. He or she takes time to listen to what you have to say in order to understand your fears, concerns and goals. You should definitely feel comfortable enough with your family lawyer to discuss confidential and personal matters if the need ever arose. If you feel awkward around them and feel that you cannot be completely transparent, it’s best to move on to someone you can be open with. Your family attroney will need all the information they can get to help you win your case.

3. Good Track Record

If you want to know more about your potential lawyer, check with the State bar association. You can get more information from referral services. However, there are various differences in the quality of lawyer referral services. Some lawyer referral services will list lawyers based on their qualifications and level of experience while others will list lawyers depending on their standing with the state bar and whether he maintains liability insurance. Therefore, before choosing a lawyer referral service, check what its qualifications are for including a family lawyer.

4. Lawyer Ethics

You will be required to reveal personal information about yourself and your marriage; therefore, your potential family lawyer should be someone you trust and feel comfortable with. Watch out if the attorney discloses sensitive information about another client. An attorney who violates the privacy of another client is likely to violate yours too. An ethical family lawyer who cares about you will tell you the truth even when he knows you won’t like it.

5. Dedication to Your Case

Check that you can easily schedule an appointment with your lawyer; if he or she is unavailable, it may be difficult to communicate with him.

6. Affordable

Most family law attorneys bill their legal services on an hourly basis. Some lawyers do not take a flat fee based on the time and labor they think your divorce requires. At the same time, paying a lot of money to a family lawyer does not mean that his or her legal representation is of high quality.

How to Find Toronto Divorce Lawyers Offering Free Consultation?

The best way to find the lawyers that don’t charge consultation fees is to start with referrals. When you have a number of referrals, contact them to inquire about their services. Also, find out if they will represent you as you require.

Free consultation meetings are usually brief and so you should go in prepared. During the meeting, be ready to divulge some basic personal information that will help the lawyer decide on whether he or she will take up the case.

Take the opportunity to know the experience and expertise of the divorce lawyers and family lawyers you’ve been referred to in your area.

Start with Our Lawyers

Schedule a free consultation with top lawyers at our family law firm to explore if our attorneys are the right-fit for your family law case.

How our Family Law Firm in Toronto can help you

Fine and Associates has established a reputation for helping individuals work through the many aspects of divorce and family law in Ontario. Our experienced team of family law attorneys know how to navigate challenges and achieve favourable outcomes for you.

Find our law firm offices in North Toronto, Markham and Oakville.