Jacqueline M. Mills

Certified SPECIALIST IN FAMILY LAW

Jacqueline M. Mills is a certified specialist in family law and has practiced exclusively in this field since 1986.

She was an associate and a partner with Lang Michener for 14 years before forming the partnership of Doran & Mills in 1998 and has been a sole practitioner since 2006.

She was a member of the executive of the Family Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association from 1988 to 2010 and chaired the section from 2001 to 2003. She taught family law at the Bar Admission Course for many years, and has chaired and spoken at numerous conferences on all aspects of family law.

Jacqueline has acted as counsel on a number of precedent-setting and diverse family law issues appearing in the Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Justice.

Since 1995, she has consistently been named one of Canada’s leading family law practitioners by the Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory and was elected Fellow, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Jacqueline is originally from Much Wenlock, England, and lived there and in Cyprus before moving to Canada in 1967. She is a proud mother of two sons and enjoys adventure vacations. 

Education

  • LL.B. Queen’s University, 1984
  • B.A. (Economics) Queen’s University, 1979

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Jacqueline’s Background

  • Born in England
  • Lived in Cyprus
  • Moved to Canada
  • Attended Queen’s University for undergraduate degree in Economics
  • Attended St. Lawrence College for diploma as a law clerk
  • Attended Queen’s University for law school. Graduated 1984 with two academic awards and a placement with the Law Reform Commission of Canada
  • Articled and worked as an associate and then a partner at Lang Michener (subsequently merged with McMillan LLP)
  • Established Doran & Mills in 1998
  • Carried on a sole practice after Burke Doran’s retirement
  • Enjoy cycling, exercising, reading, British tv and movies, learning
  • Appointed as a Dispute Resolution Officer at the Superior Court of Justice, certified as a specialist in Family Law, former member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, on Canadian Bar Association Family Law Executive for 2 years, Chair of Ontario Bar Association Family Law Executive for 2 years, recognized by Lexpert, Best Lawyers in Canada

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Meet The Team

We invite you to learn more about us. While our biographies include legal expertise and experience, you will also get a sense of us as people — and be provided with contact details should you wish to be in touch.
Jacqueline M. Mills
Michele Whittaker
Experience & Success

Examples of Client Work

You may wish to review some selections of representative client work. These examples, which are matters of public record and therefore can be disclosed, demonstrate some of the issues we have litigated.   

Variation of spousal support based on a substantial increase in the husband’s income that required a detailed knowledge of various different types of compensation received by a bank executive. The wife (our client) was successful at trial and in the Ontario Court of Appeal.

This matter required the appraisal of several pieces of commercial real estate and business valuations of the husband’s corporate interests. The matter settled before trial, however there were numerous motions before trial to protect the wife’s potential entitlement and to assist with funding the litigation. 

A very complicated case involving a complex corporate structure and many pieces of commercial real estate. 

One of the issues at trial was the effect of disposition costs and the tax consequences of a sale of real property on the wife’s property entitlement. Another important issue was obtaining an order for lump sum spousal support as the husband was unlikely to comply with any other court order. 

Involved a question of enforcement of very substantial arrears of child and spousal support with a husband who resided in Texas. The wife sought to seize the husband’s pension on account of the arrears. The application was heard in the Superior Court of Justice and was successful, but the decision was set aside by the Ontario Court of Appeal. 

This case involved the interpretation and possible variation of a separation agreement in which the husband had agreed to pay a fixed amount of child support and then tried to reduce that amount. The husband’s application was dismissed and the matter then became an enforcement proceeding as the husband resided in California. 

This was a lengthy proceeding where a husband was unable to exercise normal and reasonable access to his children as a result of parental alienation. A child psychiatrist was involved as an expert to provide independent evidence of the role of each parent. After the trial, the children were ordered to live primarily with the husband. The appeal by the wife to the Ontario Court of Appeal was dismissed. 

In this case, the wife sought to set aside a marriage contract that was signed mere days prior to the wedding in circumstances where she did not understand her rights or obligations. The wife was successful in setting aside the agreement. 

Mother B was successful in her contempt motion, a rare instance in family law. Mother A unilaterally decided to homeschool the children and take them on vacation as well as cutting off all contact with Mother B regarding the children’s education.  

In this case, the Husband sought to reduce the amount of child support payable and to terminate spousal support. The Wife sought more support. The parties had signed a separation agreement several years after which, the Husband lost his job with cause. Notwithstanding, the Judge ordered support to be based on his actual income, the Wife’s motion was dismissed, and spousal support was fixed.

The Husband and Wife had resolved all of their issues with the exception of the duration of spousal support. The Husband’s position was that spousal support should have a fixed duration and terminate 14 years from the date of separation. The Judge found that the Wife had a strong entitlement to support and declined to fix an end date to support.

Our Office

45 St. Clair Ave W, #200, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1K9

Please note Jacqueline offers virtual consultations by phone or video.
The office is open by appointment only and COVID protocols are observed.

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(416) 929-6109

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(416) 929-2205

Working Hours

Mon – Fri: 8:30am - 4:30pm

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Family law attorney in Toronto, Ontario

45 St. Clair Ave W, #200, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1K9
(416) 929-6109

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