Michele Whittaker ACCOUNTS MANAGER Michele has over 13 years of experience in bookkeeping for criminal and family law lawyers. Michele handles all client account enquiries, ensures financial records are up to date, and liaises with Jacquie and Elise regarding accounts. In her down time, Michele enjoys traveling, reading, arts and crafts, and spending time with …
what sets us apart We Listen. We know your situation is wholly unique. We take the time to listen carefully and ask the right questions to clarify your needs and concerns. These factors are critical to advising you on your options, obligations, and rights from the earliest stage to your case completion. Guidance We make …
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 …
Elise Visco Family Lawyer Elise Visco has practiced exclusively in the area of family law since her call to the Bar in 2017. She joined Jacqueline M. Mills’ practice in 2019. Elise attended Osgoode Hall Law School where she completed the Osgoode Mediation Intensive specializing in family law. During her second and third year of …
We are proud to represent both women and men. Historically, after helping thousands of clients, our cases have always been evenly balanced between genders.
Our balanced approach extends to our opinion that a couple is a couple, and a family is a family regardless of makeup. As a result, individuals who are part of a same-sex pair and opposite-sex couple are among those clients we are proud to serve. See what some of our happy clients have to say:
If you are involved in a situation that may require a family lawyer, it can be intimidating to know where to start. We can help layout your first steps, which will probably include:
Click here to arrange a consultation with our team to guide you through the initial steps of the separation process.
After you have reached out via form, or phone, we will contact you to learn more about your situation and what we can do to assist with your family law process.
Our first meeting helps us understand your goals and helps us to offer you a potential paths to reach those goals. You will receive recommendations about what is in your best interests, but this is your life and the final decision will always be yours.
In the instance of cohabitation or marriage, we will discuss various scenarios that will suit your goals in terms of the financial aspects of your relationship. Your rights and obligations will be explained in writing and the process will be as conciliatory as possible. It is not our role to create conflict at this time of your relationship.
Consultation appointments usually take one hour. If extra time is needed, the meeting may be longer, but we find that initial meetings that are longer than an hour can be a bit overwhelming. All consultations with Jacqueline are billed at her hourly rate of $575 an hour. Often, her junior lawyer, Elise Visco, will sit in on an initial meeting, but her time will not be billed for doing so. It is part of an intake meeting to meet those who will be working on your file and it is part of training for her.
It is very helpful to us if you could bring your last three year’s tax returns and a rough statement of your current net worth, with assets and liabilities identified. Also please bring any signed agreements between you and your partner.
With our clients, privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance. We treat both with seriousness and respect. As a law firm, we work according to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Ontario and strive to protect you and your interests.
We will require a retainer before we start working for you. There are two aspects of a retainer, one is a written retainer agreement outlining the terms of our engagement and the other is a financial payment that is deposited to our trust account and used to pay your accounts from time to time. The amount of the retainer will change depending on the complications of your case, the steps that need to be taken and whether you are already in litigation or it is anticipated.
We bill according to the time spent by the lawyers. All time is recorded and detailed in the account.
If your file is active, we try to bill on a monthly basis. We do not act on the basis that you can pay when your matter is concluded from the settlement funds. That is not allowed in family law matter. Payments may be made by cash, e-transfer, cheque, or credit card.
It is impossible to tell in advance how much this will cost you. We try very hard to make the process as efficient as possible. A lot depends on the issues, the level of co-operation between the parties, any tactics used by opposing counsel and most importantly, whether litigation is required.
36 Alvin Avenue Toronto Ontario M4T 2X8
Please note Jacqueline offers virtual consultations by phone or video.
The office is open by appointment only and COVID protocols are observed.
(416) 929-6109
(416) 929-2205
Mon – Fri: 8:30am - 4:30pm
Family law attorney in Toronto, Ontario
36 Alvin Avenue
Toronto Ontario M4T 2X8
(416) 929-6109