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Mississauga family law

Mississauga Family Lawyer for Clear Next Steps

Separating usually means several decisions at once: the children’s schedule, support, the home. We help Mississauga families work out what needs attention now, what can be settled by agreement, and when court is the better route.

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Request a free case review

Tell us briefly what’s happening, including any court date, deadline or safety concern. We’ll contact you to set up your free case review.

A case review is not legal advice and does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Please do not send confidential documents. See our privacy policy.

Before the first call

Start with what’s in front of you

You don’t need the legal terms. Tell us what’s happening in your own words, mention any date that matters, and share what you already know.

01

What needs deciding?

Parenting, support, the home, property and debts, an agreement, or an existing court order. Note whichever apply, even if you’re not sure how they connect.

02

Is anything urgent?

A court date, a parent planning to move with a child, a safety concern, or a risk that money or property will be moved. Call 416-916-0886 rather than waiting for an online reply. In an emergency, call 911.

03

How much do you already agree on?

If you agree on most things, a written agreement or an uncontested divorce may be enough. If you don’t, mediation or a court order may be needed.

04

What paperwork do you have?

A short timeline, any agreement or court order, and your upcoming dates are enough to start. We’ll tell you which financial documents matter and how to send them securely.

How we can help

Family law services in Mississauga

Most separations raise more than one question. Choose the closest topic to read more, or bring them all to one conversation.

01

Divorce and separation

Starting a divorce or responding to one, along with the parenting, support and property questions that usually come with it.

Read more 02

Child custody and parenting time

Schedules, holidays, travel, and who makes the major decisions about your children, including when a parent wants to move with a child.

Read more 03

Child support

Support based on each parent’s actual income, shared special expenses such as private school or extracurricular costs, and support that isn’t being paid.

Read more 04

Spousal support

Whether support is owed, how much and for how long, and what to do when a spouse’s real income is in dispute.

Read more 05

Property, debts and the home

How property and debts are divided, including the family home, pensions and business interests. If you weren’t married, different rules apply, and a contribution to your partner’s property may still give you a claim.

Read more 06

Separation and cohabitation agreements

Agreements that settle parenting, support and property without a court order, or set terms before or during a relationship. We draft them and review ones the other side prepared.

Read more
Ways forward

You may not need a judge to decide everything

Many issues can be settled by agreement or mediation. Others need a court order. The route can change as information is shared and you find where you agree.

Negotiated agreement

When you can both share the information that matters, we negotiate with your spouse or their lawyer and put the terms in a written agreement, or review one drafted for you.

Mediation

A neutral mediator helps you work through terms but doesn’t give either of you legal advice. We advise you before and between sessions and review proposed terms before you agree. Learn more about mediation.

Collaborative family law

You, your spouse and both lawyers agree in writing to settle without going to court, then meet together to work through each issue.

Court

You may need a court order if something is urgent, safety is at risk, financial information is being withheld, or you can’t settle. We can represent you in court, including at trial.

If your case goes to court

What happens in a Peel family court case

Family cases from Mississauga are heard at the Brampton courthouse at 7755 Hurontario Street. If your case goes to court, you’ll likely come across some of these. Not every case includes all three.

01

Mandatory Information Program

A session on the court process, how separation affects adults and children, and options outside court. Most parties attend it first. Barry Nussbaum teaches the program.

02

Case conference

An early meeting about your court case. In Brampton, some are run by Dispute Resolution Officers, who are experienced family lawyers. We prepare you and attend with you.

03

Mediation on your court date

Free mediation is available at the courthouse on the day your case is in court. Mediation outside court is charged on a sliding scale based on income.

Family-law team

Who will work on your matter

Barry Nussbaum and Jessica Cohen lead the family-law team. Depending on your issues and timing, another lawyer on the team may handle your file. Before you retain us, you’ll know who is responsible for it.

Jessica Cohen, Senior Counsel and Team Lead at Nussbaum Law
Senior Counsel and Team Lead

Jessica Cohen

Called to the Ontario Bar in 2014, she has practised only family law since then.

Meet the full family-law teamView lawyer profiles

Associate Lawyers

Of Counsel

Client reviews

What clients say about Nussbaum Law

4.8

From more than 1,100 Google reviews of the firm

Read reviews on Google

“She represented me in an urgent parenting motion after the other parent unilaterally withheld our child from me. It was an incredibly stressful situation, but Mariam handled the case with exceptional professionalism and skill.”

“Jotty and Brittany were amazing at providing legal support while I was going through a high conflict separation and custody/access case.”

“I found Barry to be very honest and very fair.”

Read more client feedback

Fees and retainers

What will your legal work cost?

What you pay depends on the work: reviewing an agreement is a smaller job than urgent court work or a trial. The case review is free, and two services have a fixed fee.

Case review Free

An overview of your situation to see whether we can help. It isn’t legal advice, and it doesn’t commit you to retaining the firm.

Separation agreement $3,100 + HST

Fixed fee when you both give full financial disclosure and agree on the terms.

Uncontested divorce $2,500 + HST

Fixed fee. Court filing fees and other third-party costs are separate.

Before you retain us, you’ll know:

The free case review doesn’t include ongoing legal work.

See our fixed fees
  • Which lawyer is responsible for your file
  • What work the retainer covers
  • How fees are billed and when they could change
  • How you’ll get updates and documents
Serving Mississauga

Near the court that hears Mississauga family cases

We work with families across Mississauga, from Port Credit and Lakeview to Streetsville and Meadowvale. Mississauga family cases are heard at the Brampton courthouse on Hurontario Street, and our office is a short walk from it on County Court Boulevard.

Nussbaum Family and Divorce Lawyers2 County Court Boulevard, Suite 400Brampton, ON L6W 3W8
Phone
416-916-0886
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Mississauga family law FAQs

Common questions about family law in Mississauga

Answers about cost, court, divorce timing, property and parenting.

How much does a family lawyer in Mississauga cost?
The case review is free. It’s an overview of whether we can help, not legal advice. A consultation with a lawyer is paid, and the cost of the work depends on urgency, how much you already agree on, what financial information still needs to be shared, and whether you settle or go to court. A separation agreement is $3,100 + HST when you both give full financial disclosure and agree on the terms. An uncontested divorce is $2,500 + HST. Court filing fees and other third-party costs are separate.

What if I can’t afford a lawyer for the whole case?
Legal Aid Ontario may pay for a lawyer if your family’s income is under its limits. Its duty counsel lawyers can help on the day of your court date, but can’t represent you through the whole case. Ontario’s Family Law Information Centres give free information about the court process, though not legal advice. If we take on your matter, we’ll explain the retainer and the first stage of work before anything starts.

Which court handles a family case in Mississauga?
Family cases from Mississauga and the rest of Peel are heard at the Brampton courthouse, 7755 Hurontario Street. Only the Superior Court of Justice can grant a divorce, divide family property or decide who keeps the matrimonial home. Parenting and support can be heard in either the Superior Court or the Ontario Court of Justice.

Do I have to wait a year after separating to apply for divorce?
No. You can apply while you and your spouse are living apart. You must have lived apart for at least one year before the divorce is granted, and in most cases it takes effect 31 days after that. The court also needs to see reasonable child support arrangements for any children.

We weren’t married. Do we divide property the same way?
No. In Ontario, property acquired during a marriage is split equally when the marriage ends. Common-law partners aren’t required to split property they acquired while living together, but if you contributed to property your partner owns, you may have a right to part of it. A cohabitation or separation agreement can set out who keeps what.

Will parenting time be split 50/50?
Not automatically. The court decides based on your child’s best interests, and your child’s safety and well-being come first. The law says a child should have as much time with each parent as is consistent with those interests. We can help you negotiate a schedule or ask the court to set one.
Talk to the firm

Start with a free case review

The case review is free, and you don’t need everything worked out before you call. Tell us what’s happening, and we’ll talk through whether we can help and what the first stage of work would involve.

Start my free case reviewCall 416-916-0886