Contact Us

1. Attend to the safety of yourself and others; if necessary, call for medical help.
2. Contact the police if you were injured or if there appears to be damage to either vehicle.
3. Ask for the names, addresses, and phone numbers of anyone who was involved or was a witness to the accident.
4. Ask the other driver(s) for their driver’s license number.
5. Ask to see the insurance for every vehicle involved in the accident and obtain the name of the owner. Record the name of the insurance company and the insurance policy number.
6. Write down the license plate numbers of the vehicles involved in the accident.
7. Take pictures of the vehicles, resting places of vehicles, the accident scene and any damage

The best time to hire a lawyer is before you sign an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Your lawyer can look over this document to make sure that it protects you.

1. Bring with you a written history of your relationship. Include when the relationship started, when you started living together, your own and your spouse’s roles during the relationship, your contributions to the relationship including financial contributions and childcare.
2. Bring as much information as you can regarding your own and your spouse’s finances, property and debt.
   This information includes the following:

• Copies of your own and your spouse’s tax returns for the past three years.
• Confirmation of your own and your spouse’s current income such as a recent pay stub or letter from your employer.
• A listing of all of your own and your spouse’s property and debt along with any statements you have confirming the value of the property and debt at the date of your separation and the current date. This includes pension statements, financial investment statements (i.e RRSP and RESP statements), the most recent property appraisals, vehicle appraisals, loan statements and credit card statements.
• Copies of any co-habitation agreement or marriage contract you may have.
• Copies of any previous court orders

1. Separate your legal issues from your emotional issues. Talk to friends and mental health professionals about your emotional issues. Don’t pay a lawyer to get out your feelings.
2. If possible, you and your partner should work out the division of inexpensive assets such as the contents of your house on your own. It does not make sense to pay your lawyer to fight over used furniture.
3. Come prepared to your first meeting with your lawyer.
4. Before meetings write down any questions you would like answered.
5. Contact your lawyer’s administrative assistant first to ask any questions in between appointments, often she can answer your questions for you.

First appointments for wills usually take an hour. During this appointment your lawyer will first gather information about you, your loved ones and about your property. It’s important that your lawyer understand this, so she can draft a will that best suits your personal situation. Once we understand your situation, we discuss what should go in your will including the choice of an executor (the person who is responsible for your estate and making sure that your wishes are followed) and how you would like your property distributed.

It’s helpful if you can bring along government issued ID, a copy of your current will (if you have one). It’s also helpful to bring a listing of your property and debt including details of any beneficiary designations (i.e. for Life Insurance, TFSAs or RRSPs).