ERIN K. MELNYCK

Lawyer

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me better and learn more about my family law practice.

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I graduated from McGill University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Social Work and from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001 with a LL.B. While at Osgoode, I was a proud member of the Poverty Law Intensive Program, where I provided pro bono legal services to low income individuals at Parkdale Community Legal Services.

I was called to the Ontario Bar in 2003 and I have been practicing family law exclusively ever since. My education and work experience in the social work field has provided me with a unique skill set that I have applied to my family law practice.

Family law is unlike any other area of the law, which is why I believe strongly that providing legal services with compassion, empathy and sensitivity to my clients, is just as important as the legal problem solving skills, knowledge and expertise that I have developed over the years.

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From 2006 to 2014, I was appointed as an Agent for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. In this capacity, I represented children whose parents were involved in contentious custody and access or child protection litigation. The experience I gained representing children in family law disputes was invaluable and profoundly shaped my family law practice. It gave me unprecedented insight into the impact that family law disputes can have on our children. 

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This is precisely why I am devoted to helping my clients resolve their family law disputes as amicably and expeditiously as possible. I approach each and every one of my clients' matters with a settlement-based mindset because I am extremely cognizant of the financial and emotional burden that a separation has on the entire family.

In 2018, I obtained my Collaborative Family Law Certification (Level I) and I am a proud member of the Collaborative Practice Durham Region group of family law professionals. I encourage all of my clients to consider the collaborative approach in resolving their family law disputes. I also encourage you to obtain more information about the collaborative family law process at https://durhamcollaborative.com.

Unfortunately, there are some limited circumstances where a family law dispute needs the intervention of the Family Court. I have several years of courtroom experience representing clients in the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

With my extensive family law experience and as a parent myself, I understand the distinct challenges faced by children and parents throughout the separation/divorce process. I am committed to providing my clients with compassionate and comprehensive legal advocacy, tailored to meet the individualized needs of each and every client that I have the opportunity to represent. I offer both customary family law retainer services, as well as limited-scope or unbundled family law retainer services. To learn more about limited-scope family law services, please visit Ontario’s Family Law Limited Scope Services Project at www.familylawlss.ca.

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I am also a member of several Employee Assistance Program (EAP) lawyer referral services within the Greater Toronto Area. If you or your spouse has access to an EAP, I encourage you to contact them and request a free consultation with me, which also entitles you to a discount on my regular hourly rate for any additional family law services you may need.

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If you would like to arrange a free, confidential consultation with me to discuss your family law matter further, please call our office or email me at erin@mslawyers.ca.

I look forward to helping you in any way I can.