Taking Care of Families
MacDonald & Partners believes that giving clients all the attention and resources they need to achieve a successful resolution of their family matter is not an option, but a primary responsibility. A successful resolution means fair treatment all the way around. When the case is over, we want our clients to know that they have not been taken advantage of, nor have they taken advantage of the other party.

“We try to resolve problems created by the separation with the least amount of pain and conflict. We do this with understanding and knowing how and when to be either gentle or resolute. It’s always a balance”- James MacDonald, Family Law pioneer for 40 years

MacDonald & Partners is committed to acting in the best interests of the family. We foster civility and respect in our negotiations and where children are involved, encourage the creation of a parenting plan that gives them the best that each parent can offer.

Advocate and Ally
Senior Counsel Gary Joseph has spent most of his professional life in the courts and has learned over the years that clients want a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of their case, and can present it effectively. They also want a lawyer who understands how important the case is to the client, is in tune with the client’s and the law’s values, and acts as an ally.

“Clients are understandably anxious about the process and need the comfort of knowing their cause is right and that their lawyer not only believes in the cause but also in them”- Gary Joseph, MacDonald & Partners Senior Legal Counsel.

All of the firm’s partners and associates share this philosophy and take pride in their competence, preparedness, and ability to support clients through the litigation process.

Leaders in the legal community
MacDonald & Partners is a firm of over-achievers when it comes to knowledge and understanding of Family Law issues. Not only do we do our homework, on some matters we wrote the book the homework is based on. The firm continues to play a leadership role in the legal community through our legal writing, presentations at legal education programs, and service on the boards of professional associations. These undertakings increase our own understanding of the law as well as contribute to the knowledge base within the legal community. Our mandate extends to promoting better practice as well as promoting legal reform.

We are especially proud of introducing the collaborative Family Law process to Toronto. This process uses modern techniques developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project to achieve an agreed upon settlement of claims arising from separation based on problem solving and advocacy without being adversarial.

Most cases are settled without a trial, but many of them need to involve the court process to the point of settlement in order to achieve stability or to counter a threat. In those cases, MacDonald & Partners dedicates the appropriate resources to achieve a successful resolution. We work with and for our clients’ best interests.