Family Court — Single Appearance
Family court appearances can be intimidating and consequential — but not every step in your proceeding requires a full ongoing retainer. This service provides focused, flat-fee representation at a single Ontario family court appearance (Superior Court of Justice — Family Branch, or Ontario Court of Justice). Whether it is a case conference, motion, settlement conference, or procedural appearance, your lawyer will appear as your agent of record for that date.
The flat fee includes a meeting before court to review the issues and your instructions, representation at the appearance itself, and a debrief meeting afterward to explain the outcome and advise on next steps. Court appearances often require supporting legal materials (forms, affidavits, financial statements). If you also need materials prepared for your appearance, see the companion Family Court — Materials Preparation service, which covers drafting, serving, and filing the required documents.
What Is Included
- Representation as agent for one specific family court appearance
- Meeting with client prior to court appearance to review issues and instructions
- Meeting with client after court appearance to advise on next steps
What Is Not Included
- Preparation of legal materials (affidavits, motions, financial statements — see Family Court — Materials Preparation)
- Ongoing family law retainer or representation beyond the single appearance
- Negotiation or mediation outside of court
Who This Service Is For
Information Required from You
- 1Court file number and location
- 2Date and type of court appearance
- 3Description of the issues in dispute
- 4Copies of any existing court orders, endorsements, and filed materials
- 5Whether materials have already been served and filed for the appearance
Common Add-Ons
Frequently Asked Questions
Important Limitations
- •This service covers representation at one specific court appearance only. It does not create an ongoing solicitor-client relationship for the broader proceeding.
- •If legal materials need to be prepared, served, or filed for the appearance, that work is a separate engagement — see the Family Court — Materials Preparation service.
- •Availability is subject to counsel's schedule. Early booking is strongly recommended, especially for morning court dates.
- •This service is provided by a referral partner — a licensed Ontario family law firm.
Fixed fee
$1,000
Plus HST
This service is provided by a third party. By requesting this service, you consent to us sharing your inquiry with one of our partner law firms, and you may be contacted by them, pursuant to our Privacy Policy.
Requesting does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Subject to conflict check and acceptance.
Prices are for the stated scope only. Additional complexity, urgency, disbursements, HST, or government fees may apply.
Fixed fee
$1,000
Plus HST