Tailored legal services to support your needs.
When you need them.
About
Tailored Services to Support Your Needs
Supporting you in the background, I can assist you with your family law matter through limited scope (unbundled) services on an hourly basis – at a price you can afford. Whether you are trying to negotiate with the other party, mediate the issues, or your matter is in court, I can tailor my services to meet your needs. I can give you legal advice or strategy when and as you need it. I can coach you through the process, or I can do some of the work for you.
I do not attend court for my clients. I help you in the background with specific tasks that we agree upon ahead of time so you can represent yourself better.
The choice is yours. You can do all the legal paperwork yourself. Or you can hire me to help you draft court documents, review and edit your Separation Agreement, give you advice about the issues, or coach you on what to do next and how to do it.
You Are in Control of the Process and the Costs
You do not pay a retainer deposit. You pay as you go for my services. You choose what types of services you need and when you need them.
If you are representing yourself, you may want help drafting court documents or calculating child support. You decide if and when you need my help. It can be one meeting to discuss negotiation strategies for resolving your matter with a Separation Agreement, or it can be a few hours of document preparation to respond to a court proceeding – whatever you need. This way you control how much you spend.
All the work I do for you is billed at my hourly rate plus HST. You will receive a bill for work completed within one week. I ask that you pay that bill before I proceed with further work.
My services are convenient and accessible. Our meetings will be virtual, either by phone or video call, saving you time and money.
My Services
You Choose the Services You Need When You Need Them
These services can include:
Legal Coaching
I can help support you through the process and work with you to develop strategies to achieve the results you want whether you are negotiating the terms of your separation yourselves or through mediation or you are in court or arbitration. I can educate you on the legal tests you must meet to achieve a specific result and help you set reasonable and realistic expectations. I can provide you with advice on the rules of evidence and procedural requirements. I can also provide you with advice and guidance in the background while you attend court or mediation.
Documents
I can review documents and provide advice on information that should be added, removed, or revised. I can also edit documents you have drafted to ensure they are clear and concise. I can also help you determine what documents you need to serve and file, and how to do this. I can also help you draft documents, including letters from you to the other party/lawyer, Applications, Answers, Motions to Change, Responses to Motions to Change, Financial Statements, Notices of Motion, Affidavits, Facta, Conference Briefs, Offers to Settle, Cost Submissions, etc.
Domestic Contracts
(Cohabitation Agreements/Marriage Contracts/Separation Agreements)
I can provide Independent Legal Advice on your drafted agreement. I can also provide advice on information that should be added, removed, or revised in your agreement. I can also draft the agreement to ensure it is clear and concise and protects your interests.
Support Calculations
I can help you calculate the proper amount of child and/or support owing by, or to you, using best practice software. I will also identify any issues you should be aware of when calculating support, such as when either of you are self-employed.
Disclosure
I can help you organize disclosure produced and/or received by you, and I can prepare Disclosure Briefs as required.
Legal Research
I can determine how the courts have previously dealt with circumstances or issues like yours.
Notarize or Commission Documents
I also offer this service at competitive prices, ranging from $50 to $100 (plus HST), depending on the type of document, whether I can do it virtually or in person, and the urgency that you require it.
Why Jennifer?
Not everyone wants to work with a lawyer and not everyone can afford one. Some people who represent themselves do so because they have been denied Legal Aid. I believe that everyone deserves access to justice. I have designed my services to be flexible and to meet the needs of people who choose to represent themselves.
I know court proceedings can be very costly. I can help support you in settling the issues arising from your relationship breakdown—whether or not you are in court—with strength, compassion, and dignity. I can work with you to determine and review all your options and to help you make informed decisions.
My Background and Experience
Prior to becoming a family lawyer, I managed and led teams for over 15 years, marketing and raising funds for organizations such as Yale University, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation, Western University, and Robarts Research Institute.
Because of my passion for helping others, particularly those who are vulnerable and marginalized, I left my successful career and pursued my dream of becoming a family lawyer. I opened my own family law practice after working with a leading law firm in London. I also worked with Community Legal Services at Western University providing family law services to clients and coaching and training law students in family law. More recently, I was the inaugural Executive Director of the Middlesex Law Association, until I decided to focus on my practice and provide limited scope services to clients and virtual associate services to family lawyers. I am also a Certified Legal Coach, supporting clients with the tools and strategies they need to navigate their family law matter with confidence while they retain full control over the process and their costs.
I continue to support my local and legal communities through my volunteer work with organizations such as the Family Justice Centre, Wellspring London and Region, and the Southwestern Ontario Family Violence and Family Law Community of Practice. I continued to mentor and teach students through my role as an Adjunct Professor for the Family Law Externship and the foundational Family Law course at Western University. I have also supported the legal community as a volunteer with Pro Bono Students Canada and London Lawyers Feed the Hungry.
While at law school, I received the J.G. McLeod Scholarship in Family Law, the Brad Hodgson Civil Litigation Award, the Paul Bradley Prize in Real Estate Law, and was also on the Dean’s Honour List. I also obtained Certificates in Mediation and Negotiation. I was also actively involved in Community Legal Services as the Head Student Supervisor, the Dispute Resolution Centre as the Assistant Student Coordinator, and the Family Law Project through Pro Bono Students Canada.
Originally from a coastal town in North Carolina, I have a soft spot for my childhood playground of sand and surf. When I am not dreaming of splashing in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean or searching for shells on its beaches, I am avidly reading historical fiction, legal, or crime novels.
Contact Me
Disclaimer: Contacting Jennifer Foster of Foster Family Law by email through this Website or otherwise does not mean that I am providing any legal services to you, acting for you, or protecting your legal interests in any way. You do not become a client unless and until I agree to provide legal services to you, which will be confirmed in a retainer agreement signed by both of us, in accordance with my usual policy. It is important to note that unless you are an existing client, no information provided in an email will be considered as confidential or subject to lawyer-client privilege. Do not forget that anyone can email me through this Website at any time – even the person on the other side of your matter – and you do not want to take the chance that I may already be retained by them.
Initial Consultation Request Form
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