Gary Gottlieb ranked as one of the Toronto’s Top Rated Divorce Lawyers

Gottlieb Law Firm is proud to announce that Gary Gottlieb has been featured as one of Toronto's top five divorce lawyers. Gary was placed third in the article, "Toronto's Top Rated Divorce Lawyers in 2026," published on July 29, 2026 by FamilyLLB, a Canadian publication focused on family law and divorce-related legal issues. The article was written by Russell Alexander, Founder and Senior Partner of Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers.

The feature recognized five respected family law professionals serving clients throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Gary's inclusion reflects his extensive family law experience, strong courtroom advocacy, and commitment to helping individuals and families navigate challenging legal matters.

Recognized for Courtroom Advocacy and Parenting Cases

The FamilyLLB article specifically highlighted Gary's successful track record in the courtroom, particularly in parenting and child-related family law matters.

The feature noted his ability to represent clients confidently when litigation becomes necessary while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes that protect the interests of children and families.

Gary was recognized for his:

• Extensive family law litigation experience

• Strong courtroom advocacy

• Experience handling complex parenting disputes

• Knowledge of child-related family law matters

• Commitment to protecting the interests of children and families

Parenting disputes can be among the most difficult and emotional issues arising from a divorce or separation. These cases may involve important decisions about parenting time, decision-making responsibility, mobility, and a child's future well-being.

Effective representation requires detailed preparation, sound legal judgment, and a clear understanding of the family's individual circumstances. These qualities have remained central to Gary's approach throughout his legal career.

Decades of Family Law Experience

Gary Gottlieb has practised law since being called to the Ontario Bar in 1987. His practice focuses on family law, divorce, child protection litigation, mediation, and arbitration.

Throughout his career, Gary has represented clients before the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice. He has also acted as counsel in numerous mediation and arbitration proceedings.

Gary's family law practice includes matters involving:

• Divorce and separation

• Parenting time

• Decision-making responsibility

• Child and spousal support

• Property and asset division

• Child protection proceedings

• Family law litigation

• Separation agreements

• Mediation and arbitration

Gary also has significant experience handling high-conflict family law cases and complex proceedings that require careful preparation, strategic advocacy, and effective cross-examination.

His experience in both litigation and alternative dispute resolution allows him to assess family law cases from multiple perspectives and help clients understand the options available to them.

Extensive Experience in Children's Law

Parenting and child-related disputes require a careful understanding of both family law and the emotional effects that legal proceedings may have on children.

As a longstanding panel member of the Office of the Children's Lawyer, Gary has developed substantial experience in children's law and the social-science principles connected to children's emotional well-being.

This experience can be especially valuable in cases involving:

• Parenting arrangements

• Parenting time disputes

• Decision-making responsibility

• Child protection concerns

• Mobility and relocation

• High-conflict parenting disputes

• Allegations affecting a child's safety or well-being

Every family law matter is different. Gary's approach is based on understanding the circumstances of each family, identifying the legal and practical issues involved, and developing a strategy suited to the client's individual needs.

Litigation When Necessary, Resolution When Possible

Not every divorce or family law dispute must proceed to trial.

Depending on the circumstances, separating spouses may be able to resolve some or all of their issues through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or a carefully drafted separation agreement.

However, court intervention may be necessary when the parties cannot reach an agreement, when urgent issues must be addressed, or when the case involves complex parenting, financial, or child protection concerns.

Gary's experience includes both courtroom litigation and alternative dispute resolution. This combination allows him to help clients evaluate whether a negotiated resolution is possible while remaining prepared to advocate effectively in court when litigation becomes necessary.

The right legal process will depend on the circumstances of the case, the issues in dispute, and the willingness of the parties to work toward a resolution.

Recognition From Ontario's Family Law Community

The FamilyLLB article included a statement from Russell Alexander acknowledging the professionalism, advocacy, and expertise of the lawyers featured in the list.

He explained that choosing a lawyer with the appropriate experience and approach can make a meaningful difference when clients are navigating mediation, collaborative family law, or litigation.

Gary's placement among the top five lawyers featured is particularly meaningful because the recognition came from another experienced Ontario family law professional.

Gottlieb Law Firm is grateful for this acknowledgement and for the trust clients have placed in Gary and the firm over the years.

This recognition reflects the firm's continued commitment to providing knowledgeable advice, practical guidance, and strong representation to clients facing divorce, separation, and other family law matters.

Choosing a Divorce Lawyer in Toronto

Choosing the right divorce lawyer is an important and personal decision.

Prospective clients should consider several factors before selecting legal representation, including:

• The lawyer's family law experience

• Experience with the specific issues involved

• Courtroom and negotiation experience

• Communication style

• Approach to resolving disputes

• Understanding of parenting and child-related matters

• Ability to clearly explain legal options

A family lawyer should help clients understand their rights, responsibilities, and possible legal strategies while providing realistic guidance about the available options.

Speak With a Toronto Divorce and Family Lawyer

Gottlieb Law Firm Professional Corporation assists clients with divorce, separation, parenting disputes, child protection proceedings, support, property division, mediation, arbitration, and other family law matters.

Contact Information

Address: 365 Bloor Street East, Suite 1010,

Toronto, Ontario M4W 3L4, Canada Phone: +14162271653

This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Professional recognition, past experience, and previous results do not guarantee the outcome of any future legal matter.

Is a parent required to pay child support for an estranged adult child?

Child support is often a contentious issue for families, especially when there is conflict between a child and a support payor parent.

In the aftermath of a family separation, a child may assign blame to one parent and resist spending time with them, but what happens if the situation persists, causing a permanent disruption to the parent-child relationship? Is a parent obligated to continue paying child support if their adult children refused contact with them?

Burden of proof

That was the question in a recent case involving an Ontario father who asked the court to terminate his child support obligations based on the fact that his 18-year-old daughter refused to see him or discuss her plans with him.

At the time of the proceeding, the daughter was finishing high school and making plans to attend university with the expectation that she would have her father’s financial support.

The father argued that his daughter’s actions put her “beyond parental control and outside the definition of a child of the marriage,” and that he should be relieved of his obligation to continue paying support.

But the judge did not agree. Under the Divorce Act, a “child of the marriage” is defined as one who is “the age of majority or over and under their charge but unable, by reason of illness, disability or other cause, to withdraw from their charge or to obtain the necessaries of life.”

Justice Martin James said the phrase “or other cause” is broadly defined and includes the continuation of the child’s education well into their 20s and that in most cases, disruptions in the parent-child relationship have complicated and multi-faceted causes.

“There is nothing in the Divorce Act or the cases decided pursuant to the Act that says a child must get along with a parent in order to be entitled to support except in extreme situations,” the judge wrote in his decision.

Child support obligations

When it comes to a parent’s obligation to support their children, the law is clear: Every parent has a legal duty to support their child — whether it’s a biological child or one for whom they stand in place of a parent — who is under the age of 18 or enrolled in a full-time course of education.

If they are over the age of 18, and working full-time, they may not need to be supported. However, if they are pursuing post-secondary education, there may still be an obligation to continue support, depending on the family’s financial circumstances. For example, if the child didn’t qualify for student loans and the parents have the ability, they may be required to contribute to educational expenses.

Throughout Canada, the amount of child support is determined by way of a standard guideline and is based on a parent’s gross annual income and the number of children. If there are extraordinary circumstances — special education, daycare, tutoring, extracurricular activities and so on — parents are to share the expenses in a percentage split based on gross annual incomes.

It should also be noted that in Ontario, we have a 40 per cent rule: If the non-residential parent spends more than 40 per cent of the time with the children, that parent may seek permission to pay an amount that is less than the guideline, depending on the circumstances.

Exceptions to the rule

Unfortunately, there are cases where an older child, of their own volition or through encouragement, becomes estranged from one parent. If the parent-child relationship has been fractured beyond repair and the support payor can prove they had no role in its demise, there may be grounds to argue for relief of support obligations.

The burden of proof required to establish that a child has unilaterally terminated their relationship with a parent for no good reason is high. These cases, often referred to as “parent as wallet” cases, turn on evidence.

Relieved of duty to pay child support

In 2017, a British Columbia court found that a daughter had effectively terminated her relationship with her mother and that the child’s “unilateral decision to completely exclude her mother from her life is not explained or justified.”

For years, the daughter refused all contact with her mother and gave no explanation for her antipathy and rejection of a relationship with her. In this case, the judge allowed the mother to terminate support for her daughter.

“I find that she is no longer a ‘child of the marriage,’ and that consequently, the respondent is no longer obliged to pay support or to contribute to s. 7 expenses,” the judge wrote in his decision.

In 2018, an Ontario court was also asked to determine whether a couple’s 25-year-old daughter should continue to be viewed as a child of the marriage, and as such, entitled to support.

In that case, the court highlighted that economic dependence is the essential feature of whether a child is under a parent’s charge. Pointing to the fact that the young woman had arranged for a loan to cover the cost of attending medical school in the Caribbean, the court found she had withdrawn from her parent’s charge and was no longer a child of the marriage.

Two years later, in 2020, the Supreme Court of British Columbia relieved a father of his obligation to continue paying child support for his two sons, aged 19 and 21, finding that both had chosen to terminate any relationship with their father despite ongoing efforts by him.

“While the evidence strongly supports a finding that the reason they did so was the respondent’s conduct in alienating them from their father, Nicolas and Mathew are now adults and their continuing unwillingness to have anything to do with the claimant or even engage in communication, using him simply as an “open wallet”, is a factor that cannot be ignored,” Justice Gordon C. Weatherill wrote in his decision.

If you would like legal advice on your options for varying a child support order, schedule a consultation with one of our experienced family law lawyers. We would be happy to help you.

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

Navigating a high-net-worth divorce

Dividing the assets of a marriage can be a challenge, even when a separation or divorce is relatively straightforward. But when there is a large variety of assets worth millions of dollars at stake, the process can get a lot more complicated — even acrimonious, says Toronto family lawyer Gary Gottlieb.

That’s what happened in the 2018 divorce of American billionaires Harry and Linda Macklowe. By all accounts, the division of property was contentious. In addition to their other substantial assets, including the General Motors Building in Manhattan, the couple had acquired a huge collection of blue-chip works of art over more than five decades of marriage.

Splitting vacation homes, art collections

The art, including pieces by renowned artists Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko, made up about 75 percent of their total assets. Half of the couple’s collection ended up being sold at a Sotheby’s auction in November 2021 for a record-breaking US$676 million. Journalist Vicky Ward told the New York Post that Linda had wanted to keep the collection together but since she had forced Harry to sell the GM Building, selling off the art was considered “the ultimate tit for tat.”

Closer to home, former Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec and his ex-wife Diane Plese were embroiled in a high-profile court battle over several of the family’s real estate assets, including ski chalets and a Florida vacation home. After a long and complex trial involving testimony from business valuators and real estate appraisers, Herjavec was ordered to pay Plese $125,000 a month in support and a total of $25 million, representing her share in the family property.

Of course, most divorcing couples won’t have to deal with dividing up such a massive accumulation of wealth or have such an acrimonious split. But for those with significant financial assets, divorce or separation can be complex and they will need help to navigate the process.

A network of trusted professionals

Gottlieb says it’s important to have legal counsel with access to a network of trusted professionals who can help in handling the assessment and division of marital assets and other financial concerns. High-net-worth divorces — typically worth more than $3 million — often involve multijurisdictional assets around the world, including:

· Real estate

· Business Ownership

· Investments

· Pensions

· Trust funds

· Fine art or antiques

· Executive bonus packages

· Books of business

“Our firm has developed an extensive network of business valuators, real estate appraisers, forensic accountants, and other professionals who we trust to serve our clients’ needs,” Gottlieb says.

Determining child/spousal support

Toronto family lawyer Gary Gottlieb says the main issue in high-net-worth divorce cases is how to value the multifaceted assets, many of which are held by corporations, that can make such divorces so complicated.

“Usually, I work with lawyers in foreign jurisdictions to ensure that I have the proper values for the assets and any rules and regulations of that particular jurisdiction that I need to be aware of,” he says.

Gottlieb’s professional network also includes business valuators and forensic accountants who work with high-net-worth clients to ascertain the value of business assets. Sometimes a spouse won’t know about certain assets or assets may be hidden, which can further complicate the process, he explains.

“High-net-worth people are used to working with professionals, so they tend to expect very good customer service, including fast turnaround on the response time and being available for their questions when they want information,” says Gottlieb.

Determining child and spousal support in these cases can be a challenge since some high-net-worth clients are not necessarily drawing a salary.

“These are people who are getting dividends or who are managing what has remained in the company and what draws they take,” says Gottlieb, so it can be difficult to determine their true income. He relies on the means-and-needs test to determine what the monthly support payments should be.

“It goes back to calculating what their true ability to pay is, what their true lifestyle is, and what the family has gotten used to as their lifestyle.”

That can include plenty of expensive activities, such as horseback riding, skiing lessons, country club memberships, and high-end skating competitions.

Hiding assets?

Parties in a high-net-worth divorce may be tempted to try to hide their assets but Gottlieb says it’s important that everything is disclosed when a property is being divided.

“Any attempt to hide or conceal assets can destroy a spouse’s credibility in court,” he says.

Since judges don’t take kindly to a lack of transparency and honesty, Gottlieb says he encourages clients to be completely honest and transparent about all their assets.

There can be “obfuscation, evasion, or avoidance and so, while it is open for people to interpret things in different ways, it’s not open for them to lie,” says Gottlieb. “When people are found to be liars, there’s no way of getting out of that quagmire.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images