Markham families rarely have simple balance sheets. Tech compensation, private company shares, professional practices and parental down payments all complicate what would otherwise be a straightforward separation. Tailor Law acts for clients across Markham and York Region, and appears at the Newmarket courthouse where your matter will actually be heard.
Where are Markham family law cases heard? There is no family courthouse in Markham. Family matters for Markham residents are heard at the Newmarket courthouse, 50 Eagle Street West, which serves all of York Region. Both the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice sit there. Tailor Law does not maintain a Markham office — we act for Markham clients from our Toronto and Mississauga offices and handle the Newmarket filings and appearances.
This surprises people. Markham is one of the largest municipalities in the GTA, but it has no family court of its own. Everything — case conferences, motions, settlement conferences, trials — happens at 50 Eagle Street West in Newmarket, roughly 30 kilometres north.
Three issues come up far more often in Markham than the Ontario average.
Markham’s technology and corporate corridor means stock options, RSUs and deferred bonuses show up constantly. Whether an unvested grant is family property depends on when it was granted and what it was granted for — and the valuation date matters enormously.
Owner-operated businesses and professional corporations need proper valuation, not a guess from a tax return. Income for support purposes is frequently not the figure on a T1.
Down payments from parents are common in Markham. Whether that money is a gift, a loan or an advance on inheritance decides whether it is protected — and documentation usually determines the answer.
One warning that catches people out: money brought into a marriage is generally deducted from your net family property, but the matrimonial home is treated differently. If the home you both lived in on separation was bought with pre-marriage savings or a parental gift, that protection can disappear entirely.
We act for clients throughout Markham, including Unionville, Markham Village, Cornell, Berczy Village, Angus Glen, Cachet, Wismer, Greensborough, Milliken Mills and Thornhill, as well as neighbouring Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Newmarket.
No. Family law matters for Markham residents are heard at the Newmarket courthouse, 50 Eagle Street West, which serves the whole of York Region.
No. Because Markham matters are heard in Newmarket, familiarity with that courthouse matters more than proximity to your home. Most steps are handled by correspondence, video conference and written materials.
Equity compensation is property and must be disclosed. Whether a grant counts toward net family property depends on when it was granted, when it vests, and what it was intended to compensate. Unvested grants are frequently contested.
It depends what the money legally was and what evidence exists. A documented loan behaves differently from a gift. If the funds went into the matrimonial home, the usual exclusion may not apply.
Our experienced family law team is ready to help. Book a confidential consultation today.
Book Your Free 30-Minute ConsultationOr call us: (905) 366-0202