Debra Stephens Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Canada Area

Practice restricted to estate, trust, and guardianship (mental incompetency) issues.

An Order-in-Council appointment. The Office of the Children's Lawyer is a branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General. This office investigates, advocates, protects and represents, in proceedings before the courts and tribunals of Ontario, the personal and property rights and obligations of children. Responsible for the delivery of these services on behalf of children across Ontario. In addition to managing a budget in excess of $30 million. 11 property rights lawyers, 13 personal rights lawyers and 11 clinical investigators (social workers), and over 40 other employees as well nearly 600 panel members across Ontario.

Practice restricted to estate, trust and guardianship issues. In addition to an extensive litigation practice, I specialized in estate administration and planning. While with Schnurr Kirsh Stephens, I appeared in the Ontario Superior Court (including the Estates List, Commercial Court, Bankruptcy Court), the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal. Significant litigation has been undertaken as agent for The Children's Lawyer involving assets with a value in excess of $100 million, for Lawpro as preferred counsel in defending claims against counsel for amounts in excess of $5 million, on behalf of and against major trust companies, and on behalf of individual clients. A number of these decisions were reported in the Estates and Trusts Reports. Solicitor's work included complex estate planning involving inter vivos trusts, alter ego trusts, primary and secondary wills, trusts for the disabled, and substitute decision making documentation. I have also acted, and continue to act, as co-estate trustee and co-attorney for a number of individuals and am very familiar with accounting and income tax issues as they relate to individuals and estates.

Practice primarily involved family and estate litigation, with ancillary involvement in preparation of estate planning documentation and domestic contracts.I appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Primary areas of practice were family law and estates litigation, but I was counsel in other civil litigation matters, involving shareholder and franchise claims, real property disputes, and child protection issues. I was exposed to many of these areas as an associate and articling student at Mills & Mills, and had the requisite experience in all of these areas.

Ll.B.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.)