Briar Downey

There’s an old saying that when one door closes, another one opens – but it can be hard in the hallway. I’m here to help you down that hallway.

I’m a family law lawyer called to the bar in 2005. I worked in family law at a firm downtown before serving as counsel for a children’s aid society for much of my career.

Now, I operate a solo practice and offer personalized service to families undergoing change.

As CAS counsel for nearly 10 years, I spent over 2500 hours in court. I learned that, in most cases, it’s ideal to work things out within your family rather than go to court.

No two families are the same, and an arrangement that’s right for one may be wrong for the next. Each case needs an individual approach, and I empower my clients to make decisions that feel right for them, keeping things as simple as possible along the way.

My office is in Toronto’s east end (Beaches neighbourhood), but these days location matters much less as I work with many clients exclusively or mostly through Zoom meetings.

I offer initial consultations at no charge, either by Zoom or in-person at my office with safety precautions in place.