Prudent Law | Mississauga, Ontario
Full-Time | Permanent
Senior Leadership Opportunity | Profit-Sharing Potential
About Prudent Law
Prudent Law is a growing, full-service law firm based in Mississauga, Ontario. We are committed to providing practical, strategic and results-driven legal representation while maintaining a professional, collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.
As part of our continued growth, we are seeking an accomplished Senior Family Lawyer to lead, manage and grow our Family Law Department.
This is not a traditional associate position.
We are looking for an experienced family lawyer with the legal expertise, leadership ability and entrepreneurial mindset to take ownership of the department and operate the practice with a high degree of independence.
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing complex family law matters, maintaining high standards of client service, developing new business and working directly with firm leadership to grow the Family Law Department.
An existing portable book of business is highly desirable. For the right candidate, Prudent Law is open to discussing performance-based compensation, origination incentives and profit-sharing opportunities.
The Role
The Senior Family Lawyer / Department Lead will have primary responsibility for the management, performance and continued growth of the firm's Family Law Department.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Independently manage sophisticated family law files from initial consultation through resolution
- Lead and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Family Law Department
- Provide strategic direction on complex and high-conflict family law matters
- Conduct negotiations, mediations, conferences, motions and trials where required
- Review work product and ensure files are handled efficiently and in accordance with firm standards
- Establish and maintain precedents, systems, workflows and quality-control procedures
- Manage client relationships and ensure a consistently high level of client service
- Participate in recruitment and development of additional lawyers and support staff as the department grows
- Monitor file progression, work-in-progress, billing and collections
- Participate actively in business development, networking and referral-source development
- Develop relationships with accountants, financial professionals, mediators, therapists, real estate professionals and other referral partners
- Identify opportunities for cross-referrals between the firm's practice areas
- Work with firm leadership to establish departmental revenue, profitability and growth objectives
Family Law Practice
The successful candidate should have substantial experience handling a broad range of Ontario family law matters, including:
- Divorce and separation
- Parenting time and decision-making responsibility
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Property division and equalization of net family property
- Matrimonial home issues
- High-net-worth and complex financial family law matters
- Business and professional practice valuations
- Income determination and imputation of income
- Financial disclosure disputes
- Domestic contracts
- Marriage contracts and prenuptial agreements
- Cohabitation agreements
- Separation agreements
- Parenting agreements
- Mobility and relocation matters
- Urgent motions and interim relief
- Case conferences, settlement conferences and trial management conferences
- Motions and contested proceedings
- Negotiation, mediation and alternative dispute resolution
- Enforcement and variation proceedings
- Family law litigation and trials
Experience handling complex property, privately held businesses, professional corporations, investment assets and high-net-worth family matters would be considered a significant asset.
Litigation & Advocacy
The successful candidate should be comfortable independently managing contested family law proceedings before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
The candidate should possess:
- Strong courtroom and oral advocacy skills
- Significant experience conducting conferences and motions
- Strong negotiation and settlement skills
- Experience preparing comprehensive litigation strategies
- Excellent drafting abilities, including pleadings, affidavits, briefs, offers to settle and written submissions
- The ability to assess litigation risk and provide clients with practical and commercially sensible advice
- The judgment to determine when matters should be negotiated, mediated or litigated
Trial experience is considered a strong asset.
Department Leadership
A significant component of this position is practice leadership and department management.
We are seeking someone capable of operating the Family Law Department with limited day-to-day supervision from the firm's principals.
Responsibilities will include:
- Taking ownership of departmental performance and file management
- Supervising and mentoring lawyers and law clerks
- Allocating and delegating files appropriately
- Reviewing and maintaining the quality of legal work
- Establishing efficient file-management systems
- Developing and maintaining precedents and internal procedures
- Managing departmental capacity and staffing requirements
- Monitoring deadlines, billings, collections and work-in-progress
- Supporting recruitment and development of future team members
- Establishing strong client-service standards
- Helping develop annual departmental revenue and profitability targets
- Building relationships with external referral sources
- Developing strategies to increase the firm's Family Law client base
- Building a scalable and profitable Family Law practice within Prudent Law
The successful candidate will have substantial autonomy to help shape the future direction of the department.
Business Development & Book of Business
Prudent Law is particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated an ability to originate, develop and retain client relationships.
An existing portable book of business is strongly preferred but is not an absolute requirement for an exceptional candidate with demonstrated leadership and business-development capabilities.
The successful candidate will be encouraged to continue developing their professional profile, referral network and client base with the support, infrastructure and resources of Prudent Law.
We are looking for someone who approaches the opportunity as a practice builder and department leader.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
- An LL.B. or J.D. from an accredited Canadian law school
- Membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
- Ideally 6+ years of significant Ontario family law experience
- Strong experience independently managing complex and contested family law matters
- Significant knowledge of Ontario family law legislation, procedure and court practice
- Strong litigation, negotiation and advocacy skills
- Excellent drafting and legal analysis abilities
- Strong commercial and strategic judgment
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers and law clerks
- Strong leadership and organizational abilities
- Excellent client-management and relationship-building skills
- A demonstrated interest in business development and practice growth
- Ability to manage a high-volume practice while maintaining exceptional attention to detail
- Ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively with firm leadership
- A polished, professional and client-focused demeanor
Previous experience leading a family law practice group or department would be a significant asset.
An existing portable book of business is highly desirable.
Compensation & Profit-Sharing
Prudent Law recognizes that compensation for a senior lawyer should reflect not only years of experience, but also leadership responsibilities, individual production, client relationships and contribution to the growth of the department.
Accordingly, we are open to discussing a customized compensation structure that may include:
- Competitive base compensation
- Profit-sharing opportunities
- Enhanced compensation for candidates bringing a significant portable book of business
- Potential long-term leadership opportunities within the firm
For a candidate who can successfully lead and materially grow the Family Law Department, Prudent Law is prepared to structure compensation that appropriately rewards both individual performance and the overall success of the department.
Why Join Prudent Law?
This is an opportunity for an established family lawyer who is ready for greater autonomy, leadership and financial upside.
Rather than stepping into a traditional associate position, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead a department, build a team, develop a substantial practice and participate in the financial success they help create.
Prudent Law will provide the infrastructure, administrative support, cross-referral opportunities and platform necessary for the successful candidate to develop and expand the Family Law Department.
We are interested in speaking with senior lawyers who are entrepreneurial, client-focused and ready to take the next step from senior practitioner to practice leader.
All applications and discussions will be treated with strict confidentiality.
Pay: From $120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
Work Location: In person
