Why I built Legal Cost Canada
This site grew out of firsthand experience with the family-law system and a simple belief: ordinary people deserve explanations they can actually understand.
This website was created by a regular person who had to navigate the family-law system firsthand, especially around parenting, child support, and Section 7 expenses such as child care, activities, and other shared costs.
I found the process confusing, stressful, and far more expensive than I expected. I made mistakes, paid for legal work I later realized I could have handled myself, and often wished there had been one place that simply explained what the forms meant, what the next step was, and what I was actually supposed to do.
When I looked online for help, a lot of the information felt too vague or too legalistic to be useful. At the courthouse registry, the staff could help with filing documents, but they could not give legal advice or walk me through my situation. That left a big gap between having the official forms in front of me and actually understanding how the process worked.
Over time, I learned that many routine court forms and filing steps can be handled by ordinary people themselves if they understand what the form is asking and what happens next. In some situations, doing that work yourself can also avoid paying a lawyer for basic procedural tasks.
At the same time, there are absolutely situations where getting advice from a family lawyer is important. Complicated parenting disputes, property issues, urgent applications, safety concerns, difficult support questions, and major strategic decisions can all require professional legal advice. This website is not meant to replace that.
I ended up spending far more time learning about family law than I ever expected to. Over time, I became much more familiar with the forms, the court process, support issues, and the practical steps involved.
This site is based on lived experience and information checked against official sources. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for a lawyer when professional advice is needed.
Accountability: Every substantive legal page lists its primary official source and review date. Our Corrections & updates page explains exactly what that review date means.