Trusted for 30+ Years. Compassion-Driven. 2000+ Court Appearances.
Navigate high-stakes divorce with confidence and compassion.
With 20 years in criminal law and over 2000 court appearances, Marcy is a seasoned trial lawyer known for her resilience and focus on fair treatment for all clients, laying the foundation for her successful transition to family law.
Marcy excels in high-conflict custody cases and meticulous financial scrutiny, always prioritizing the best interests of children while crafting clear, concise legal strategies for her clients.
Having litigated in all levels of Ontario courts and administrative boards, Marcy is thoroughly prepared and comfortable in any legal setting, backed by her obsessive legal research and preparation.
Marcy offers valuable and high-quality legal services, mindful of minimizing litigation costs while leveraging 30 years of trial experience to achieve the best outcomes for her clients.
As of July 1, 2020, the Divorce Act amendments replaced the concept of access with Parenting Orders, Decision-Making Responsibility, and Parenting Time...read more
After a divorce/separation, there is a duty on behalf of a spouse to remain responsible to support all members of the family to the best of his or her ability...read more
As a general principle, each party is entitled to half of the value of “assets” , including property,
...read more
Separation Agreements can be extremely detailed, and with proper legal advice, provide a roadmap until their children have completed
...read more
When there are child protection issues at hand, child protection agencies get involved and commence proceedings. This happens where there are
...read more
— Joanne
I met Marcy when i got huge troubles with my husband 2 years ago. my ex took my kids away and rent out the matrimonial home. i was charged with domestic violence caused by his false allegation. He set me up and made me in a really bad situation. when i was so desperate, i found Marcy. she helped me get back all things one by one including my kids and the matrimonial home. it is reassuring to have her with me when we are in the court since she always tries her best to fight for my best interest. She is not only my lawyer but more like my family. She always stands in my shoe and considers how to deal with the case, how to get best interest for kids and for me. My ex hired 8 lawyers to fight with us and Marcy won EVERY war just like miracles. i highly recommend all the women or men who are similar like me or who are even in a more worse situation to hire her. You would never feel regretful to hire her and you can trust her from deep of your heart.
— NS
When I retained Ms. Segal to represent me, I was in a state of defeat, all odds were stacked against me. Marcy and her team untangled every aspect of my case. Marcy became my voice in front of the courts and presented facts in a way that gave me victory every step of the way. She is so much more than a lawyer, her foresight and her ability to advocate is truly an art.
A win for my client who went through a high-conflict divorce
Everything you need to know about financial disclosure during divorce
This is How to Navigate High-conflict Divorce With Children
Get the Fearless Legal Support Your Family Deserves.
Professional Memberships:
Member of the York Law Association
Member of the Peel Law Association
Member of the Toronto Law Association
Member of the Ontario Bar (1990)
(Replaced with Parenting Orders, Decision Making Responsibility and Parenting Time as of July 1, 2020, with the amendments to the Divorce Act)
Children are our most precious gift and need our protection, guidance and strength.
The “maximum contact principle” guides Judges when deciding how much time the children will spend with each parent. However, sometimes, demands for increased access is economically driven. Should the access spouse have the children 40% of the time, then their monthly child support obligations are often reduced.
I have been able to successfully advocate the true narrative of the spouses’ involvement, pre-separation, or lack thereof. I will not allow my clients to be disrespected, undermined, manipulated, or strong armed while navigating a resolution by way of Separation Agreement, or if necessary, through the Court process.
Philosophically, I am a true believer that children deserve a healthy relationship with both parents, however, if one parent is either incapable or refuses to put the childrens’ needs above their own, then that becomes a “game changer” and I will, on behalf of my client, advocate ethically, passionately, and with all of my energy to ensure that the children are protected from the harming spouse.
Parental alienation, on the other hand, is abusive, shameful, harmful, and I will work tirelessly to prevent it from occurring or from continuing. It has to be one of the most egregious forms of narcissistic behavior and I have and will continue to be a champion for my clients.
After a divorce/separation, there is a duty on behalf of a spouse to remain responsible to support all members of the family to the best of his or her ability through support payments.
Essentially, child support is calculated according to the spouses’ income. Divorcemate contains a calculation that provides both the amount of child support, and a low, mid and high range for spousal support, if appropriate. In terms of child support, should a payor’s income exceed $150,000, the table amount may be inappropriate. In terms of spousal support, the calculation includes a range of duration, according to years.
In some circumstances, a spouse will commence the Application with a narrative that includes derogatory comments against the other spouse, in relation to child rearing, so as to reduce the amount of child support and/or to use the children as a bargaining chip, to resolve equalization.
As a general principle, when a spouse stays at home to raise the children, he/she has been removed from the workplace and as a consequence, it is unrealistic to expect that he/she will obtain a decent paying job. Spousal support becomes necessary and depending on the age of the spouse, is for an extended period of time.
It is, however, unrealistic and unfair that the spouse will simply be able to collect for the remainder of his/her lifetime. There is an obligation to make significant efforts including retraining.
I advocate for fairness on behalf of women and men, and the traditional values of one spouse working and the other staying at home to raise the children no longer applies to our society, especially considering the cost of real estate in Toronto and outlying areas. Further, it is logical to assume that with only one spouse having the ability to earn a living, it creates an imbalance in the relationship.
In my experience, for self-employed payors, his/her highest earning capacity appears to be prior to or on the date of separation, a purposeful attempt to decrease his/her income for support purposes. However, the payee is not helpless, since he/she can argue that there be an “imputation” of higher income, for support purposes.
There are so many tricks in the land of Family Law, including hiding assets, transferring income to a third-party or future spouse, hiding bank accounts, using others to “park” their income, not disclosing their other employment, to name a few. The law, however is long standing and crystal clear: each spouse is obliged to provide full and complete and ongoing financial disclosure.
As a general principle, each party is entitled to half of the value of “assets” , including property, savings accounts, investment accounts, “chattels”, etc, after subtracting debts during the parties’ marriage. However, there are occasions when a court will award unequal equalization, based upon a number of factors. It is not unheard of for a spouse to attempt to hide their assets, post separation, or refuse to provide disclosure of their bank accounts. The law is clear: each party must provide full, frank and ongoing financial disclosure.
A strong advocate will demand all disclosure and meticulously scrutinize bank accounts and other financial documents to determine whether a spouse is hiding anything.
I have been known to find hidden assets and bank accounts, due to my background in criminal law and enthusiastic nature.
Separation Agreements can be extremely detailed, and with proper legal advice, provide a roadmap until their children have completed their first degree in University. Parties need to carefully ask themselves whether they want to relinquish control to their lawyers and a Judge, instead of putting their differences aside and work together, along with lawyers and/or mediators, in a cost effective and less stressful manner.
I am a firm believer that parties should resist bringing their issues to Court, and instead resolve their parenting and financial issues by way of Separation Agreements. I encourage Parties to refrain from believing that the Court’s role is to judge who has been more wronged and who is the better parent. If your matter has traversed to Court, then a spouse or both spouses are not thinking logically and rationally.
Judges will often tell litigants that there are no winners in Court and that a fair settlement is one that neither party is happy with. By the time parties appear before a Judge, they will have paid their lawyers thousands of dollars, money that should be saved for their children and their own future.
When there are child protection issues at hand, child protection agencies get involved and commence proceedings. This happens where there are concerns of a child or children’s (18 and under) safety. If there are concerns of physical or emotional harm, child protection agencies like Children’s Aid Societies get involved.
There are occasions where the Childrens’ Aid Society will step in and remove and/or supervise access to children. It can be extremely demoralizing and stressful to lose control of parenting to a government organization. There needs to be a delicate balance between advocating passionately and understanding the power CAS has and their influence with the Court System. CAS is considered an independent organization without an agenda and as a consequence, their actions and motives are usually perceived as altruistic and unbiased.
This process can become overwhelming and complicated. It is important to involve a lawyer that has experience in dealing with this area of Family law. A strong advocate on your side is necessary and vital, to ensure that your children are returned to you without supervision, as quickly as possible. Being a strong advocate includes understanding the importance of cooperation and the limits to such cooperation, along with providing alternate and more dignified solutions for the parent.