WHO WE ARE
We are strong and compassionate advocates who take the time to get to know our client’s needs.
MEET OUR TEAM
Our goal is to make you feel comfortable and confident knowing that we have the necessary expertise to achieve a resolution that works best for your family. Our experienced team is looking forward to working with you.
FOUNDING
PARTNER
FOUNDING PARTNER
T | 647-660-3198
MELANIE
BATTAGLIA
T | 647-660-3198
Melanie is the founding partner of Battaglia Law. She represents individuals in family law, education and guardianship matters. Melanie's family law practice encompasses all aspects of family law, including parenting issues, child and spousal support, domestic contracts and equalization and property issues, including complex tax and business law issues and shareholder's remedies. Melanie advocates for her clients through negotiation, mediation/arbitration, collaborative practice and when necessary, litigation. Melanie gained valuable experience working with some of the most highly respected lawyers in the province in family and civil litigation, including at Lenczner Slaght and McCarthy Tétrault, representing clients with a diverse range of personal and professional backgrounds, including high net-worth families. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada for her expertise in family law and you can find Melanie on ReferToHer – experienced female lawyers to whom you can confidently refer work.
Melanie and Stephanie were recently successful at the Ontario Court of Appeal in a seminal decision affirming the rights of adults living with disabilities who remain under parental charge to procedural fairness and natural justice, including the common law presumption of capacity, in litigation between their parents. Read the decision here: J.F.R. v. K.L.L., 2024 ONCA 520 (CanLII).
To schedule a consultation with Melanie directly, please email her law clerk, Brooke Kennedy at brooke@battaglialaw.ca.
Melanie represents young adults living with a disability in their parents’ family law matters and children and youth with disabilities in education law matters, with a particular focus on accommodations, discipline and safety issues at school. Melanie relies on her extensive volunteer work with the autism community and through the special education advisory committee of her local school board to successfully advocate for the children and youth that she represents.
Melanie is routinely consulted by other family law lawyers on disability related issues in family law, including child support for adult “children” living with a disability and for specific information on education and therapy supports for children living with autism.
Prior to founding Battaglia Law, Melanie was a partner at PooranLaw, specializing in supporting families with disabilities in family law and education law matters. Earlier in her career, Melanie maintained a civil and family litigation practice at prominent Bay Street firms in downtown Toronto, and family law boutique firms. She has also acted for family, estate and real estate lawyers in professional negligence matters.
Melanie has published in the areas of family law and social justice matters, and is a past contributor to The Lawyer's Daily, a division of LexisNexis Canada. An avid runner and varsity athlete, including completing the Chicago and Boston marathons, Melanie has received awards for excellence in combining academic and athletic achievement.
EDUCATION
University of Windsor - LLB, 2007
University of Toronto - MA, 2002
Called to the Ontario Bar - 2008
MEMBERSHIPS
Canadian Bar Association
The Advocates’ Society
VOLUNTEER & COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
Supervisor lawyer for Pro Bono Law Ontario's Education Law Project
Supervisor lawyer for the Family Justice Centre, a Pro Bono Students Canada Family Law Project initiative funded by The Law Foundation of Ontario Access to Justice Fund
Member of Legal Aid Ontario panel
Past President, Autism Ontario (Toronto Chapter)
Past Vice-President, the Ontario Autism Coalition
Autism Ontario Representative, Special Education Advisory Committee
PUBLICATIONS
- S. Dickson and M. Battaglia: “Child Support for Adult Children and Children with a Disability: The Impact of ODSP, the Disability Tax Credit, RDSP and RESP". March 2022 edition of Thomson Reuters, Canadian Family Law Quarterly.
Money & Family Law: Child Support For Children With Disabilities - forthcoming April 2022
- Decisions when acting for family with child with disability - The Lawyer's Daily, April 5, 2019
- Supporting a child with disability: Family law considerations - The Lawyer's Daily, April 16, 2019
ASSOCIATE
ASSOCIATE
T | 647-259-6767
STEPHANIE
TIMERMAN
T | 647-259-6767
Stephanie is an Associate at Battaglia Law. Since her call to the bar in 2013, Stephanie has practiced exclusively in family law. She provides counsel and representation on all facets of family law, including parenting issues, child and spousal support, and equalization and property issues. She has extensive experience working on complex financial disputes and high conflict litigation cases. Stephanie has appeared at all levels of Ontario courts, including the Ontario Court of Justice, Superior Court of Justice and Court of Appeal. Prior to joining Battaglia Law, Stephanie practiced at a prominent family law firm in Toronto.
Melanie and Stephanie were recently successful at the Ontario Court of Appeal in a seminal decision affirming the rights of adults living with disabilities who remain under parental charge to procedural fairness and natural justice, including the common law presumption of capacity, in litigation between their parents. Read the decision here: J.F.R. v. K.L.L., 2024 ONCA 520 (CanLII).
To schedule a consultation with Stephanie directly, please email her law clerk, Jenny Tong at jenny@battaglialaw.ca.
The mother of three young children, Stephanie understands the need for creative problem-solving in negotiating and crafting agreements to address each family's unique circumstances. She advocates passionately for her clients through negotiation, mediation or arbitration, using litigation as a last resort.
EDUCATION
Queen's University - Juris Doctor, 2012
Concordia University - Bachelor of Arts, 2009
Called to the Ontario Bar - 2013
MEMBERSHIPS
Canadian Bar Association
LAW CLERK /
OFFICE
MANAGER
LAW CLERK / OFFICE MANAGER
T | 647-660-3239
BROOKE
KENNEDY
T | 647-660-3239
Brooke is a law clerk and office manager at Battaglia Law. She has over 15 years of experience supporting lawyers practicing in the fields of family law, child protection and education advocacy. Brooke has worked in some of the most prestigious boutique family law practices in Toronto and is integral to Battaglia Law’s practice. She provides the day-to-day office management and support to our firm members, along with bringing her extensive knowledge of court procedure and process in all areas of dispute resolution in family law, including mediation, arbitration, collaborative practice and litigation.
Brooke is building her understanding of disability law through her work with Melanie supporting families with disabilities through the family law and education law process. She works closely with clients and our lawyers to ensure that the families our team supports are achieving resolutions that meet their family’s needs. In her spare time, Brooke enjoys spending time with her Great Dane, Rogan, gardening and running.
EDUCATION
Sir Sandford Fleming, Peterborough - Law Clerk Diploma (graduated with honours) - 2001
LAW CLERK
LAW CLERK
T | 647-255-2326
JENNY
TONG
T | 647-255-2326
Jenny is a law clerk at Battaglia Law. She has over 13 years of family law experience, including working at some of Toronto’s most prominent family law firms.
Jenny has extensive experience supporting complex and high net-worth family law practices. She works closely with clients to assist in preparing financial statements, net family property statements and disclosure briefs.
Jenny received her Bachelor of Arts in criminology and sociology from the University of Toronto. She later completed the Law Clerk program at Centennial College and fellowship program from the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario.
EDUCATION
University of Toronto - Bachelor of Arts in criminology and sociology – 2007
Centennial College - Law Clerk program - 2009
ILCO certificate - 2012
EXPERTISE
We deliver intersectionality of services in our family law, disability and education practice. Our team has the level of skill and sophistication required when working with families, including high net-worth individuals.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Collaborative Family Law
Litigation
Domestic Contracts
Divorces
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