Articling Student – Family Law

Family law is where legal skill meets real human impact—helping people protect their children, financial security, and well-being during life’s most difficult transitions. We’ve chosen to focus exclusively on family law because it matters, and we practice it with integrity, clarity, and a commitment to fair, practical outcomes. At Murphy Family Law, articling students learn as part of a collaborative team that works strategically, values professionalism, and puts clients first.

Murphy Family Law is a family law boutique serving Simcoe & Grey Counties. We offer an articling experience built around real client work, close mentorship, high quality advocacy training, and exposure to the full lifecycle of family litigation and dispute resolution. Our goal is to help you grow into the kind of associate we would proudly hire — someone who practices with skill, empathy, civility, and practical judgment.

What You Will Do

Client Work & Interviews

• Attend client intake meetings, disclosure reviews, settlement discussions, and preparation sessions for conferences or motions
• Participate in follow up interviews with clients, witnesses, and experts

Drafting & Advocacy

• Draft affidavits, financial statements, conference briefs, mediation briefs, settlement proposals, and client-facing communications
• Translate interviews and documents into persuasive sworn evidence

Court & ADR Exposure

• Observe and later assist with case conferences, settlement conferences, motions, mediations, and collaborative practice sessions
• See how strategy shifts between negotiation and litigation

File Management & Research

• Review family law disclosure: banking, tax, pensions, medical/school records, communications, and expert reports
• Prepare chronologies, issue lists, document summaries, and research memos
• Research live issues (support, mobility, tracing, parenting, evidentiary matters) and convert findings into filings and advice

Ethics & Professionalism

• Practice civility, candour, boundaries, and clear communication in emotionally charged cases
• Learn to manage improper client requests and difficult counsel

Eligibility

Applicants must be registered in the Law Society of Ontario’s Lawyer Licensing Process and eligible for articling in accordance with LSO requirements.

Who Will Thrive Here

• You have a genuine interest in family law
• You enjoy client contact, writing, and problem solving
• You value feedback, mentorship, and purposeful skill development
• You want real responsibility in a supportive, in-office environment
• You prefer a paperless cloud-based environment and leverage AI tools effectively and appropriately.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $52,000 per annum (prorated for the articling term)
• Benefits: Participation in our extended dental and health care plan
• Fully in-office role (with reasonable accommodation for occasional remote work)
• Start date: June 2026 or asap

How to Apply

Please submit:

1. Résumé
2. Cover letter
3. Writing sample (≤10 pages, redacted if necessary)
4. Law school transcript (official or unofficial)

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.