About

Toronto lawyer Jennifer K. Howard joined Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) as a partner early in 2016 after practising at a large full-service law firm in downtown Toronto. Jennifer obtained her Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Bar in 2007.

Since her call to the bar, she has been practising in all areas of family law and has been involved in many difficult and noteworthy cases involving child and spousal support, equalization of property, custody and access, drafting and negotiation of cohabitation agreements, marriage contracts and separation agreements as well as trial and appellate advocacy cases.

Jennifer has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and although her practice is taking her to the courtroom often, she uses collaborative and alternative processes to reach agreements that are mutually beneficial for all parties involved.

When not busy practising law, Jennifer enjoys tennis, working out and performing arts.

Noteworthy Cases

• Taylor v. Boon, 2021 ONSC 5521
• Vukicevich v. Vukicevich, 2018 ONSC 4022
• Ruffudeen v Coutts 2016 ONSC 3359 (CanLII) – successful at trial obtaining an Order for sole custody and primary care to a mother notwithstanding a lengthy status quo of shared care.
• Gilmore v. Gilmore [2014] O.J. No. 6111 (Ont. C.A.) – successfully defended an appeal of a spousal support award at the trial level where the Applicant obtained high range support
• Deakin v. Deakin, [2012] O.J. No. 6068 – denial of father’s interim travel request to Cuba with child
• Hayes v. Hanrieder, [2009] O.J. No. 421 – successful at trial obtaining spousal support for a common-law spouse
• Hernandez v. Hernandez [2009] O.J. No. 617 – interim mobility request and analysis of the children’s best interests
• Obtained interim Order permitting respondent mother to relocate with the children to Stratford Ontario
• Obtained Order for child and spousal support based on imputed income to the father who was the director of a corporation
• Obtained an order for costs of an application at a summary hearing based on the lack of disclosure and unreasonable conduct of the spouse
• Obtained interim order for unsupervised access for father who had been seeing child on a supervised basis
• Obtained interim order for respondent father dismissing applicant mother’s request to change the child’s residency and school resulting in the maintenance of the status quo shared parenting arrangement pending trial
• Successful at trial obtaining indefinite spousal support for spouse following a long term marriage
• Obtained refraining order for client suspending enforcement of child support arrears
• Obtained order dismissing motion to sever divorce from corollary relief based on inadequate disclosure and proof of financial arrangements
• Obtained interim order returning child to respondent mother’s primary care after unilateral removal by father
• Obtained interim order for high end spousal support to ill spouse
• Obtained interim order for production of police file for applicant father
• Obtained interim order for return of child to applicant father that had been arbitrarily removed by mother
• Obtained interim order for shared parenting for applicant whose mother had a final order for custody of the child
• Obtained restraining order for respondent husband against wife
• Obtained interim Order permitting mother to relocate with child to Calgary
• Obtained interim Order resulting in children changing school

Publications

• NDP MPP Sattler introduces bill to help parents of adult children with disabilities, March 30, 2017

News & Media

Jennifer Howard, a partner at the law firm Devry Smith Frank LLP, has launched a charter challenge to address the concern in the courts. “This necessary change to the Family Law Act provides much-needed support to unmarried families who are caring for adult children with disabilities, and often lack the financial resources necessary to go through an expensive and lengthy litigation process.”

You can read the full story here and watch the video here.

Seminars

Speaker at 2022 Family Law Summit on the Tort of Family Violence