BARRY NUSSBAUM: NUSSBAUM LAW PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION "Dedicated Exclusively to the Practice o
Barry Nussbaum is a respected member of both the Ontario and New York Bars. He has a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and an M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business.
Prior to opening his own practice in 2008, Barry worked at several litigation
firms as well as a multinational accounting firm in its U.S. tax department.
His five-person legal team works exclusively on family law matters, including divorce, child support, spousal support, asset division, and child custody. All lawyers at the firm regularly appear in both the Ontario and Superior Courts of Justice.
Before entering law school, Barry earned a B.A. in religious studies. After completing a rigorous joint M.B.A. and law degree program he felt that
“Bay Street” was where he wanted to be.“Initially, I wanted to be a corporate lawyer,” Barry tells me. But, as John Lennon once famously said,
“Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”
Opportunities arose for Barry to pursue his entrepreneurial side, and he
opened his own practice. Barry was retained by several family law litigants
and, the rest, as they say, is history. Satisfied Family law clients referred their friends at a steady pace and the firm quickly evolved from a general litigation practice to one focused exclusively on family law”.
Barry is a people person, easy going and approachable. “I’m a good fit for a family law practitioner,” he says. “I have a family at home; I’m a likable guy; I belong in a business that involves real people and real problems. I think that’s what attracts clients to me and why my clients refer me to their friends.”
Barry and his team take the time to listen to clients and to understand their specific family values, means, needs and circumstances. “Every one of our lawyers touch all administrative and legal aspects of every client file, from intake to research and strategy development to preparing and filing the documents and, appearances in courts. This hands-on approach inspires client confidence,” Barry says.
Some clients are more comfortable talking to and being represented by a specific gender. “We are sensitive to our clients’ emotional needs as well as to their pocket books,” Barry says. “Hiring a lawyer can be expensive.Perhaps because I have an M.B.A. as well as a law degree, value for money is one of my key drivers,” Barry adds.
Clients pay counsel for a service, and hopefully, to achieve a positive result. As one client recently said,“Barry sees the bigger picture, including what is
best for the children involved. I found his reality-based approach refreshing.”
Managing clients’ expectations is another key to Nussbaum Law’s success.
For instance, If a client only has the potential to receive a $10,000 settlement, he or she should not have to pay $10,000 in legal fees. There must be a net benefit. “Barry really helped us come to a peaceful resolution without having us resort to litigation...Thanks for saving us some money by helping us agree to the terms outside of court," one of his clients said.
“I tell my clients that they are paying me because I understand the law, and because I will create a road map to obtain what a person in their situation should expect, based on Ontario law."
I don’t serve anyone’s best interests if I just take on a case without merit, just to earn a fee. For example, if a client hasn’t seen their children in two years yet wants me to seek sole custody, I would caution the client about the potential lack of success of their application and the costs involved in paying a lawyer to fight for what
will likely be a losing proposition,” Barry says.
Several times per year, Barry teaches the Mandatory Information Program
(MIP). The MIP is a two-hour session that provides attendees with information about the family court system and process, local community resources and programs, common issues facing family law litigants, alternatives to litigation, and the effects of separation and divorce on the parties and their children. (www.familylawhelp.ca/mandatory-information-programs-mips- online-flip/).
Barry also visits women’s shelters across the GTA on a regular basis. This willingness to get up close and personal and to see the legal file through his clients’ eyes continues to inspire him to be a more passionate and
compassionate advocate.
As well, Barry volunteers at APCO - Access for Parents and Children in Ontario (www.accessforparentsandchildren.on.ca), which is the
organization that runs and manages the supervised access centres
throughout the GTA. After having many clients benefit from supervised
access centres, Barry wanted to give back. He plans on becoming a board
member of APCO within the next year. In addition to his volunteer work,
Barry co-sponsors an annual barbeque to help benefit a local Toronto
charity that packages and delivers weekly food parcels to those less
fortunate.
Barry regularly contributes articles to various publications and publishes a
blog on www.nussbaumlaw.ca Barry’s clients must be happy with his results, and he has built his practice on client referrals. “Every week, I am in the process of closing out client files. I get a great deal of personal and professional satisfaction from knowing that my clients appreciate my reality-based approach and that as a result, they can turn the page and move on with their lives. I get such a charge out of those moments," Barry says.
With everything that is going on professionally, Barry still makes family a priority. Barry is married and has four wonderful children, and one on the way! Sara, his wife of 16 years is an interior designer. Their two older sons play house league hockey, and the oldest plays select. “I didn’t realize the level of commitment that was required when I agreed to my son playing select. Can you believe I have three carpools every week on top of everything else?” Barry says with a smile. “Ultimately, this is what life’s about…in fact, I believe that having a strong commitment to my family is what makes me a better family law practitioner.”
Suzen Fromstein is the author of Suits and Ladders, Ten Proven Ways to Keep Your Job Safe - with a few jokes thrown in. Suits and Ladders was an Amazon Best Selling Book in the Career Guides Category
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