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Michael Cochrane

Partner

Contact

T: 416-306-5764  | 
F: 416-362-8410  | 

Bar Admission

1980

Areas of Expertise

Family Law

Lottery Law

Wills & Estates

Michael Cochrane is Counsel to Brauti Thorning LLP. He brings over 42 years of experience to the firm in a variety of areas including family and estates law, civil litigation, dispute resolution and public policy. Michael was trained in Negotiation and Advanced Negotiation at Harvard University Law School, was on the Executive of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Ontario Bar Association and is a well known mediator/ facilitator of all types of issues. Michael’s work in civil litigation has included being prominent in the area of disputes over lottery winnings. He has resolved several cases concerning Lotto 649 and Lotto Max involving tens of millions of dollars. He is regularly consulted by media as an expert in the area and designed a model contract for lottery groups that was featured in Maclean’s magazine.

Michael is considered one of Canada’s most respected family law lawyers. He has a deep understanding of family and estate law and a particular appreciation for the challenges families face in our justice system as they separate and divorce. He assists families in resolving their disputes amicably and in a cost effective way. His bestselling book “Surviving Your Divorce (6th edition) has helped thousands of Canadians navigate their way through separation. He also assists couples in negotiating durable and fair marriage contracts and cohabitation agreements.

Michael is currently running for Bencher at the Law Society of Ontario. Please visit this page for more information.

Publications

Michael has authored numerous publications including Surviving Your Divorce: A Guide to Canadian Family Law (6th Ed), Strictly Legal II: Things You Absolutely Need to Know About Canadian Law, Do We Need a Marriage Contract, Do We Need a Cohabitation Agreement?, and Class Actions: A Guide to the Class Proceedings Act. He is also a regular columnist for magazines and newspapers. Between 2001 and 2005, Michael was co-editor of the Annual Review of Civil Litigation. He was a member of the Inaugural Editorial Board of the Ontario Bar Association Magazine, JUST.

Speaking and Teaching Engagements

In addition to his many publications, Michael hosted the Business News Network’s Strictly Legal for three seasons and has appeared as a legal expert on numerous other television and radio programs, including CP24, CTV’s Canada AM, CBC’s CounterSpin and MoneyTalk. Michael has also lectured at the University of Ottawa, Law Faculty, in the areas of Legal Institutions, Property and Wills, at Osgoode Hall Law School in the area of Public Law and at Ryerson University in the area of Environmental Law. He is a frequent speaker on legal issues across Canada and a frequent commentator on contemporary legal issues in the media. He is a special lecturer on family law in Canada annually to the MBA Program at the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Appointments

Michael was the Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on Class Action Reform, whose recommendations formed the basis of Ontario’s Class Proceedings Act. He was also Chair of the Task Force on the Environmental Bill of Rights which led to the passage of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights, as well as other multi-party stakeholder consultations in Ontario.

Jun 11, 2019

Michael appeared on BNN’s Bloomberg Advisor discussing Preparing for Divorce.

Helping clients deal with divorce

 

Preparing for a divorce

The grey divorce and re-retirement planning

Oct 24, 2017

Michael appeared on BNN’s Financial Advisor Forum dealing with Understanding The Cost of Divorce.

Sept 19, 2017

Michael Co-Chaired the Ontario Bar Association Annual Bread and Butter Issues in Family Law program in Toronto.

Sept 23, 2016

Michael Co-Chaired the Ontario Bar Association Annual Bread and Butter Issues in Family Law program in Toronto.

July 21, 2016

Michael appeared on the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive to be interviewed about his new book, Olympic Lyon: The Untold Story of the Last Gold Medal for Golf.

Feb 2016

Michael launches the publication of his new book about the untold story of Canadian golf great George Lyon. The book entitled, Olympic Lyon: The Untold Story of the Last Gold Medal for Golf, tells the story of how Torontonian George Lyon, against all odds, took home the gold medal for golf at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dec 5, 2015

New book tells untold story of Canadian golf great Before Tiger Woods, there was George Lyon, a Canadian golf legend whose life story has remained largely unknown – until now.

Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane's new book Olympic Lyon: The Untold Story of the Last Gold Medal for Golf, to be released in 2016, tells of how, against all odds, Lyon took home the gold medal for golf at the 1904 Olympic Games.

The Ontario native went on to numerous further golf glories, national championships and recognition as one of Canada's greatest athletes, but his legacy – and his gold medal – were lost for a time. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com.

Apr 1, 2015

No law for aftermath of client tragedy There is no law that can prepare a lawyer for the feelings that follow after learning of a tragedy involving a client and his family, Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane writes in JUST Magazine. The article, Hearts Broken All Around, chronicles Cochrane’s grief and the legal questions that followed when faced with the news that a client going through a "routine divorce" had killed his wife, and then been killed by the police. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

Feb 26, 2015

Responsible lotto group play can prevent disputes While many players may not value their importance, documents like group play forms or lottery pool contracts may mean the difference between sharing in a large jackpot or receiving nothing, Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane says on a recent episode of BT Legal TV. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

Nov 17, 2014

Cochrane to co-chair session on ethical challenges in ADR. Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane will host an upcoming Ontario Bar Association (OBA) event aimed at tackling the ethical challenges in mediation and arbitration. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

Oct 31, 2014

Work, private lives may no longer be separate. The scandal that continues to engulf fired CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi highlights an important trend in employment law related to the increasing blur between professional and private lives, says Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane.

The impact of off-duty conduct on an individual’s job has become part of the conversation around allegations faced by Ghomeshi, who has been accused of abusive behaviour by women through media reports. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

Oct 21, 2014

When office lotto pools go bad. Messy lottery disputes are increasingly pitting co-worker against co-worker as office pools lawyer up. Read the full article on www.macleans.ca

Oct 3, 2014

Settlement reached in lotto jackpot suit. A settlement has been reached in the case of an Ontario man who argued he was entitled to his share of a $50-million jackpot won by an employee lottery pool due to “good faith," says Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

May 29, 2014

A marriage licence is critical to a legal union. Some interesting problems can arise for couples who have participated in religious marriage ceremonies in Ontario and some may find out they’re not legally married after all, Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane writes in Lawyers Weekly. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

April 11, 2014

When workplace issues turn violent. The violence recently seen in a Toronto workplace reminds us that not a year goes by without some horrific workplace violence. Would you believe that in the United States more than 1,000 people die each year as a result of violence in their workplace? When you think of it, that is more than 20 people a week killed at work. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

April, 8, 2014

Court system – not Divorce Act – needs overhaul. The court system – not the Divorce Act – needs updating in order to improve access to justice in family law, and create more effective processes overall, says Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane. Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

February 24, 2014

Awareness, education key for Environmental Bill of Rights. The provincial government has room to grow when it comes to facilitating public policy issues, says Toronto lawyer Michael Cochrane, who recently spoke on the topic at a conference marking the 20th anniversary of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). Read the full article on AdvocateDaily.com

February 14, 2014

Michael Cochrane is a partner with Brauti Thorning LLP and head of the family and estates law practice. Michael brings over 30 years of experience to the firm and, as author of several family law texts including the bestselling "Surviving Your Divorce (5th Ed)", is considered one of Canada's most respected family lawyers. His practice at Brauti Thorning LLP focuses on family law, estates law, mediation, civil litigation and public policy law. Michael is trained in Negotiation and Advanced Negotiation at Harvard University Law School, is on the Executive of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and is a well known mediator/facilitator of public policy issues.