Lance Carey Talbot

Lance Carey Talbot is a Sudbury lawyer whose principal area of practice is Family Law with an additional focus on related Criminal Law matters arising within the family context such as domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. He began his legal career as a research lawyer and then worked primarily as a criminal lawyer before deciding to focus on Family Law. He has a particular interest in child protection proceedings and a significant portion of his practice is devoted to Children’s Aid Society cases.

Born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in Northern Ontario, Lance Carey Talbot attended secondary school at St. Charles College in Sudbury, Ontario (at that time run by the Basilian Fathers) graduating in 1985. He then attended St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science in 1988. He completed his Bachelor of Laws Degree from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in 1992. From 1989 to 1990 he took a one-year leave of absence from the study of law to work in the office of the Ontario Minister of Health, the Honourable Elinor Caplan. Upon completion of his legal education, Lance Carey Talbot articled for the Toronto firm of Holden Day Wilson from 1992 to 1993. In 1993, he also completed a Master’s degree in History from the University of Toronto. He was called to the Ontario Bar in February 1994.

Following his call to the Ontario Bar, Lance Carey Talbot worked for a year as a research lawyer at the Law Society of Upper Canada. He provided research support to two committees of Convocation: the Research and Planning Committee and the Women in the Legal Profession Committee. In 1996, he moved from Toronto to Ottawa and worked for two years as a policy analyst at the National Liberal Caucus Research Bureau on Parliament Hill. The National Liberal Caucus Research Bureau provides research support to sitting Liberal Members of Parliament and Senators. He was responsible for three portfolio areas: Canadian Heritage, Citizenship and Immigration and Aboriginal Affairs.

In 1998, he returned to Toronto and worked in a variety of support positions at downtown Toronto law firms. In 1999 Lance Carey Talbot completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and in February 2000 moved to London, England. During most of his stay in the United Kingdom, Lance Carey Talbot worked principally in a legal research capacity as a Professional Support Assistant (PSA) in the area of knowledge management as the assistant to a Professional Support Lawyer (PSL) in the corporate insurance department of the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He then qualified as an English solicitor and was admitted to the Roll of the Law Society of England and Wales in 2002. He did not practise law in the United Kingdom but instead worked in a number of other positions including providing research assistance for the 2004 Fourth Edition revision of the classic English text, Estoppel by Representation by Piers Feltham, Daniel Hochberg and Tom Leech first published by Sir George Spencer Bower in 1923. Lance Carey Talbot returned to Canada in January 2003 and immediately began practising law as a sole practitioner in the areas of criminal and family law.

In addition to his membership in the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Law Society of England and Wales, Lance Carey Talbot is also a member of the following professional legal associations: Family Lawyers’ Association, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Black Solicitors Network. In terms of his community involvement, Lance Carey Talbot sits on the Board of Directors of Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) and Access for Parents and Children in Ontario (APCO).

Being a good lawyer is more than just knowing the intricacies of the law. It takes compassion and insight into human nature to effectively represent a client. The breadth of experience gained both with the legal profession and in other areas of the community – both as a volunteer and as a professional - makes Lance Carey Talbot an effective advocate. Familiarity with two areas of law adds depth and flexibility to solving difficult legal problems. Lawyers are often called upon to represent both sides of a similar problem at one point in their legal careers. The combination of criminal and family law experience adds a needed dimension of critical analysis to the resolution of conflict.