Debra Stephens
Located in
Phone
Practice Areas
Passing of Accounts
Guardianship
Fiduciary appointments and representation
Estate administration
Mediation
Estate and trust litigation
Bar Admissions
Ontario
Education
- 1980
LL.B (now J.D.), Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Family Law Intensive Programme, York University - 1977
B.A., Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
Recipient of Queen’s Anniversary Scholarship
Debra is Counsel to Tupman & Bloom LLP and practices exclusively in the following areas:
- Passing of Accounts
- Guardianship
- Fiduciary appointments and representation
- Estate administration
- Mediation
- Estate and trust litigation
Debra (or Deb as she is known to her colleagues and friends) was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1982. Her practice initially focused on general litigation, but primarily in the areas of family, estate, trust and guardianship issues. Since 1998 she has specialized in estate litigation, administration, and planning.
She began her career at Mills and Mills, a full-service firm where she remained for 18 years, having articled there and then becoming a partner. While she initially was involved in all aspects of civil litigation, over the years she concentrated in the areas of estate, trust, capacity and family law litigation. In 1998, upon joining Schnurr Kirsh Stephens (a leading boutique estate litigation firm) she narrowed her focus to estates, trusts and capacity issues, maintaining her litigation practice, but expanding it to include estate planning, administration, and mediation.
In 2008, Deb was appointed The Children’s Lawyer for the Province of Ontario, a branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General which is responsible for providing legal services and clinical services for children in all aspects of estate, tort, and family law proceedings.
Deb returned to private practice in late 2010 and joined Goddard Gamage Stephens, a firm also specializing exclusively in the estate, trust, elder law and capacity fields.
In April of 2017, Deb joined WEL Partners continuing her practice as counsel, mentoring younger lawyers, and expanding her mediation services. In addition, she is often asked by counsel and the Court to act as an estate trustee during litigation, neutral trustee or estate trustee, or as counsel for same to assist in the administration of estates while litigation is pending.
In May of 2019, Deb headed back downtown to join Tupman & Bloom LLP, a new and rising firm to act as their counsel and mentor. She continues to practice exclusively in the estate, trust and capacity field, in litigation, administration, and mediation. She also enjoys mentoring younger lawyers.
Deb has been an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Law School teaching estates and trust law; has taught the Estate Law Clerk programme at Humber College; and, has lectured on estates, trusts, and guardianship issues at Osgoode Hall Law School and for the Osgoode Professional Development programme.
She has acted as preferred counsel for the Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LawPro) and continues to act as an agent lawyer for The Children’s Lawyer.
- 2025 “Planning for Your Future”, Presentation to the Lawrence Park Community Church, Toronto, Ontario, October 19, 2024
- 2023 “Tips When Advising Estate Trustees”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, to the Ontario Bar Association, April 5, 2023
- “Notice of Objections: How to Excel”, Lunch and Learn Presentation, November 4, 2023
- 2022 “Estate Litigation: a Primer”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Ontario Bar Association, presented February 22, 2022
- 2021 “Musings with a Couple of Mediators”. Presentation by Debra L. Stephens and Howard Black for the Advocates Society, March 4, 2021
- 2020 “Avoiding Negligence Claims and Personal Costs Claims as Section 3 Counsel Appointed Under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Ontario Bar Association programme, presented October 26, 2020
- 2019 “Safeguarding your Estate Planning File”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens and Kathryn Balter, Ontario Bar Association
- “2.5% of all Receipts and Disbursements – Don’t Bank on It”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Law Society of Ontario, January 12, 2019
- 2018 “Hotchpot Clauses”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Six Minute Estate Lawyer, Law Society of Ontario, May 3, 2018
- “Recognizing Issues of Interpretation, Construction, Rectification and Variation”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Ontario Bar Association, 2018
- “Tips for Negotiated Settlement in Dependant and Support Claims”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Law Society of Ontario, 2018
- 2017 “Discovery or Surgical Strike”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Advocate’s Society, December 7, 2017
- “Visualizing the Equitable Remedy of Rectification”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Ontario Bar Association, October 5, 2017
- “Joint Assets and Planning Considerations”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Whaley Estate Lawyers, May 8, 2017
- 2016 “Spousal and Child Support Rights in Estate Administration”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Ontario Bar Association, September 20, 2016
- Six Minute Estate Lawyer, presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Law Society of Ontario, May 3, 2016
- “Practice Gems: An Update”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens, Ontario Bar Association, March 30, 2016
- 2015 “Substitute Decision Making in Canada”, paper and presentation by Debra L. Stephens and Nimali Gamage, Canadian Bar Association
- 2014 “The Ins, Outs and Idiosyncrasies of Life Insurance Litigation in the Context of An Estate and Trusts Practice”, paper authored by Debra L. Stephens with the assistance of Nicole Davidson
- “Key Strategies for Settling Dependant’s Relief Claims in a Tax Efficient Manner”, paper authored by Debra L. Stephens and Brian Wilson
- “Client Interview, Fact Gathering and Investigation”, paper authored by Debra L. Stephens and Heather Mountford
- “Trustee Resignation/Removal/Passing Over – When is a renunciation not a renunciation”, paper authored by Debra L. Stephens
- “Funding Support After Death – Drafting and Use of Insurance Trusts”, paper authored by Debra L. Stephens
- 2013 “Privilege & Confidentiality in the Estate/Substitute Decision Making Context”, paper authored by Debra L. Stephens and Kathryn Balter
- “Estate Planning & Fraudulent Conveyance: When Does Estate Planning the Line and Become a Fraudulent Preference?”
- “Managing, Mediating and Litigating Estate Disputes – Client Interview, Fact Gathering and Investigation”
- 2012 “Passing of Accounts”
- “A GPS for Directionless Trusts”
- “Pointers, Pitfalls and Other Observations”
- “Trust to Trustees, Marrying Family and Estate Practices”
- 2011 Chair, ADR Section, Ontario Bar Association presentation, The Family Conference: Talking About Taboos
- The Use of Insurance as Security for Family Law Support Obligations: Checklists: Precedents
- 2010 The Family Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009
- Dependant’s Relief Claims
- Solicitor and Client Privilege in Contested Estate Matters – Ontario’s Approach
- Avoiding Estate Litigation
- Select Issues Involving Family and Estate Law and Children
- Children and the Law
- 2009 “Stuff” the OCL thinks is more interesting than the recession
- Update of Trust Issues for Family Law Practitioners
- The Ontario Experience
- The New Children’s Lawyer
- Ten Things that Give the Children’s Lawyer Headaches
- Cat’s Cradle: Meet the New Children’s Lawyer
- Trusts: When is a Termination a Variation?
- Family Law – The Voice of the Child
- “State of the Union” address
- 2008 Minor Settlements: How to Ensure Court Approval
- Insurance Declarations and Trust
- Ontario Court of Justice – Family Law Program
- 2007 Mutual Wills: A Primer
- Removal of Trustees, Chapter 13, Estate Litigation
- 2006 Removal of Trustees and Attorneys
- Trustees – Know When to Hold’em: Know When to Fold’em
- Joint Ownership Issues
- 2004 Recent Developments in Estate Litigation
- 2003 10 Ways to Avoid Having Lawyers Make Money from your Client’s Estate
- 1999 Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives and Special Needs Children
Speaking Engagements & Panels
Deb is a frequent writer and lecturer and has chaired estates and trust programmes for the Law Society of Ontario; the Canadian and Ontario Bar Association; CALU; Osgoode Hall Law School; regional Estate Planning Councils; family law programmes; and other professional and community organizations.
Deb has been recognized by her peers as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada in her field of law from 2009 to the present, and was the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association 2021 Award for Excellence Estates and Trusts Law.
- Law Society of Ontario
- The Canadian Bar Association
- The Ontario Bar Association
- Toronto Lawyers’ Association
