About the firm
Lawyer judgment on every file. Software for everything else.
Schachnow Law is a Toronto firm practising Canadian immigration law and Ontario employment law, founded by Joshua Schachnow. We act for clients across Canada and around the world. A lawyer licensed in Canada reviews and files every matter, working on software we built ourselves.
See the full range of services we offer, or get in touch.
Meet our founder
Joshua Schachnow
Founder and Immigration Lawyer
- Called to the Ontario Bar, 2017
- JD, Western Law
Josh is a Toronto lawyer who has practised immigration law for more than nine years. He has helped individuals and companies through work permits, permanent residence, study permits, citizenship, and LMIAs, and he leads the firm's Ontario employment work on the employee side.
He also cofounded a legal technology company, and that is why this firm runs on its own software. It does the assembly, the extraction, and the cross-checking, so a lawyer can read every page of a file and the fee can still be flat.
Josh believes quick, thoughtful communication matters more than almost anything else in getting a file through, and that clients should hear the realistic version of their odds rather than the encouraging one.
In his spare time he reads, exercises, and cooks for his wife and daughter.
The team
The people behind the files.
Legal team
Joshua Schachnow
Founder and Immigration lawyer
Josh is a Toronto lawyer who has practised immigration law for more than nine years. He has helped individuals and companies through work permits, permanent residence, study permits, citizenship, and LMIAs, and he leads the firm's Ontario employment work on the employee side. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2017.
- Law Society of Ontario(opens in a new tab)
- JD, Western Law
Amanda Bindman
Immigration Lawyer
Amanda is a Montreal based lawyer who started her legal career in immigration law. Returning to her roots, Amanda helps clients navigate the pathways to Canadian immigration. She has a keen eye for details and prides herself on making the immigration process as stress free as possible.
- B.A., LL.B., LL.M
- Immigration lawyer
- Barreau du Québec(opens in a new tab)
Operations
Alex Ghattas
Head of Product and Operations
Alex leads product and operations at Schachnow Law. He builds the firm's software and runs the day-to-day systems that keep communication fast, file preparation smooth, and the client experience clear from first call to final decision.
Alex brings more than ten years of experience in software development, product, and operations. A childhood friend of Josh, the two have been building together for years, and Schachnow Law is the latest of those projects.
- Full-stack developer
- Runs product and operations
Athira Yogaratnam
Client Development Manager
Athira leads client development at the firm, where she bridges the lawyers and the people they help, builds the relationships that grow the practice, and shapes how clients experience the firm from the first conversation on.
She built her career in ed tech, in sales and marketing for organizations focused on access: free tutoring for school districts that needed it most, and partnerships with universities and colleges that connected students to real work and their first careers. The common thread was always the same. People arrive with a problem, and she makes sure they leave feeling heard and with a clear way forward.
Outside the office, Athira is a Toronto artist whose portraits of people and pets have been commissioned by clients around the world. Capturing a likeness has trained her to notice the small stuff, which comes in handy when the details count.
- Client development
- Toronto portrait artist
What we believe
- 01
High stakes, handled by lawyers
Legal matters are high stakes work. Status, jobs, families, careers. The wrong answer can take years to undo. Lawyers carry training, professional regulation, and standing before the courts. That last one is not a nuance. Only a lawyer can appear for you in Federal Court, which means a consultant cannot take a refused application to judicial review no matter how your file develops.
- 02
Software that does real work
Software can now do the work that used to fill associate evenings. Draft, summarise, compare, classify, and check. That is why we built our own platform, tuned for legal work, and why every file has a licensed Canadian lawyer on top. The software assists. The lawyer decides and files.
- 03
Flat fees, plain English
We work on flat fees, quoted after we have looked at your situation rather than before. Once you are a client, every message gets a reply within one business day. We explain what is happening in plain English. You get the speed of software and the accountability of a lawyer.
- 04
A straight answer, including no
We will tell you your realistic odds before you retain us. Sometimes that means telling you your file is strong enough to handle yourself, or that reapplying beats appealing, or that we are not the right firm for your matter. The consultation exists for exactly that reason. In a field where frightened people get sold hope, a straight answer is worth more than an encouraging one.
FAQ
Common questions
Do not see your question? Ask us directly. A member of our team will reach out almost instantly.
Ask a question- Who will actually handle my file?
- A lawyer licensed in Canada reviews and files every matter at Schachnow Law. You start with a consultation with Joshua Schachnow, the firm's founder, and a lawyer stays on your file from the first document to the filing. Support staff and our own software handle assembly and administration. The legal decisions and the filing are a lawyer's.
- Where is Schachnow Law located?
- Schachnow Law is based in Toronto, Ontario, and works remotely. Canadian immigration matters are federal, so we act for clients anywhere in Canada and for applicants outside Canada. Employment matters are provincial and limited to Ontario.
- Does the firm use AI on my application?
- We use our own software to assemble documents, extract information, prepare first drafts, and cross-check a file for inconsistencies. It does not decide anything. A licensed Canadian lawyer reads every page and makes every legal decision before anything is filed. The software is why that level of attention fits inside a flat fee.
- What does it cost to get started?
- Book a 30 minute consultation with a licensed Canadian lawyer. You get advice on your actual situation and written next steps. If we take the matter on, your flat fee is quoted after that consultation, never before, and it does not move. HST and government filing fees are listed separately.
- What areas of law does the firm practise?
- Canadian immigration law, and Ontario employment law on the employee side. It is not a general practice.