Professor Nicholas Bala

Queen's University

Ontario

Nicholas (Nick) Bala is a leading Canadian expert on legal issues related to children, youth and families in the justice system. He also teaches and writes about Contract Law.

Nick has law degrees from Queen’s University (J.D. 1977) and Harvard (LL.M. 1980). He has been on the Faculty of Law at Queen’s since 1980, and he has been a visiting professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, the University of Calgary, McGill and Duke Law School.

His research has focused on issues related to children and families in the justice system, including: parental rights and responsibilities after divorce; high conflict separations and children resisting contact with a parent after separation (alienation); spousal abuse and its effects on children; the child’s voice in family proceedings, including judicial interviews with children and legal representation of children; same-sex marriage, unmarried cohabitation and polygamy; the role of experts in the family justice process; child witnesses in the criminal courts; and child abuse; the Charter of Rights and the family; the Hague Convention on Child Abduction; child welfare law, including issues related to indigenous and racialized children and youth; youth justice and young offenders; and access to family justice.

Much of his research work has involved collaborative interdisciplinary projects with social science researchers, mental health professionals, and family justice professionals. A number of his research projects have provided an impetus for significant reforms to the way in which Canada’s justice system deals with children, youth and families.

Prof. Bala has written or co-authored 26 books and over 225 book chapters and articles in journals of law, psychology, social work and medicine.) He is co-editor of a published casebook used for teaching family law a number of Canadian law schools, Family Law: Cases, Notes and Materials (Thomson Reuters 2025) (Bala, Maur, & Houston, 11th edit.) His work is cited by all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court, and has also been cited by courts in the USA, England, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. He has been a consultant to federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada on issues related to family law and children in the justice system. He was prepared reports for various government commissions and appeared as a witness before Parliamentary Committees more than twenty times. He is frequently invited to present at continuing education programs for judges, lawyers, social workers and mental health professionals.

Prof. Bala was the Chair of the Task Force that prepared the AFCC-O Parenting Plan Guide for the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts, materials that are being frequently cited in the Ontario Courts. He also was a member of the Task Forces that adapted those materials for use in Alberta and British Columbia.

Prof. Bala’s contributions to family law research and professional education were recognized in awards from Ontario’s Law Society and the Ontario Bar Association in 2009, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Court in 2008 and 2020. In 2013 Prof. Bala was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2019 he was appointed as a Distinguished University Professor at Queen’s University.

Karon Bales, T.E.P.

Bales Beall LLP

Ontario

Karon C. Bales is a founding partner of Bales Beall LLP whose experience speaks for itself. Her practice is centred on family law, wills and estates issues. Her experience in trial and appellate advocacy in family law and estate matters is extensive, particularly with those involving partnerships, business corporations and commercial issues.

Karon also provides sound guidance with estate administration and planning, domestic and off-shore trusts, and succession planning for owners of family businesses. Her expertise also extends to mediations, as she has been conducting private mediations for over 10 years in the areas of family law and estate litigation – most often in cases where those two areas of the law intersect.

Bales Beall LLP has been listed in the top Wills, Trust and Estates Boutique Firms in Canada since 2017 by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.

Karon is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law and in Family Law. She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and an Academician of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. She is the Immediate Past President of the Canadian Chapter, IAFL. Karon has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Law School. She has been listed in Best Lawyers – Canada since 2006 and in Chambers and Partners Guide for Canada for Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth and Private Wealth Disputes since 2022.

Karon's articles on the intersection of family law and estates issues have been published in the Estates, Trusts and Pensions Journal and in the Ontario Family Law Reporter.

Karon has been involved in community charities, including currently as a Governor of the Stratford Festival of Canada, Director and past Chair of the Board of the Seeing Eye Organization (Canada), former Trustee of the Seeing Eye Inc., and as past Chair of Nightwood Theatre, which promotes Canadian women in contemporary theatre.

The Honourable Judge Jennifer Barrett

Provincial Court of British Columbia

British Columbia

Judge Barrett received her law degree from the University of Windsor, Ontario in 1985 and was called to Ontario bar in 1987. She practised law in Belleville, Ontario, primarily as a sole practitioner until she and her family relocated to Victoria, BC in 2003. Judge Barrett was called to the BC bar in March, 2004. Initially, she worked briefly as a sole practitioner, then worked with the firm, Pearlman, Lindholm, and ultimately landed on both feet with the firm, Quadra Legal Centre, in June, 2007 where she remained until her appointment to the Provincial Court of British Columbia in June, 2016.

As a lawyer, Judge Barrett was a ‘general practitioner’ but mainly practised in the areas of family and child protection. While in Ontario, she initially represented parents in child protection matters but later represented, on an ad hoc basis, the Children’s Aid Society. While in BC, her main areas of practice have continued to be family and child protection, but primarily child protection and representing the Director.

Judge Barrett was appointed a Provincial Court Judge in B.C. in June, 2016 and her chambers are located in Victoria, BC. She has been involved in both the Education and Family Law Committees with the Provincial Court over several years during her appointment.

Kelsey Beazer

Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP

British Columbia

Encompassing all areas of family law, Kelsey Beazer’s practice includes disputes over complex financial issues, emotionally difficult parenting, and child-centered matters. In addition to being an experienced litigator, her practice regularly incorporates various forms of alternative dispute resolution. She is a certified mediator, arbitrator and parenting coordinator with the Law Society of British Columbia.

Kelsey has been recognized by her peers as a leading family lawyer in B.C., including through Best Lawyers. Her leadership in family law is evidenced by her speaking engagements and contributions to continuing legal education at the national and provincial level. A problem solver and solution maker at heart, Kelsey takes pride in her practical approach to the practice of family law.

Aurora Beraldin

British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General

British Columbia

Aurora is a legal counsel with the Family Policy, Legislation, and Transformation Division of the Ministry of Attorney General of British Columbia. Aurora is currently working on the Family Law Act Modernization Project to review BC’s family law legislation for opportunities to update and modernize the Act where needed.

Aurora has been working on policy and legislation with the Government of BC for the past ten years in both the Ministry of Attorney General and the Ministry of Finance. Aurora was previously an investigator with the Office of the Ombudsperson of BC and practiced constitutional and criminal law in a private law firm in Victoria, BC.

Aurora holds an LL.B. from the University of Victoria and a B.A. from the University of British Columbia.

Wendy Best, KC, B. Comm., LLB

Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP

Alberta

Wendy is a native Calgarian. She completed both her Bachelor of Commerce and Law Degrees at the University of Calgary. Wendy joined Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP (“DBB”) in 1982, became a partner in 1986 and was granted Queen's Counsel in 1994. Wendy has practiced Family Law for over 44 years.

Wendy was inducted as a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers in 2008. She has been selected by Best Lawyers in Canada (“Best Lawyers”) annually since 2006 and was recognized by the organization in both 2010 and 2017 as the Calgary Family Lawyer of the Year. Wendy is honoured that DBB was selected by Best Lawyers as the Family Law - Law Firm of the Year for Canada in 2022. She is also proud that her firm was awarded the Women in Law Leadership ("WILL") Award for Alberta law firms in 2017. In 2018, Wendy was awarded both the Canadian Bar Association/Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Profession and the WILL Award for Leadership in the Profession (Private Practice).

Wendy has participated on many community and legal related boards, including the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for Alberta; the Alberta Securities Commission; Alberta Law Society's Family Law Advisory Committee; the Board of Directors of the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family; Board of Directors of Heritage Park Society; National Council of the Canadian Bar Association; Board of Directors of Student Legal Assistance; Board Member of the Calgary Auxiliary Hospital District No. 7; Carewest Foundation; Team Panorama Nancy Green Ski Team and the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter.

Wendy is actively involved in the continuing education of lawyers, lecturing frequently for the Legal Education Society of Alberta, Bar Admission courses and numerous Canadian Bar Association meetings. Wendy is also a popular speaker for various organizations including the Federation of Law Societies National Family Law Program; the National Judicial Institute; Provincial Judicial Education seminars; the Advocates Society; Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners; Estate Planning Council of Calgary; Canadian Tax Foundation; University of Calgary Law School; Calgary Board of Education; American Bar Association; Calgary Family Services; Jewish Family Services; YWCA; Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association and the Calgary Association of Legal Secretaries.

Wendy balances her busy practice with regular cycling trips to countries with good food and wine.

Marty Birky

Hayher Lee LLP

Alberta

Marty is a Partner with Hayher Lee LLP in Calgary Alberta where he practices in family law and estate litigation, Marty has experience before the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench.

Driven to create the best results for his clients during a challenging time in their life, Marty is a strong advocate for mediation/arbitration as a dispute resolution practice. Marty serves on the Canada Bar Association Family Law South Subcommittee as well as the Alberta Basketball Board of Directors.

Marty has been recognized by his peers through Best Lawyers Ones to Watch in the areas of Family Law as well as Trusts and Estates.

In addition to his busy legal career, Marty focuses on his young family and is an active member of the Alberta Basketball community through his years of college coaching experience.

Dr. Rachel Birnbaum

Western University

Ontario

Rachel Birnbaum, Ph.D., RSW, LL.M, is a Distinguished University Professor Emerita and Co-Director of the Research Institute with Children at King’s University College at Western in London, Ontario. Her primary areas of teaching focus on children and families post separation and divorce, ethics and the law, and research methods. Dr. Birnbaum has extensive clinical practice and research experience in working with children and families of separation and divorce. She has presented and published both nationally and internationally on parenting assessments, access to justice, child legal representation, children’s participation in family disputes, and on the intersection between law and social work.

Dr. Birnbaum has obtained over one million dollars in research grants from SSHRC, CIHR, Kids Brain Health Network, American Foundation for Research in Social Work and the Law Foundation of Ontario with interdisciplinary colleagues.

Dr. Birnbaum has published over 100 articles and several books with co-authors, including: Birnbaum & Bala, Making Parenting Plans in Canada’s Family Justice System: Challenges, Controversies and The Role of Mental Health Professionals (2019, Thomson Reuters); Birnbaum & Sigurdson, Managing Ethical and Legal Dilemmas: Critical Thinking in Social Work Practice (2018, Thomson Reuters); Csiernik & Birnbaum, Practicing Social Work Research: Case Studies for Learning, 3rd edition (forthcoming, University of Toronto Press); Birnbaum & Mosher, Law for Social Workers, 5th edition (2016, Thomson Reuters); Birnbaum, Fidler, & Kavassalis, Child Custody Assessments: A Resource Guide For Legal and Mental Health Professionals (2008, Carswell); and Fidler, Bala, Birnbaum, & Kavassalis, Challenging Issues in Child Custody Disputes: A Guide for Legal and Mental Health Professionals (2008, Carswell).

Dr. Birnbaum is a recipient of many national and international awards for her scholarship and research. She is the recipient of the Crowe Soberman Award of Excellence in Family Dispute Resolution, Hugh Mellon Distinguished Research Award, the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts–Ontario Excellence in Family Justice.

She was the President of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) from 2005–2009; the President of the Canadian Council of Social Work Regulators (CCSWR) from 2012–2014; the President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts–Ontario (AFCC-O) from 2014–2015; and a former board member of the Canadian Research Institute for Law & The Family in Calgary, Alberta, from 2017–2018.

She was also awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, nominated by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario for her research and scholarship on behalf of Ontario and Canada.

Max Blitt, KC, LLB

Spier Harben Barristers & Solicitors

Alberta

Max Blitt K.C. was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1975 and is an associate of the law firm of Spier Harben in Alberta, Canada. He has extensive experience dealing with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abductions.

He has personally been involved in assisting clients and legal counsel to recover children that have been abducted by parents and relatives to other provinces in Canada, the United States, Poland, France, Germany, Latvia, Bulgaria, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Japan, Australia, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Hungary, Bermuda, Indonesia, South Korea, Cayman Islands, China, Georgia (country), Mauritius and the United Kingdom.

He has spoken to search agencies, law enforcement, lawyers, government representatives and Judges at conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Calgary, Washington D.C., Ottawa, Vancouver and Tokyo, Japan (2009/2010) dealing with Missing and Abducted Children’s issues. He was involved on the Federal Government level with developing an International Protocol for mediating cross-border family disputes.

He has lectured at the Federal/Provincial Canadian Judges’ Conference (National Judicial Institute) in February 2011 on Inter-Provincial Child Abductions. He was a guest lecturer in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2011, dealing with the Canadian Experience in International Child Abductions, in Dubai in November 2011 speaking on Sharia Law in Canada, and at various Canadian Bar Association Conferences. He has lectured on the Rights of the Child in the Context of The Hague Convention in Sydney, Australia, 2013.

He is a webinar presenter for the Canadian Bar Association regarding the operation of The Hague Convention from 2014 to the present. He was an International Association of Family Lawyers presenter in 2015 in Quebec City, Quebec, on Hague Convention issues, and a presenter for IAFL and the AFCC.

He is a Court Appointed Dispute Resolution Officer with the Court of King's Bench of Alberta (2006 to present), and a past Negotiations / Advocacy Assessment Instructor for the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education from 2008 to 2020 (Bar Admission Course). Max has taken the International Cross Border Mediation training through UC Hastings Law, San Francisco, in addition to being qualified as an Expert in International Family Law. Max was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014.

Scott Booth

Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP

British Columbia

Scott was called to the bar in 1994. He has focused his practice exclusively on family law since 2006. His practice includes litigation as well as mediation and arbitration, both as counsel and as mediator/arbitrator. Scott’s strength is problem solving and assisting his clients in resolving complex issues. This includes the unique circumstances of high income/net worth families, families with generational wealth planning, and families with interests in complex business assets.    

Scott has been recognized by his peers as a leading family lawyer in B.C. including through Lexpert, Doyles Guide and Best Lawyers. He is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.

Scott’s leadership in family law has also been recognized by the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia for the significant contribution he has made to continuing legal education. Scott is frequently asked to speak at legal conferences and has done so at the local, national, and international level. He is a prolific author of papers and book chapters, and serves on the editorial board for the Family Law Sourcebook for British Columbia. He also worked on the property division section of the transition guide published by the B.C. Ministry of the Attorney General when Family Law Act was introduced in 2013. In 2020, Scott taught family law as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law.

John-Paul Boyd, KC

Boyd Arbitration Chambers

Alberta British Columbia

John-Paul Boyd is an accredited family law arbitrator, family law mediator and parenting coordinator, and a member of the bars of Alberta and British Columbia.

John-Paul practiced family law in Vancouver for 14 years before taking a position as the executive director of the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family in 2013. He returned to private practice, providing services throughout Alberta and British Columbia, in 2018 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel, now King’s Counsel, in 2019.

John-Paul is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award presented by the Law Society of Alberta and the CBA Alberta, the CBA’s national Pro Bono Service Award, the UBC Law Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award and the CBA British Columbia’s Pro Bono Award. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada since 2010.

Kyra Bradley

Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP

Alberta

Kyra has been with DBB Law since July 2020. She completed her LLM at University College London (UCL) in 2018 with a specialism in Criminal Justice, Family and Social Welfare. While at UCL she participated in the establishment of the Student Resolvers Mediation Project. Kyra graduated with first class honours in her LLB in Law and Criminology from the University of Sheffield in 2017 where she volunteered with the Freelaw Legal Clinic and was a student tutor with the School of Law as well as President of the Hornets Baseball Club.

After university, Kyra worked with the Court of King’s Bench as a bilingual Judicial Clerk for 19 months before articling at DBB. Since her call to the bar, Kyra has participated in community boards and been involved in continuing education for lawyers, including working with the CPLED PREP bar admission course in negotiation assessments and presenting on the issues of retroactive child and spousal support and arrears with the Legal Education Society of Alberta. Recently, Kyra has also participated in the University of Calgary’s Centre for Transformation’s Re-Imagining Alberta’s Family Justice System project.

Outside of work, you can find Kyra playing slo-pitch, travelling, or doing amateur genealogy.

Trudi Brown, K.C.

BROWN HENDERSON MELBYE

British Columbia

Trudi was called to the B.C. bar in 1974 and then practiced for four years with the B.C. Crown Counsel Office in Victoria before leaving to form the firm of Buckler Metzger Brown and Miliken in 1978.

Trudi left that firm in 1984 with Judith Kay to establish Brown and Kay, and then merged one year later with Deborah Acheson and Jane Henderson Q.C. to form Brown Acheson Henderson and Kay (a.k.a. the ‘Broads on Broad Street’).

After leaving the B.C. Crown Counsel Office, Trudi concentrated her practice in the area of family law. In 1988, Trudi and Jane Henderson Q.C. migrated to Horne Coupar, where they remained until 2001.

In 2001, Kay Melbye joined Trudi and Jane on Oak Bay Avenue. The firm is now established in the heart of Oak Bay Village in the Athlone Court. Jane has since retired from the firm, and Kay is now a partner.

Trudi continues to focus her practice primarily in the area of family law. She was one of the first lawyers in Victoria to embrace collaborative law and remains firmly wedded to the concept of resolving family law disputes without going to trial. She annually edits, along with Madam Justice Huddart of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia, British Columbia Family Law Practice, which is used by lawyers across the province every day in their practice. She is regularly sought after as a presenter, speaker and master of ceremonies for various programs in the legal profession and community. She has co-chaired the National Family Law Program operated under the auspices of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, a program for lawyers and judges across Canada that occurs every two years for five days.

Trudi is a family law mediator and arbitrator. As a member of the B.C. Hear the Child Society, she interviews children whose parents are unable to agree on parenting plans. She is also a member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (“IAFL”), which enables her to learn about family law in other jurisdictions and to meet lawyers who can assist her clients around the world.

Trudi has been named one of the Best Lawyers in Canada, as chosen by her peers. In December of 2017, Trudi was awarded the inaugural Excellence in Family Law Award by the Law Society of BC.

Geoffrey Carpenter

Carpenter Family Law

Ontario

Geoffrey Carpenter is a lawyer, mediator, arbitrator and parenting coordinator. He received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Laws (family law) from Osgoode Hall, and is certified as a specialist in family law by the Law Society of Ontario.

He is the past chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Family Law Section and Child and Youth Law Section, sits as a Deputy Judge and Dispute Resolution Officer in the Central West Region, and is a long-time panel member for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. He is an adjunct professor teaching family law at Osgoode Hall and has previously taught at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.

Geoffrey has argued at every level of court in Canada, including two recent cases at the Supreme Court of Canada. He represented the Respondent at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia regarding the proposed novel tort of family violence, where co-presenter Julie Hannaford represented the Appellant.

Chantal Cattermole

Cozen O'Connor

Chantal represents families through life-changing events and sensitive disputes. Chantal understands the visceral nature of family conflicts and manages to simplify these complex issues into sensible solutions while building relationships or keeping them intact. Whether structuring spousal support, dividing assets, drafting marriage agreements, or planning multi-generational wealth transfers, Chantal thrives in guiding her clients through these complex processes to protect their families and futures, seeking cost-effective resolutions outside of the courtroom whenever possible. Chantal is a certified arbitrator, collaborative professional, family mediator, and parenting coordinator.

Jessica Chapman

Chapman Family Law

Ontario

For more than ten years Jessica worked at a mid-sized firm practicing family law, helping clients navigate their legal issues in an empathic, approachable and practical way. In 2021, while raising two small children and on the brink of making partner, she realized it was time for a change. Jessica launched Chapman Family Law in 2021, an all-female, fully remote, family law firm.

Jessica has been recognized in the Best Lawyers in Canada publication since 2022, and Chapman Family Law has been recognized in the Best Law Firms in Canada publication since 2024. Jessica has proven herself skilled both in and out of the courtroom, having appeared before all levels of Courts in Nova Scotia, and has built a reputation as an exceptional negotiator.

In 2023, while burnt out and overworked, and on the same day she appeared in the Supreme Court, Jessica received a life-threatening leukemia diagnosis following routine bloodwork. After four rounds of chemotherapy and over 70 nights in hospital over four months, she found herself in remission. Since that time, Jessica’s passion has shifted to creating the working conditions and tools for her team that she often yearned for while practicing as a junior lawyer.

Jessica received her Honors’ Degree in Psychology and Gender Studies from Mount Allison University in 2008, before completing her law degree at Dalhousie University in 2011. Jessica is a former Chair of the Alice House Board of Directors, helping women and children find second stage housing coming out of intimate partner violence, and is the past recipient of Dalhousie’s Constance R. Glube Bursary for Leadership in the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession.

The Honourable Justice C. LouAnn Chiasson

Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division)

Nova Scotia

Justice C. LouAnn Chiasson was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division) in February 2015. Prior to her appointment she practiced for over twenty years primarily in the area of family law. As legal counsel, she received her Queen’s Counsel designation (as it then was) in 2012. Justice Chiasson has been and continues to serve on a number of organizations and committees including: the Canadian Bar Association, Bench/ Bar Liaison Committee, Civil Procedure Rules Committee, Schulich School of Law Family Placement- Judicial Representative, to name just a few. Justice Chiasson continues to be actively involved in legal education in the area of family law to all levels of the legal system: law students, lawyers and the judiciary. She has made numerous presentations in the area of family law to lawyers and judges at the provincial and national level.

The Honourable Justice Michelle Christopher

Alberta Court of Justice

Alberta

The Honourable Justice Christopher, a Dalhousie law graduate and Harvard-trained mediator, practised in the areas of child protection, family and criminal law for over 30 years prior to being appointed to the Alberta Court of Justice in 2018 as the first woman judge of the (then) Provincial Court in Medicine Hat, Alberta. At the time, she was an associate law professor with the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary and the Executive Director of Student Legal Assistance, a pro bono law clinic co-located within the U of C Faculty of Law space. She now sits as a Justice in the Calgary/Calgary regional courts, hearing cases in family, criminal and civil law.

Since becoming a judge, Justice Christopher has maintained her commitment to legal education, regularly speaking at conferences and seminars, along with recently returning to teaching at the U of C Faculty of Law. She is the Chair of the Alberta Provincial Justices’ Association (APJA) Education Committee, a member of the Alberta Court of Justice Chief Justice’s Education Committee and coordinator of her court’s New Justices’ Education Program, the Alberta representative on the National Education Committee of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges (CAPCJ) and the co-editor of the CAPCJ Judges’ Journal. She is a board member of the APJA, board member/treasurer of the Canadian Chapter of International Association of Women Judges and a governor of the American Judges’ Association, amongst other volunteer commitments.

In her spare time, Justice Christopher has enjoyed the onset of her grandparent era, with three lovely grandchildren under age 2 reminding her on a daily basis that family is everything.

Neha Chugh

Chugh Law

Ontario

Neha Chugh is the founder of Chugh Law Professional Corporation, a firm with a focus in criminal, family and child protection courts. Neha is a prosecutor for the Akwesasne Mohawk Court, and is the Hearings Officer for the Town of Cobourg, the Municipality of Brighton and the City of Cornwall. She has conducted appeals at most levels of court in Ontario and has appeared as counsel for the Intervener Barbra Schlifer Clinic and the Intervener the Akwesasne Justice Department, at the Supreme Court of Canada. Neha’s passion is advocating for people inflicted with mental health, addictions, and poverty. Neha had previously served on a number of non-profit community boards in the City of Cornwall, as well as being an editor For the Defence and contributing to the local newspaper.

Stephen Codas

Epstein Cole LLP

Ontario

Stephen is a partner with Epstein Cole LLP. Stephen joined Epstein Cole as a partner in September 2005 after practicing in his own law firm for 13 years.

Stephen's practice focuses on all aspects of family law and he has appeared in all levels of Court in Ontario. Stephen is a Dispute Resolution Officer for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and an assistant editor of the Reports of Family Law. Stephen is also an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto (Advanced Family Law). In addition to his work as an appointed member of the Children's Lawyer panel in Ontario, Stephen has been asked to act for children privately. Stephen is regularly invited to speak and present at continuing legal education programs, both nationally and locally.

Stephen received his LLB from Queen's University in 1990 and was called to the Bar in 1992. Stephen received a Bachelor of Commerce and the Award of Distinction from the Faculty of Management from McGill University.

Dana Cohen

Laurel Family Law

Ontario

Dana Cohen is a graduate of the joint Law and Social Work program at the University of Toronto. She is a lawyer practising in Ontario, and her practice includes all aspects of family law. Her experience includes negotiating agreements and assisting clients through alternate dispute resolution processes and also, when necessary, advocating in court on behalf of clients in both parenting and financial disputes. She worked for many years as an associate at a boutique family law firm, and, since March 2016, has practiced, with three partners, at her own firm, Laurel Family Law.

Dana has a social work background, and she applies such background to her family law practice, with a particular focus on resolution of complex parenting disputes. She has served as a panel lawyer at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer since her call to the Bar in 1999, where she represents children in both domestic and protection files. As part of her social work training, she interned at Jewish Family and Child Service, and she also spent eight months performing custody and access assessments (section 112 reports) at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer.

She is a Parenting Coordinator, and she has completed a family mediation course and a parenting coordination course. She has, for many years, been involved with AFCC-Ontario, and for six years, was a member of the AFCC-Ontario annual conference planning committee. She has spoken at conferences through the Law Society, the Ontario Bar Association, and AFCC (both Ontario and international conference).

Jena Colpitts

Jones Divorce and Family Law

Alberta

Jena completed her Bachelor of Social Work and Juris Doctor degrees at the University of Manitoba and has exclusively practiced in the area of family law since 2015. Jena is currently a Senior Associate at Jones Divorce and Family Law in Calgary, where she has built a practice focusing on high-conflict parenting matters.

In addition to her general practice, she offers Mediation and Parenting Coordination services and has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Canada as “One to Watch” for 2024, 2025 and 2026. Jena is a volunteer on the Executive for the CBA – Alberta Branch Family Law (South) Section, has volunteered with the University of Calgary family law moot team and as a guest lecturer at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, and recently Co-Chaired Returnity YCC, a peer support group for lawyers on parental leave.

Bahareh Danaei

North Shore Law LLP

British Columbia

Bahareh Danaei is an Iranian-born lawyer. She came to Canada as a young child and grew up in Vancouver. She is now a partner at North Shore Law. Bahareh practices primarily family law with a small criminal defence practice.

Bahareh’s empathy for her clients during challenging circumstances enables her to provide strong advocacy. She is often able to obtain successful resolutions without going to court through negotiation, mediation, and other alternative dispute methods. However, she enjoys advocacy in Court and has appeared in all levels of court in BC. She is also the vice president of the North Shore Bar Association, a member of the Judicial Advisory Committee, and the Court Services committee of the CBABC.

David Day, K.C.

Lewis, Day

Newfoundland & Labrador

David is a practicing barrister. Concurrently, he presides as Master of Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court. He has, since 1968, conducted ‘crisis to crisis’ law practice. His practice areas are: family, civil, constitutional, criminal, and maritime. As counsel, he has deployed his rhetorical oars in all NL courts, and in superior courts of five other provinces, Federal Court, Supreme Court of Canada (including an amicus appointment) and European Court of Human Rights.

He was counsel to the ‘Mount Cashel Enquiry’, and to several domestic and international death inquiries. He is counsel to, and a director of, the Institute For Indigenous Justice.

Since 1982, he has served on editorial boards of Reports of Family Law and The Canadian Bar Review. As a juror (aided by several cataract surgeries), he helps to digest and assess books (about 700 since 1988) nominated for the annual Walter Owen Book Prize. Prize funder is The Canadian Foundation for Legal Research of which, since 1988, he has been a Trustee.

He occupied University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law Advocacy Chair. Throughout Canada, he has lectured, spoken and authored on family law, social work, criminal law, federal policing, and ethics to or for universities, governments, and programs. He is grateful for selection, since 1992, to the National Family Law Program faculty.

Christina Doris

Burrison Hudani Doris LLP

Ontario

Christina has appeared at all levels of court, including the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Christina has significant experience litigating issues for her clients, including conducting long trials with complicated issues.

Christina is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, and the Ontario Child Protection Lawyers’ Association.

Christina obtained a B.A. (honours) from the University of British Columbia, and her law degree from the University of Toronto.

Andrea Doyle

University of Manitoba

Manitoba

Andrea Doyle is an instructor at the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law. She was called to the Manitoba Bar in 2010. Prior to becoming a faculty member in July 2023, Andrea had a broad practice with the firm Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP (TDS) for thirteen years. She is fluently bilingual and has practised law in both English and French. Andrea teaches a number of courses at the Faculty of Law, including Family Law in English and in French.

Suzie Dunn

Dalhousie University, Schulich School of Law

Ontario

Suzie Dunn the Director of the Law and Technology Institute and an assistant professor at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law. She teaches contracts, torts, law and technology, privacy, and legal ethics. Her research centers on the intersections of equality, technology and the law, with a specific focus on technology-facilitated gender-based violence, artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and social media. She is a research partner on a four-year SSHRC funded research project on young people’s experiences with sexual violence online, DIY Digital Safety. She is also a Senior Fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and a member of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund technology-facilitated violence committee.

Daniel Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald and Associates, Psychology

Ontario

Dr. Daniel Fitzgerald is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Toronto, Ontario, where he has worked with children, parents, and families in transition for more than three decades. His practice focuses on comprehensive parenting and psychological evaluations in high-conflict family law and child protection matters, and he has been qualified as an expert witness in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice. Over the past 20 years, he has provided numerous workshops and trainings for lawyers, judges, child protection workers, and mental health professionals on topics such as parenting capacity assessments, expert evidence, and the impact of conflict on children. Dr. Fitzgerald is known for his practical, child-focused approach and his commitment to a fair, balanced, and transparent process for all family members involved in litigation.

Krista Forbes, KC

Nova Scotia Legal Aid

Nova Scotia

Krista Forbes, KC, has been a lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid since her bar call in 1997 exclusively in the area of family law with a focus on child protection work. Krista is the co-chair of Nova Scotia Supreme Court (Family Division) Liaison committee, a former Chair of the Family Law section of the NS branch of the CBA as well as an active member of the family bar. Having found parenting a teenage boy with her husband not enough of a challenge, she has recently returned to coaching boys’ high school and club volleyball.

Aaron Franks

Epstein Cole LLP

Ontario

Aaron has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of British Columbia. He graduated from the Joint M.B.A./LL.B Program at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Shulich School of Business in 1996 and was called to the bar in 1998. Since his call to the bar, he has practiced exclusively in the areas of family law (and related areas) and in the defense of solicitor's negligence claims.

He has been an Adjunct Professor (Family Law) at the University of Toronto Law School and at Osgoode Hall Law School. He was formerly an instructor with the Family Law Section of the Bar Admission Course, and he is a Dispute Resolution Officer for the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.

He has co-authored "This Week in Family Law" (Carswell) since January 2020. He has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Reports of Family Law (Carswell) since January 2000 and was Associate Editor starting in 2005.

Aaron is a regular contributor/speaker at continuing legal education programs, and he has authored papers and chapters in several publications on family law issues. He is regularly retained to mediation and/or arbitrate family law matters.

Aaron is listed in the Lexpert ("most frequently recommended") and Best Lawyers directories, Band 1 ranked in Chambers & Partners Global High Net Worth Guide in Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth (Canada), and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the Planning Committee for the bi-annual National Family Law Program run by the Federation of Canadian Law Societies, and was previously Co-Chair of the Six Minute Family Lawyer for 8 years and on the Board of the Advocates' Society.

Maria Golarz

Lam Family Law

Ontario

Maria is a research lawyer at Lam Family Law, preparing research memos, facta, and other materials for family lawyers across Ontario. Maria has been providing legal advice and research-related services to other family law lawyers since 2013. Before joining Lam Family Law, she provided comprehensive legal research and strategic advice on family law and child protection issues at Legal Aid Ontario. She has experience dealing with all areas of family and child protection law, with a particular interest in parenting and support, and has litigated on behalf of clients at various levels of court.

Robert Graesser, KC, Mediator and Arbitrator

Vogel LLP

Alberta

The Honourable Robert A. Graesser KC recently retired as a justice of the Alberta Court of King’s Bench. He was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench in December 2006 and elected supernumerary status in August 2020. With 32 years of experience in private practice and 18 years as a Court of King’s Bench Justice, Mr. Graesser now brings a wealth of experience to his mediation and arbitration practice.

Mr. Graesser is a graduate of the University of Alberta, having obtained his BA in 1972 and his LLB in 1973. Before his appointment to the Court, Mr. Graesser practiced law with Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP and its predecessor firms for over 32 years. He was admitted to the Alberta bar in January 1975 after articling to the Hon. S. Bruce Smith, Chief Justice of Alberta, and then the Hon. William A. Stevenson, late of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mr. Graesser’s law practice focused on civil litigation with an emphasis on construction law, media law, employment law, personal injury litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1996 and earned his Chartered Arbitrator designation in 2005. As counsel, he appeared in all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Throughout his legal career, he taught law at the University of Alberta in the faculties of Extension, Business and Law. In the Faculty of Law, he lectured on construction law and employment law.

Mr. Graesser was involved in many legal professional and community activities during his legal career. He served as Chair of the Legal Education Society of Alberta and was on its Board for 12 years. He was a Governor of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and was its Vice-Chair for two years. He served as Chair of the Alberta Private Vocational Schools Advisory Council for six years. At various times over his career, he was a board member of the Northern Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Edmonton Musical Theatre Society, Music Alberta, Music Camrose, the Northern Alberta Brain Injury Society, and the Dr. Dasha Goody Memorial Foundation. He served as mayor and a councillor of the Summer Village of Silver Beach, and coached community league sports for many years.

After being appointed to the bench, Mr. Graesser became involved in the National Judicial Institute’s education programs. He has presented at the National Forum on Settlement Conferences, the New Federally Appointed Judges’ Seminar, the Federation of Law Societies’ National Family Law Program, as well as at many other NJI, Canadian Bar Association, Legal Education Society, and individual Canadian Court programs.

Late in his career as a lawyer, Mr. Graesser became interested in arbitration and mediation and took some training in both mediation and arbitration. Before his appointment to the Bench, he began to spend considerable time conducting arbitrations and mediations. Following his appointment, he was recruited by the National Judicial Institute to help develop training programs in alternate dispute resolution for judges. He helped design the NJI’s 6-Step program for judicial settlement conferencing, as well as a number of training programs for judges. Mr. Graesser presented on settlement conferencing in many national programs, and he was also invited to speak to a number of individual superior Courts across Canada for specialized training. He has written and spoken extensively on judicial dispute resolution, arbitration, and mediation.

During his judicial career, Mr. Graesser authored over four hundred written decisions. As a judge, Mr. Graesser conducted a large number of judicial dispute resolutions and settlement conferences in all areas of civil litigation. Mr. Graesser served as the Court of Queen’s Bench representative to the Rules of Court Committee from 2008-2021 and was co-chair of the Court of Queen’s Bench Education Committee from 2015-2021. He served on the Canadian Judicial Council’s Judicial Education Committee from 2019-2022.

Tiffany Guo, JD

MacDonald & Partners LLP

Ontario

Tiffany Guo was called to the Ontario Bar in 2022 and practices exclusively in family law at MacDonald & Partners, where she focuses on complex international child abduction matters. Tiffany is developing expertise in both Hague Convention and non-Hague applications and has appeared before every level of court in Ontario. Most recently, Tiffany acted as second chair before the Supreme Court of Canada in Dunmore v Mehralian, a landmark case defining habitual residence in non-Hague abduction matters. She is also a prolific legal writer, having co-authored multiple articles and papers on family law, with an emphasis on international custody and cross-border legal issues.

Julie Hannaford

J K Hannaford Barristers

Ontario

Julie Hannaford went to law school after graduate studies in English literature at the University of Toronto. Julie was a partner at a leading law firm, practising in the area of litigation until she formed J K Hannaford Barristers in 2006. With extensive experience in both trial and appeal courts, Julie has published widely in family law and has taught trial advocacy in both Canada and the United States.

She holds memberships in the American Bar Association (Section of Litigation), the Canadian and Ontario Bar Association, and the Advocates Society. She is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and has served on a number of boards. Julie is an influential contributor to the field.

Stacey Haskins

Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP

Alberta

Stacey Haskins is a Lawyer with Kirk Montoute Dawson LLP, located in Calgary, Alberta. Stacey has practiced exclusively in the area of family law for her entire career.

Outside of her practice, Stacey has a keen interest in education and access to justice initiatives. During her undergraduate and graduate years, Stacey helped facilitate literacy programs at women’s shelters, primary schools, and federal penitentiaries in Kingston, Ontario, including the former Kingston Penitentiary. Since obtaining her law degree, Stacey has continued to give back to the community by supervising educational programs at Calgary’s Discovery House in association with Pro Bono Students Canada, notarizing identification documents for individuals through Calgary Legal Guidance, and by providing pro bono legal advice to Albertans at various pop-up legal clinics and as a part of the Canadian Bar Association’s Dial-A-Lawyer program.

When not lawyering, Stacey can be found spending time with her husband and sons, baking, boxing, and performing with her band.

Andy Hayher, KC

HAYHER LEE LLP

Alberta

Andy’s practice encompasses all areas of family law, and he is recognized for his unique experience in arguing appellate matters before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Alberta Court of Appeal. Appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2022 (now King’s Counsel), Andy is recognized as a leading practitioner in the area of family law both by Best Lawyers and Lexpert Magazine. He is one of a handful of lawyers in Canada who have been admitted as a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. In 2022, Andy was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal recognizing his significant contributions to the Province of Alberta. In 2024, the Canadian Bar Association awarded Andy with the Distinguished Service Award for service to the legal profession in promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Andy serves as an educator through speaking and teaching engagements both locally and internationally. Internationally he has delivered legal education in countries such as Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Kenya, and the United States, where the focus has been primarily on high net worth international family law issues. He has been a faculty member at the National Judicial Institute, which provides legal education to judges across Canada. Andy has also delivered legal education to lawyers, judges and psychologists through the Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts and the Federation of Canadian Law Societies. Closer to home, he has acted as faculty and chaired seminars through the Legal Education Society of Alberta, the Advocates’ Society and the Alberta branch of the Canadian Bar Association.

Nathan Herrmann, MD, FRCP©

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Ontario

Dr. Herrmann is a graduate of the University of Toronto, having obtained his MD in 1983, and his FRCP(C) in psychiatry in 1988. Dr. Herrmann is an Affiliate scientist, with the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, at Sunnybrook Research Institute, one of the world’s premier academic medical research centres, renowned for its work in medical imaging, biology, and clinical evaluative sciences. SRI is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and dedicated to advancing health care through pioneering research and partnerships that translate scientific discoveries into clinical practice. Dr. Herrmann was appointed as the Head, division of geriatric psychiatry, department of psychiatry, at the U of T from 1995 to 2005. He is currently a Professor, in the department of psychiatry, faculty of medicine, at the U of T.

The main foci of Dr. Herrmann’s research are clinical neuropharmacology and geriatric psychiatry. Dr. Herrmann’s major contributions to neuroscience research are in the areas of the clinical pharmacology of dementia (treatment of behavioural disturbances and cognition), post-stroke depression and the pharmacotherapy of late-life affective disorders. He has published numerous studies on the pharmacotherapy of behavioural disturbances in dementia that involve the use of novel agents, which attempt to determine the underlying neurobiology of these disorders. He has also participated in studies of post-stroke depression examining its neuroimaging and biological correlates.

In addition, he has published studies, reviews and guidelines on the management of depression and bipolar illness in late-life, and has participated in psychopharmacology projects on drug-drug interactions and adverse events. Dr. Herrmann’s extensive publications can be found on the PubMed website.

The Honourable Justice Andrea Himel

Superior Court of Justice

Ontario

Justice Andrea Himel is a graduate of the joint Law and Social Work program at the University of Toronto, and sits as a Unified Family Court judge in Newmarket. Previously Andrea was a sole practitioner with a solution-focused mediation and family law practice, and a Dispute Resolution Officer (Toronto and Hamilton). She was a Board Member (adjudication and mediation) with the Social Justice Tribunal (Child and Family Services Review Board). Andrea was a duty counsel and a panel lawyer with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, as well as a child protection mediator.

From 2000 – 2008, Andrea was an associate in the family law department of Torkin Manes LLP in Toronto. Andrea is a Past-President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – Ontario Chapter, and a past co-chair of the AFCC-O Annual Conference, and Research & Policy Committee. She held a variety of positions with the Board of Directors of AFCC-O from 2012 to 2018. Andrea was actively involved in the development of the AFCC-O Parenting Guide and Template.

Andrea has presented at various family law programs and has published several articles in the Canadian Family Law Quarterly, Money and Family Law, and the Family Court Review. In 2021, the AFCC-O named Andrea as the recipient of the Dena Moyal Distinguished Service Award.

Shelley Hounsell, K.C.

Presse Mason

Nova Scotia

Shelley Hounsell, K.C. has 26 years of experience practicing family law, including legal education and dispute resolution. Her clients include people with local and international family law issues, many of whom are business owners and have related wealth. She is passionate about legal education and policy development, and she regularly collaborates with provincial and national advisory groups on law reform.

Currently she is the secretary for the IFAL Canadian Chapter, and a member of the international committees with a focus on Sexual Orientation and Gender and Family Violence. For almost 10 years she has been involved nationally with the Canadian Bar Association National Family Law Section, and in this role, she has led discussions on law reform and responses to legislation before Parliament and the Senate.

Shelley often presents at international and national conferences, and recent conferences include: the ISFL conference (Antwerp, Belgium), the ABA fall conference (Montreal, QP), and within Canada at the National Family Law Program and the NS annual CBA conference. Shelley is an adjunct professor at the Schulich School of Law where she teaches child protection law, and family law, business, and estates. She works at the law firm of Pressé Mason in Bedford, NS.

Professor Claire Houston

Faculty of Law, Western University

Ontario

Dr. Claire Houston is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law at Western University where she teaches and researches in family law and children’s law. She has published articles on high conflict separation, intimate partner violence, spousal support, and children’s health care decision-making. Her research has been supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Law Foundation of Ontario, and Western University. Professor Houston was the 2021 recipient of the Western Law Dean’s Research Fellowship for her project on spousal support for men. She is co-editor (with Mary Jo Maur and Nicholas Bala) of the casebook Family Law: Text, Cases, Materials and Notes, 10th edition. Professor Houston has been recognized with the Western Law Award for Teaching Excellence (2024) and Western University Marilyn Robinson Award for Excellence in Teaching (2025). Professor Houston completed her SJD at Harvard Law School, where she was a Byse Teaching Fellow and Julius B. Richmond Fellow at Harvard University’s Centre on the Developing Child. She also holds an LL.B. from Queen’s University and a BA (Hons) from Trent University. She articled at the Ontario Office of the Children’s Lawyer before clerking for Justices Goudge, Laskin, Rosenberg, and Simmons of the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Tina Huizinga

Tina Huizinga PC

Alberta

Despite having no lawyers in her family, Tina resolved at age 5 to become a lawyer, much to the bafflement of her parents. In law school the plan was to be a Crown Prosecutor, but alas, the government declined to co-operate with that plan, leading to articles at a general firm, where she was exposed to all areas.

Tina’s early practice involved family, criminal, employment and civil litigation. She commenced solely practicing in the area of family law in 2007, with a special interest in appellate work, and ultimately arbitration of family disputes. She has appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

She became a nationally certified arbitrator in 2015, and is a designated Chartered Arbitrator through ADRIC.

She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2022.

Tina has chaired numerous LESA panels, and presented for both LESA and the CBA over the years. She was a sessional instructor for Techniques in Negotiations at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law for 5 years, and has guest lectured numerous times for other courses. She has been a volunteer instructor with CPLED, teaching oral advocacy, and was an instructor at the Intensive Trial Advocacy course.

Tina believes that mediation, using combined interest-based and evaluative methods, are a better path for families to resolve their disputes in a timely and cost-effective way. Her focus is on finding creative solutions to complex issues that may not be possible in a traditional litigation model, and providing the parties with options for resolution to consider. She equally understands that sometimes agreement is not always possible, and arbitration is sometimes required. As a result of that, she is winding up her litigation practice to solely conduct mediations and arbitrations.

Fareen Jamal

Jamal Family Law Professional Corporation

Ontario

Fareen practices family and estate litigation at Jamal Family Law Professional Corporation in Oakville, Ontario. She has assisted clients with significant assets, complex property protection needs, multi-jurisdictional holdings, interests in family businesses, and interjurisdictional abductions.

Fareen is sensitive to the emotional aspects of separation, gives priority to the children's well-being, and is practical in her approach. She strives to achieve results quickly and efficiently. Her effective negotiation skills and persuasive advocacy bring value to her clients as she successfully represents them both in and out of court.

As a trained professional in Collaborative Family Law, Fareen is also a member of both Collaborative Practice Toronto and the Peel/Halton Collaborative Family Law Association. She values Collaborative Family Law for preserving the dignity of the parties and the ongoing parenting partnership.

Fareen serves as a Deputy Judge in Milton and Burlington and is an accredited mediator through OAFM.

Fareen served as the Chair on the Ontario Bar Association's Family Law Section in 2017-2018 and was a board member of the Ismaili Conciliation and Arbitration Board from July 2012 to 2019. Fareen completed her Masters in Law, specializing in Family Law, in 2012, and was the 2014 recipient of the OBA Young Lawyers Award.

Fareen was a member of the Family Law Rules Committee from 2017 to 2024 and is co-chair of the Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer since 2018.

Zahra Jenab

Zahra Jenab & Company, Law Corp

British Columbia

Zahra Jenab received her Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the University of British Columbia in 1994. She established her own practice in April 2000 on the North Shore of Vancouver, BC, where she continues to work and live.

Zahra’s interest in non-adversarial resolution of legal issues, and her commitment to removing the barriers for access to justice, run deep. Her training in mediation, arbitration, and collaborative divorce provides her with the tools that she needs in assisting clients to reach the best possible solutions in family law situations. She has been accredited by the Law Society of BC as a family law mediator, arbitrator and parenting coordinator. She is also a member of the Mediate BC Family (Parenting) Roster and Child Protection Roster, and the BC Hear the Child Society Roster.

Zahra is keenly aware of the cultural differences that often play a significant role in conflict resolution. She has had the privilege of volunteering in a number of different organizations, and has presented workshops for numerous multicultural organizations, assisting immigrants to Canada to have a better grasp of the Canadian legal system and culture. Her knowledge of the Farsi language and her experience with cultural and legal issues allows her to overcome cultural barriers and provide legal services tailored to her clients’ specific needs. Throughout the years, she has been actively involved in numerous cultural and social associations. Zahra is a past director of the Iranian Women’s Cultural Society, North Shore Women’s Centre, Access Pro Bono, and North Shore Bar Association. She is currently the Chair of the BC Hear the Child Society, and on the board of the West Vancouver Foundation, and Civic Association of Iranian Canadians. In 2017, Zahra was honoured to be a recipient of a Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.

Kelly Jordan

Kelly D. Jordan Family Law Firm

Ontario

Principal Lawyer and Mediator with Kelly D. Jordan Family Law Firm in Toronto, Ontario. Practises in the areas of family and fertility law, wills and estates. Certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the LSO. Accredited Family Mediator (OAFM). Adjunct Professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law. Particular expertise in family law issues pertaining to the gay and lesbian community and assisted human reproduction. Past Fellow of the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys. Co-counsel in Baker v. Francis (1999) and Miglin v. Miglin (2002) before the Supreme Court of Canada. Past Chair of the Ontario and Canadian Bar Association, Family Law Sections. Co-Chair of the LSO Family Law Summit since 2018. Past Member of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. Frequent lecturer and author on issues pertaining to family and fertility law. Co-author of Canadian Family and Immigration Law in 2015 for Carswell. Contributing author to Property and Support Rights and Obligations Under Ontario Family Law for Canada Law Book, Contracts for the Family Law Client for Canada Law Book, and to LGBTQ2+ Law: Practice Issues and Analysis for Emond Publishing. Contributing editor to Wilson on Children and the Law for Lexis Nexis on assisted reproduction. Named as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada and as a Lexpert. Graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School 1993. Called to the Ontario Bar 1995.

The Honourable Justice Sherry Kachur

Court of King’s Bench of Alberta

Alberta

Justice Kachur obtained a LL.B. from the University of Alberta in 1991. Sherry was trained as a family law practitioner during her articling time with a medium sized firm in British Columbia and subsequently called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1992. Shortly after her return to her home province, she was called to the Bar of Alberta and again practiced at a medium sized law firm. While calling herself a "general practitioner" at the time, she predominantly practiced family law until she jointed the firm of Turnbull Boyes, at which point she started practicing family law exclusively. During practice, Justice Kachur was a certified mediator and arbitrator, was an executive member of the Calgary Bar Association and was appointed as Queen's Counsel in 2012. Justice Kachur has been an instructor at the Alberta Bar Admission course and numerous Legal Education Society of Alberta events. She has presented at the Federation of Law Societies’ National Family Law Program, Canadian Bar Association events and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants Investigative and Forensic Accounting Conference. Access to justice, particularly as it relates to family matters, has been an important part of her career. She has been a volunteer at the Calgary Women’s Centre and has served as dispute resolution officer prior to her appointment to the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta in 2020.

Shelly Kalra

Kalra Family Law

Ontario

Shelly Kalra has been a family lawyer in Toronto for over 17 years, handling complex legal matters from parenting disputes to assessing complicated financial issues arising from a separation. After earning her law degree from Queen’s University and being called to the bar in 2008, she honed her expertise at leading law firms in Toronto before founding Kalra Family Law in 2018.

Recognized for its outstanding growth, Kalra Family Law ranked #162 on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies in 2024, and ranked #19 on The Globe and Mail’s list of Top Women-Led Companies in Canada for 2024, underscoring Shelly’s leadership and impact in the legal industry.

At the core of Kalra Family Law is a commitment to diversity and inclusion, both in representation and hiring. The firm actively fosters an environment where individuals from all backgrounds receive equitable legal advocacy, ensuring every client’s unique circumstances are understood and effectively championed. Under Shelly’s leadership, Kalra Family Law prioritizes culturally competent legal solutions while also ensuring diversity within its team by hiring lawyers and staff from a wide range of backgrounds to reflect and support the communities it serves.

Her approach to family law is defined by open communication, strategic problem-solving, and a results-oriented focus. Whether through mediation or litigation, she ensures that every client benefits from tailored guidance designed to secure their future.

Imran Kamal

Ontario Court of Justice

Ontario

Associate Justice Kamal is a distinguished legal professional recognized for his expertise in constitutional and Indigenous law, community leadership, and advocacy. He was called to the bar in 2013, and earned his LLM from Osgoode Hall. Since then he has mentored students, lectured at Toronto Metropolitan University, and co-developed curricula for family law programs. He has been acknowledged as one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers and honoured with awards for his work with Indigenous communities and mental health advocacy. Justice Kamal’s commitment extends to grassroots initiatives, including founding Hamilton Lawyers Feed the Hungry and serving on various legal and community boards.

With over nine years of recovery, Justice Kamal is a dedicated advocate for mental health and addiction awareness, openly sharing his journey to destigmatize these issues within the legal profession. He has played significant roles in forming the Indigenous Resource Group at CCAS, co-chairing the Indigenous Child Welfare Collaborative, and leading the creation of the first Indigenous Child Welfare “Court” of the Superior Court of Justice Ontario.

Emma Katz

Kelly D. Jordan Family Law Firm

Ontario

Emma Katz is a Partner with Kelly Jordan Family Law Firm, in Toronto, Ontario. She was called to the Bar in 2013. Emma practices in all aspects of family law and fertility law including litigation involving the intersection of those areas. Emma is the current Vice Chair of the OBA Family Law Executive. Emma is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the legal aid clinic, Justice for Children and Youth. After practicing civil litigation at a boutique firm for four years, Emma transitioned into practicing family law and joined Kelly Jordan in 2018. Emma completed her Juris Doctor at Osgoode Hall Law School, during which time she spent one semester working at Parkdale Community Legal Services. Emma contributed to the family law chapter in new edition of Death of a Taxpayer. She also contributed to writing resources regarding decision-making responsibility and parenting time for Family Law Education for Women.

Tanya Keller

Amica Law Corporation

Manitoba

Tanya was called to the bar in 2009 and is a Partner at Amica Law Corporation, a boutique family law firm of nine lawyers. She has been active in the community and enjoys volunteering for various organizations, including the Manitoba Bar Association where she was the co-chair of the Law Day Committee (2017-2019), Co Chair of the Women Lawyer’s Forum (2017-2018), became a council member of the Manitoba Bar Association in 2017, an Executive Committee member in 2019, and the President of the Manitoba Bar Association (2022-2023). Tanya donates her time to various other community organizations. She enjoys mentoring law students, coaching them in their moot, and one of her favorite volunteer activities is supervising the drop-in clinics at the Legal Help Centre. She also enjoys contributing her time and support to the Community Legal Education Association (CLEA).

Cheri Killam

Nova Scotia Legal Aid

Nova Scotia

Cheri Killam graduated from Dalhousie Schulich School of Law in 2013 and was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2014. After four years of private practice in rural Nova Scotia, she joined Nova Scotia Legal Aid in 2018.

Cheri's main area of practice is Family Law, but she also practices in the area of Adult Protection and the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act.

She is a member of the Kings County Barrister's Society, a Legal Aid Family Law Committee Member, and a Legal Aid Indigenous Law Committee Member. She also sits on the Research Ethics Board of Acadia University.

Cheri is a single mother to three adult children, who she considers the greatest accomplishments of her life.

Shannan Knutson

British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General

British Columbia

Shannan Knutson is legal counsel with the Family Policy Legislation and Transformation Division of the Justice Services Branch in the BC Ministry of Attorney General. She has been working with the ministry on issues related to family policy and legislation since 2007.

Shannan’s interest in family law and dispute resolution began while studying law at the University of Saskatchewan. She practiced family law in Saskatoon and then in Victoria, before deciding to shift from private practice to the public service.

To prepare for a career in public policy, Shannan completed a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in dispute resolution at the University of Victoria. In addition to her work on legal policy and law reform with the provincial government, Shannan has also worked on law reform projects internationally with UNICEF and with non-governmental organizations providing dispute resolution services.

Vanessa Lam

Lam Family Law

Ontario

Vanessa is the principal and founder of Lam Family Law, a fully-remote firm assisting lawyers across Ontario. She has focused on providing family law lawyers with litigation and dispute resolution strategies and research-related services since 2012. She also works directly with select litigants on appeal files.

As a strategic legal advisor and research lawyer, Vanessa combines her traditional experience in private practice, her love for research, and her past experience as a judicial law clerk and in public legal information and education.

Amanda Lindberg, KC

Bruyer & Mackay LLP

Alberta

Amanda aspires to be a trusted advisor to her clients. Her goal is to support her clients through one of the most challenging, emotionally trying, and confusing periods of their lives so that they can make informed decisions to have the best relationships they can have with their children and families. An out-of-court resolution is preferred but when that is not possible, Amanda has years of litigation experience.

Prior to the return to the practice of family law in 2016, Amanda led a diverse litigation practice, representing individuals and companies in a wide variety of litigation matters including construction, corporate, employment, and personal injury matters. She also has experience with estate and real estate litigation. Since returning, Amanda obtained her collaborative family law practitioner designation and was designated King’s Counsel in 2024.

As a past Branch President, Amanda remains active with the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Branch. Amanda is a member of the Governance Committee for the Zebra Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, and organizes pop-up legal clinics throughout the year with Norwood Child & Family Resource Centre. Amanda has previously been an instructor of bar admission program teaching Professional Ethics, Negotiations, Client Interviewing, and litigation-focused modules. She has also been a LESA faculty member.

In her down time, in addition to spending her time at the local ice rinks supporting her children, Amanda is an avid camper and loves a good road trip, along with backyard fires, good food, great wine, and the company of friends and family.

Meghan Luft

HMC Lawyers LLP

Ontario

Meghan graduated from Dalhousie University - Schulich School of Law in 2023 and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2024, after articling with HMC Lawyers LLP where she has since remained.

Meghan has appeared before all levels of court in Alberta. While Meghan practiced a combination of family and civil litigation in her early years, she quickly realized her passion for family, which she now exclusively practices. Meghan thrives to employ an empathic but realistic approach to her files and loves that every case is different in family law.

Outside of her practice, Meghan enjoys running (when she hasn’t managed to hurt herself), hiking and painting.

Jessica MacDonald

WK Family Lawyers LLP

Alberta

Jessica was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she attended the University of British Columbia and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 2010. She relocated to Alberta for law school and has remained in Alberta ever since.

Jessica is passionate about the practice of family law. She has been practicing exclusively in the area of family law since 2016 with WK Family Lawyers. Prior to that, Jessica worked at another Calgary law firm and had the opportunity to practice in the areas of family law, personal injury and civil litigation. She has experience appearing at all levels of Alberta’s Courts (Provincial Court, Court of King’s Bench and Court of Appeal), as well as attending at Mediations and Arbitrations.

Jessica’s background and experience provide her with a unique perspective and approach to the many complex issues that family law clients face. She diligently works with her clients to reach favourable results that are specific to their needs. Jessica has always been an active member of her community. She has been a long-term volunteer with Calgary Legal Guidance and Student Legal Assistance. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and taking her dog for walks.

Michelle MacKay

Bruyer & Mackay LLP

Alberta

Michelle obtained her law degree from the University of Alberta. She was called to the bar in 2001 and has only practiced family law.

Michelle became a partner at Gordon Zwaenepoel in 2003 and has remained as partner in that firm, which is currently known as Bruyer & Mackay LLP.

Michelle began conducting mediations in 2020 and arbitrations in 2022.

Michelle has presented for both LESA and the CBA over the years. She was a sessional instructor for Techniques in Negotiations at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law for 6 years, and a sessional instructor for Family Law for 15 years. She has been a volunteer instructor with CPLED, teaching oral advocacy. In addition, Michelle taught the PAS course and was a CSR officer for many years.

Michelle believes that people are at the heart of all family matters. The role of a lawyer is to resolve issues and recognize the intricacies of human thought and emotion that drive perspective.

Dr. Karen MacNeill, PhD, RPsyc, CMPC

Mental Performance Consultant, Psychologist, Coach, Speaker

Alberta

Dr. Karen MacNeill is a mental performance consultant, psychologist, coach, and professional speaker with over 20 years of experience. She’s passionate about helping Olympians, business leaders, and organizations unleash their highest potential and shine when it matters most.

Dr. Karen has the unique experience of having competed and consulted on the world stage. She represented Team Canada as an athlete for over a decade and has worked with athletes at the last five Olympic Games. Most recently, she was the lead Mental Performance and Mental Health Consultant supporting Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics in Korea, 2020 Olympics in Japan, and the 2022 Olympics in China.

Her dynamic, dependable approach combined with her elite sport experience and understanding of corporate environments is an unmatched asset to any leader and organization. This knowledge has equipped Dr. Karen to impact multiple Fortune 500 companies, helping leaders and their teams excel and be well in turbulent times. She’s a recipient of Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, the Women of Inspiration Game Changer Award, and Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award.

Dr. Karen will inspire you with engaging stories and share tactics on how to cultivate the freedom to perform.

Adam Marofke

Miles Davison LLP

Alberta

A born and raised Calgarian, Adam completed his schooling in French immersion. After returning from a year of studying political science in Aix-en-Provence, France, Adam was inspired to apply to Law School. After graduation, he articled with Miles Davison LLP in 2015, where he joined the partnership in 2026. Adam has conducted trials in both the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and participated in numerous private arbitration hearings. Adam is also passionate about access to justice. Throughout law school he worked as a case worker for Student Legal Assistance and continues to volunteer with Calgary Legal Guidance today. Adam previously presented at the NFLP in 2024.

Adam escapes the demands of family law by spending time in the Rocky Mountains with his wife, son, and golden doodle. A lifelong hobby musician, Adam is a former champion of the Calgary Bar Association’s Great Bar Band Battle, playing guitar for the band Harvey and the Specters.

Timothy Martin, CPA, CA, CBV, CFF

Verity Valuation Group

Ontario

Tim Martin is a Chartered Business Valuator and Chartered Professional Accountant, with nearly 20 years of experience specializing in business valuation and litigation support services. Tim is a founding partner of Verity Valuation Group, a Toronto-based business valuation firm. He is the contributing editor for The Financial Principles of Family Law and the annual edition of The Tax Principles of Family Law and is a frequent speaker on topics of accounting and business valuation to law firms, the Ontario Bar Association, Osgoode Hall Professional Development, and the National Judicial Institute.

A large portion of Tim’s practice focuses on valuation and related financial issues in high net worth, high conflict family law matters. Tim has authored expert reports concerning issues that include business valuations, income calculations, asset tracing, and loss quantification. He has been qualified as an expert and has testified before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and in private arbitration. He has also attended and assisted in numerous mediation and other private settlement proceedings.

Professor Mary-Jo Maur

Queen's University

Ontario

Mary-Jo Maur is an Associate Professor at Queen's University Faculty of Law, where she has taught since 2004.

She teaches Family Law, Ethics, Civil Procedure, Torts, and occasionally Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Mary-Jo co-authors Family Law: Text, Cases, Materials and Notes, 11th ed, along with Nicholas Bala and Claire Houston. She has also written several articles on Tort remedies for domestic violence and procedural issues in family law. She is a frequent speaker at conferences for the profession and for the judiciary.

She is most proud of being Nick Bala's favourite student.

Kristy Maurina

MacDonald & Partners LLP

Ontario

Kristy Maurina is a partner at MacDonald & Partners LLP, where she has practiced family law exclusively since 2008. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2007 and previously obtained a Double Honours B.A., with Distinction, from the University of Windsor.

Kristy’s practice includes all areas of family law, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation, with a particular focus on matters involving international child abduction, including Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention cases, as well as jurisdictional issues.

She appears in court regularly, including at the Ontario Superior Court, Divisional Court, and Court of Appeal. Kristy has numerous reported decisions at various levels of court in Ontario, several of which are published in the Ontario Reports. She has provided expert opinion evidence on Ontario family law in court proceedings in London, England, and has been consulted on family matters in Paris, France, and other jurisdictions in England.

Kristy has presented at numerous continuing legal education programs on family law topics, including the Family Law Summit and the National Family Law Conference. She has been interviewed and quoted in family law articles by the National Post, Toronto Star, The Lawyer’s Daily, and Law Times. She was a regular guest speaker on Global News Radio and, most recently, appeared on a National Bank of Canada podcast discussing domestic contracts. Kristy is a member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, the Advocates Society, and has served on the OBA Executive. She is a contributing author to the Family Law Litigation Handbook and has authored numerous papers for CPD programs and other professional platforms.

Kristy serves as the articling principal at MacDonald & Partners LLP, running the student program and mentoring the firm’s articling students, second-year law students, and associates.

Her personal interests include snowboarding, wake surfing, travel, crosswords, piano, and all outdoor activities.

The Honourable Justice Heather McGee

Superior Court of Justice (Ontario)

Ontario

Justice McGee of the Ontario Superior Court, Brampton, was appointed in May 2009 to the Family Court Branch of the Superior Court in Newmarket. She currently sits in the Central West Region as a generalist while serving as the lead family law judge responsible for the Brampton Dispute Resolution Officer program and the Child and Youth Inclusive Mediation Pilot.

Before her appointment, Justice McGee was a partner at a family law firm in Markham, Ontario. She served as President of the York Region Law Association, was a Practice Reviewer for the Law Society of Ontario, and held the position of President of the Ontario Bar Association in 2005. She helped establish and continues to judge at the annual Walsh Moot Negotiation Competition, a province-wide family law competition for law students.

Justice McGee frequently speaks at judicial and legal education programs, focusing on the intersections of family law and technology, domestic violence, evidence, and estates law. She serves on the AFCC Ontario Board and is on the faculty for the annual National Judicial Institute Evidence Workshop.

Regan McGrath

Get Metrics

British Columbia

Regan McGrath is the founding partner and CEO of Metrics Chartered Professional Accounting where she has grown the firm into a national leader in the cryptocurrency space and leads the CFO services business. Regan has over 10 years experience working in financial strategy with small investment funds and high growth companies, ranging from small startups to publicly traded companies on global exchanges.

Regan holds her Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, CPA CA from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants , and her Certification in Fintech and the Future Commerce and her Certification in Applied Business Analytics from MIT Sloan School of Management. She is also a published writer and an educator for CPA professional development on topics of blockchain, crypto taxation, AI and the future of work.

Regan is the recipient of awards from Greater Victoria Chamber Commerce and CPABC for her work at Metrics, in entrepreneurialism and within the community. She currently sits as a Director for CPABC and is the Chair for the Canadian Blockchain Consortium's Digital Asset Taxation Committee.

Ryan McNeil

Lerners LLP

Ontario

Ryan McNeil is a Partner in the Family Law Group at Lerners LLP. He has extensive experience handling complex support and property matters both inside and outside the courtroom. Ryan has acted as counsel in several high-profile and precedent-setting cases and is skilled at managing high-conflict situations while achieving practical family law resolutions.

He has published numerous articles on emerging trends in family law, including contributions featured in the National Post. With a long-standing interest in international law, Ryan is particularly drawn to cases with inter-jurisdictional or international components.

Ryan is an active member of the family law bar in Ontario and has been recognized by his peers in the Best Lawyers in Canada rankings, the Doyles Guide, and Post City Magazine for his client-focused approach.

Casey McQueen

HMC Lawyers LLP

Alberta

Casey is an associate with HMC Lawyers LLP, and practices family law exclusively. Casey completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Calgary and her Juris Doctor at Thompson Rivers University, and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2018. Casey has appeared before all levels of Court in Alberta, and has a particular interest in parenting. Casey’s practice focuses on finding efficient and cost-effective solutions for clients, which includes alternative dispute resolution and litigation practices. She also offers services as a Mediator.

Casey volunteers as a Supervising Lawyer with Pro Bono Students Canada - Calgary Chapter to assist with their projects for Mamas for Mamas (Calgary Branch).

During her spare time, Casey enjoys running, indoor cycling, hot yoga and spending time with family and friends. She has two young daughters who keep her busy when she’s not in the office!

Meghann Melito

MacDonald & Partners LLP

Ontario

Meghann holds a Juris Doctor from Queen’s Law School (2014) and has appeared as counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada (2024), as well as regularly at the Ontario Court of Appeal, Superior Court of Justice, and Ontario Court of Justice. She specializes in international child abduction and international jurisdictional issues.

Meghann holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International and European Business Law from Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, France (2013), and a B.A. (with Distinction) in International Development Studies from McGill University. She has also completed the Canadian Securities Course, Conduct and Practices Handbook Course, and Canadian Insurance Course at the Canadian Securities Institute.

Meghann has contributed to legal scholarship, drafting the second edition of the Ontario Chapter of Parenting Law and Practice in Canada (Thomson Reuters, 2020). She has presented at the 2024 National Family Law Program in Halifax, the 18th Family Law Summit (2024), and the Osgoode Program on Recent Developments in Advanced and Complex Issues in Property and Equalization (2023).

Outside of her legal practice, Meghann volunteers at The Women’s Centre of Halton (2022–present), serves as Vice President of Centre Éducatif Éveil Aux Savoirs, and is a Board Member of the Canadian Advisory Committee for Neuchatel Junior College in Switzerland. She was also an Ontario Bar Association Member-at-Large for the Family Law Section in 2019.

Maria Mitousis

Mitousis Family Law Group

Manitoba

Maria is a recognized leader in family law, named one of The Best Lawyers™ in Canada in 2023. Her firm, MFLG (formerly Mitousis Lemieux Howard Law Corporation), was selected as one of Canada’s top family law firms by the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business in 2021.

Maria is deeply committed to giving back to the legal community. She has volunteered with the Legal Help Centre and the Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre, mentors law students, serves as an elected member of Council for the Manitoba Bar Association, sits on the executive committee of the MBA’s Family Law Section, and represents Manitoba on the Canadian Bar Association’s Wellbeing Subcommittee. She is also co-instructor of the Advanced Family Law Course at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, and a past instructor with the Continuing Professional Legal Education Program.

Maria actively promotes wellness and mental health awareness within the legal profession. She has spoken at national conferences, including the National Family Law Program, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2020 Manitoba Bar Association Community Involvement Award, the 2015 MBA President’s Award of Excellence, and the 2020 Women in Law Leadership Stronger Together Award. She is a founding co-chair of Law(yer) Strong, Manitoba’s peer support program for lawyers.

Jeremy Morley, JD

The Law Office of Jeremy D. Morley International Family Law

New York

Jeremy D. Morley was admitted to the New York Bar in 1975 and specializes in international family law. His firm serves clients worldwide from its New York office, leveraging a global network of local counsel.

Mr. Morley is the author of International Family Law Practice, a leading U.S. treatise updated annually, and The Hague Abduction Convention: Practical Issues and Procedures for Family Lawyers, published by the American Bar Association. He is a member of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the former co-chair of the International Family Law Committee of the ABA’s International Law Section.

Born in Manchester, England, Mr. Morley has taught law in the U.S., Canada, and England. He frequently lectures on international child abduction and other international family law topics to the judiciary, bar associations, and legal audiences, and is often called as an expert witness in cases involving international child abduction. He has also appeared extensively in print, radio, and television media discussing international divorce and child abduction issues.

Seamus Murphy

Nova Scotia Legal Aid - Yarmouth

Nova Scotia

Seamus Murphy was called to the bar in Nova Scotia in 2018, after having been a lawyer in Ontario since 2014. He is the managing lawyer of the Yarmouth office of Nova Scotia Legal Aid, and he is the co-chair of the CFSA committee at Nova Scotia Legal Aid. His practice mainly consists of general family and child protection files.

Christine Murray

Cassels Murray Family and Estates Law

British Columbia

Christine is a founding partner of Cassels Murray, Family and Estates Law. She practises exclusively in the areas of family law as an advocate and a mediator. Christine is experienced in all aspects of family law including litigation, mediation, arbitration, settlement negotiation and agreement preparation.

Throughout her career, Christine has continued her professional development with ongoing training in a wide variety of family law areas and has been a presenter at many continuing legal education courses on topics including property division, support, discovery, family trusts and mediation.

Christine has taught family law at the University Victoria Faculty and has taught at the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard Faculty of Law. She is accredited by the Law Society of British Columbia as both a Family Law Mediator and Family Law Arbitrator.

A graduate of the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta Faculty of Law (2008), Christine clerked with the Provincial Court of Alberta. She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association and the Victoria Bar Association.

Outside of the office, Christine enjoys running outdoors, playing tennis and spending time with her family.

Brad Mustard, B.A, L.L.B., L.L.M., K.C.

Moe Hannah LLP

Alberta

Brad acts as a Mediator, Arbitrator, and Family lawyer. He is a senior partner with the Family Law firm of Moe Hannah LLP in Calgary, Alberta. Brad received his LLB at the University of Alberta and completed his Master's in Law (LLM) in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Law School. Brad is passionate about family law and dispute resolution and is regularly invited to speak on the subject. He taught the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law Negotiation course and presented for the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) on Advanced Family Law, Negotiation, Arbitration, Mediation, and Dispute Resolution.

Krysta Ostwald, K.C.

Jones Divorce & Family Law

Alberta

Krysta’s practice primarily focuses on acting as mediator and/or arbitrator in family law disputes. Krysta’s goal is to resolve disputes without unnecessary conflict.

Krysta has extensive mediation training, has completed the ADRIA Arbitration course and has been an instructor for many courses, including NJI, NFLP and LESA.

Krysta has been named by the Canadian Legal Lexpert ® Directory and Woodward White Inc. as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada every year since 2006. She has been on the Organizing Committee for the National Family Law Program run by the Federation of Law Societies since 2009.

Krysta has completed the Meeting with Children Training taught by Dr. Lorri A. Yasenik PhD and Jonathan M. Graham LLB (Yasenik-Graham.com) and conducts child focused mediation/arbitrations when requested. Krysta’s latest passion project is https://twohomesoneheart.ca , a non-profit she started with Andrea LaRochelle supporting kids and teens while going through their parents separation.

Taylor Page

KPMG Law

Alberta

Taylor maintains a general corporate transactional practice aimed towards targeted and strategic solutions in the transactional and reorganizational tax sphere. Her client experience ranges from large private and public corporations, private equity and investment funds and multinational corporations, to owner-managed businesses and non-profit organizations. Taylor’s industry experience includes clientele in the mining and resource industry, renewables, technology companies, and institutional investors.

Taylor has been recognized as “One to Watch in Tax Law” by Best Lawyers (2023, 2024).  Her areas of expertise include Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Reorganizations, Private Equity, Tax Due Diligence, Tax Advisory Services and Cross-Border and International Tax Services.

Mira Pilch

Gottlieb Law Firm

Ontario

Mira was called to the bar in 1993 and has focused her practice on child protection law. She articled at the Official Guardian's Office and worked for various children’s aid societies, including 17 years at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.

Currently in private practice, Mira represents children, parents, extended family members, and children’s aid societies in child protection matters at all levels of court in Ontario and before the Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB).

In her personal time, Mira enjoys traveling and spending time with her two adult children, Jonah and Olivia, gaining a deeper appreciation of the challenges and rewards of parenting.

Lawrence Pinsky, KC

Taylor McCaffrey

Manitoba

Lawrence has practiced family law for over 27 years and is recognized for his excellence in the field.

He has been a strong advocate for family law reform both nationally and in Manitoba, including amendments to the Divorce Act and The Arbitration Act, which now provides for family arbitration.

Lawrence is a founder and the first President of FAMLI (Family Arbitration Mediation Legal Institute) and a founding member of NFLAC (National Family Law Arbitration Course). He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a peer-nominated Best Lawyer, and has lectured and published extensively on family law topics in Canada and the United States.

In addition to family law, Lawrence serves as a Human Rights Adjudicator in Manitoba, having been appointed and re-appointed to the position three times, and has authored several decisions in the area.

Shely Polak

Mackenzie Clinic

Ontario

Dr. Polak holds a Master of Social Work degree and a PhD from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. She is a registered social worker and has been awarded the designation of accredited family mediation (Acc.FM) by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation. Her mediation/negotiation training has included Harvard Law School’s Negotiation and Leadership Program.

Dr. Polak’s private practice provides specialized services related to families impacted by separation and divorce including: parenting plan evaluation (S.30 assessments), family mediation, reintegration therapy, voice of the child reports, parenting coordination, and therapeutic services for children and families impacted by divorce.

Her doctoral research focused on the practice of reintegration therapy for children who resist parental contact post-separation. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters on topics related to separated/divorced families involved with the court system. She is a frequent presenter at national and international professional and academic conferences in the area of high conflict separation/divorce and parent-child contact problems. Dr. Polak is a past speaker at the Family Law Summit, the Six Minute Family Law Lawyer, and the Association for Family and Conciliation Courts.

Dr. Polak was the recipient of the Nicolas Bala Award for Excellence in Children & Family Law in October 2016. She is a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers, Ontario Association of Social Workers, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the Ontario Association of Family Mediators. She is Past President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Ontario Chapter.

Julia Principe, CPA, CBV

Cohen Hamilton Steger & Co

Ontario

Julia Principe is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV). She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce and her Graduate Diploma in Accounting from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in 2019. Julia is a Manager at CHS where she assists in services related to matrimonial matters, shareholder disputes, forensic investigations, and other casework involving the quantification of economic damages.

Julia is a frequent speaker on topics such as financial statements and tax returns, business valuations, and a range of other financial issues impacting family law practitioners.

Prior to joining CHS, Julia worked at a Big 4 accounting firm where she audited private companies in a wide variety of industries, including aircraft parts, property management, and shopping malls. She was the recipient of numerous awards for her hard-work and assistance on difficult files.

Julia is a Teaching Assistant at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University where she grades accounting cases for students working towards the Graduate Diploma in Accounting. She also tutors university students in advanced accounting and business courses.

Samantha Rapoport

Brown Henderson Melbye Family Law

British Columbia

Samantha Rapoport is a partner with Brown Henderson Melbye and a mother of two. She has focused her practice for nearly a decade on families, children, and seniors, seeking practical and cost-effective solutions to help clients navigate times of transition.

Sam is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of British Columbia, where she received the Dean of Arts Award and multiple academic scholarships. She mentors UVic law students and contributes to the community through legal advice and information initiatives.

Her experience spans all aspects of family law, including appearances in Provincial and Supreme Courts, as well as mediation and arbitration. She also has a strong interest in legal drafting, particularly for wealth preservation through pre-marital or cohabitation agreements and estate planning.

Sam assists clients with matters related to adoption, assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and relationship transitions, offering advice and representation tailored to each family’s needs.

Bailey Rivard, CPA, CA∙IFA, CBV, CFE, CFF

MNP LLP

Alberta

Bailey Rivard, CPA, CA∙IFA, CBV, CFE, CFF, is a partner in the Valuations, Forensics & Litigation Support Services groups at MNP LLP in Calgary and manages the firm’s Family Law Services. She has extensive experience working with the Family Law Bar in Alberta and on files in other provinces. Her expertise includes financial education for counsel and clients, business valuations, and forensic accounting related to income and support, family property division, exemption tracing, and allegations of hidden assets or diverted income. Bailey has authored expert reports and has been qualified as an expert in the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, Supreme Court of British Columbia, Social Security Tribunal, and private mediation and arbitration.

She has presented on a variety of topics for organizations including the Federation of Law Societies National Family Law Program, National Judicial Institute, Canadian Bar Association, Provincial Court of Alberta Judges Education Program, Western Canada Commercial Arbitration Society, Legal Education Society of Alberta, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, University of Calgary, and multiple law firms and professional organizations. Her presentations have focused on family law financial matters, the role of expert accountants, forensic accounting and financial investigations, and trust issues in legal matters.

Kurt Schlachter

Stringam Law

Alberta

Kurt E. Schlachter, KC, is the Chief Executive Officer of Stringam Law, a Western Canadian law firm with multiple offices across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Before taking on his full-time executive leadership role, Kurt was a family law practitioner for over 20 years, known for his practical, client-focused approach to complex matters. His extensive frontline experience in family law continues to inform his leadership perspective and commitment to excellence in client service delivery.

As CEO, Kurt is deeply involved in strategic leadership, firm governance and management, and the long-term sustainability of the legal profession. He is passionate about talent attraction and retention, modern practice models, and building healthy, high-performing legal workplaces that support both lawyers and staff. Kurt is also a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry, believing the profession must evolve to better reflect the communities it serves.

Kurt holds an ICD.D designation as a corporate director and has held numerous governance and leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors. He regularly speaks on law firm strategy, leadership, and the future of the legal industry.

Medina Shatz, KC

Vogel LLP

Alberta

Medina practices in the Family Law group at Vogel LLP. A zealous advocate, she has experience representing clients at the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, and the Alberta Court of Appeal. Medina’s extensive background uniquely positions her to assist clients in complex family law matters.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Medina spent 20 years as a social worker, giving her a deep understanding of the emotional and practical impact of family law matters on individuals and families.

In 2022, she was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in recognition of her legal expertise and contributions to the profession. Medina is also a trained Mediator/Arbitrator and a Registered Collaborative Family Lawyer. She recently completed the National Family Law Arbitration Course, enhancing her skills to handle complex family law disputes through alternative dispute resolution, and to advise clients on the most appropriate forum for their needs.

In her role as a Parenting Coordinator, Medina works with high-conflict families, assisting them in understanding and implementing their parenting plans effectively.

The Honourable Justice Stanley Sherr

Ontario Court of Justice

Ontario

Justice Sherr has presided in the Ontario Court of Justice (Family Court) at 47 Sheppard Ave. East, Toronto since 2005.

Justice Sherr graduated from the University of Windsor law school in 1979 and was called to the Bar in 1981.

Justice Sherr was a partner in the Toronto firm of Ulrich and Sherr from 1981- 2005. He was primarily a family law practitioner who specialized in child protection law.

Justice Sherr was a member of the Child Representation Panel for the Office of The Children’s Lawyer from 1987- 2005. He was involved in many capacities with the Toronto Supervised Access Program from 1991- 2003.

Justice Sherr frequently organizes and presents at continuing education programs for the bar and the judiciary across Canada. He has co-chaired the Intensive Child Protection Training Program for lawyers with Lorne Glass.

In 2018 Justice Sherr was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Association of Ontario Judges of the Ontario Court of Justice.

In 2020 Justice Sherr was the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association award for Excellence in Family Law in memory of James G. MacLeod.

In 2025, the Law Society of Ontario conferred a degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) upon Justice Sherr.

The Honourable Justice Lisa Silver

Court of King's Bench of Alberta

Alberta

Justice Lisa Silver was appointed to the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta in Calgary in 2023.

Justice Silver is a proud Calgarian, educator, and long-serving community volunteer. She earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario (1984), her LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School (1987), and her LLM from the University of Calgary (2001). She is a member of both the Ontario (1989) and Alberta (1998) bars.

She began her legal career in Toronto, articling and then practising criminal trial and appellate litigation with Brian Greenspan and David Humphrey. She argued hundreds of appeals before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. From 1999 to 2001, she served as a part-time presiding Justice of the Peace while simultaneously pursuing her LLM and running her own legal research practice. She also taught in the Justice Studies Department at Mount Royal University.

Justice Silver joined the University of Calgary Faculty of Law in 2016, teaching legislation, criminal law, and evidence law, and serving as director of the intensive advocacy course. She received the Howard Tidswell Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence (2016-2017) and the Student Union Award for Teaching Excellence (2021-2022). Her scholarly work spans sentencing, judicial decision making, admissibility of expert and social media evidence, and legal education. She is co-author of Criminal Law Defences, 5th Edition and maintained an award-winning law blog and podcast; one of her blog articles was the first criminal law blog cited in the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Silver has a longstanding commitment to community service and access to justice, including serving on the Board of Calgary Legal Guidance, reflecting her dedication to both the legal profession and public service.

Dr. Terry Singh, Ph.D., ABPP

Alberta Family Psychology

Alberta

Dr. Terry Singh is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist at Alberta Family Psychology in Calgary, Alberta. He regularly conducts therapeutic and evaluative interventions under Family Law Practice Notes 5, 7, and 8. His areas of special interest include working with high-conflict families of divorce and separation, child custody evaluation, and the assessment and treatment of severe and persistent psychopathology.

Dr. Singh is currently the Vice President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts’ Alberta Chapter, the Chair of the Canadian Psychological Association’s Family Psychology Section, and one of two Canadian Directors of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Michael Stangarone

MacDonald & Partners LLP

Ontario

Michael Stangarone is a partner at MacDonald & Partners, where he has developed expertise in international child abduction matters. He has extensive litigation experience and appears at all levels of court in Ontario. In December 2024, he appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada to clarify the test for determining a child’s habitual residence across Canada. Michael regularly presents at prominent conferences in both Canada and internationally, most recently presenting at the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) Annual Meeting and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts 62nd Annual Conference. His expertise makes him a leading voice in complex cross-border parenting issues.

Deborah Stewart

Deborah L. Stewart, Barrister, Family and Child Protection Mediator, Parenting Coordinator

Ontario

Deborah is an accredited Family Mediator (AccFM), fully accredited by the OAFM in Ontario, an Openness mediator, and a qualified parenting coordinator. She has conducted hundreds of mediations in the areas of child protection and openness, in addition to her general family mediation practice.

As child’s counsel through the Office of the Children’s Lawyer and as counsel for parents, Deborah has participated in many forms of ADR, including family mediation, child protection mediation, openness mediation, Family Group Conferences, and Indigenous ADR.

Deborah is a sole practitioner family law lawyer with over 40 years of experience, and for the past 25 years has focused almost exclusively on child protection. She represents parents, other family and community members in all aspects of child protection proceedings, and acts as Amicus in domestic and child protection cases. Much of her current practice involves child protection trials, either as sole counsel or in a senior mentor/second-chair capacity.

Deborah has been on the panel for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer for over 30 years and regularly represents children in child protection, custody/access, ADR, VYSA, and other matters. She is a member and former board member of the Ontario Association of Child Protection Lawyers (OACPL) and has offered mentorship for many years through the LAO mentor/mentee program, including guidance on child protection trials.

Her practice involves ADR and litigation across Ontario, though she is based in Toronto.

Stephanie Tabashneck

Harvard Law School

Boston, Mass

Dr. Stephanie Tabashneck is a forensic psychologist and attorney. She is a Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience at the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School and the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School. She is the Director of the CLBB NeuroLaw Library.

Dr. Tabashneck specializes in substance use issues, children and late adolescence, forensic evaluations, and expert testimony. Dr. Tabashneck is licensed to practice psychology in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and New Hampshire and licensed to practice law in Massachusetts.

Dr. Tabashneck presents regionally and nationally on psychology and law topics, including at events organized by the Federal Judicial Center, the Massachusetts Trial Courts, the New York Office of Attorneys for Children, the American Bar Association, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Tabashneck has served on the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee. She is the president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She is on the continuing education committee and conference committee of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She is a past council member of the American Bar Association, Family Law Section.

Dr. Tabashneck is the editor of the book Substance Use and Parenting: Best Practices for Family Court Practitioners. She is co-first author of the White Paper on the Science of Late Adolescence: A Guide for Judges, Attorneys, and Policy Makers.

Lance Talbot

Talbot Family Law

Ontario

Lance Talbot is a lawyer based in Sudbury, Ontario, practising primarily in family and child protection law, with a growing focus on criminal defence. He has extensive experience in child protection, parenting, and youth-related matters, and is a long-standing member of the panel of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer.

He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994 and holds a B.A. in History and Political Science and an M.A. in History from the University of Toronto, as well as an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School. After working in a range of legal and policy-related roles, he established his own law practice in 2003, which has since grown to include three lawyers and an articling student.

Originally from Sudbury, Lance is a former Crown ward of the Children’s Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin. His professional background includes legal research, public policy, and administrative law in Canada and briefly in the United Kingdom. He has served on the boards of several child- and youth-focused organizations and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO). After many years working and studying in Toronto, Ottawa, and London, U.K., he returned to practise law in Sudbury in 2017.

Hilary Taylor

Mitousis Family Law Group

Manitoba

Hilary was called to the bar in 2016 after articling with Legal Aid Manitoba. She has since built her practice as an associate at Mitousis Family Law Group in Winnipeg, where she works exclusively in family law and provides a full range of services, including litigation, Collaborative family law and mediation.

An active member of the Canadian and Manitoba Bar Associations (MBA), Hilary is the former Chair of the MBA’s Young Lawyers’ Section, and a member of Collaborative Practice Manitoba. She has coached University of Manitoba law students in family law appellate moots and negotiation competitions, and has taught family law at the Faculty of Law, where she continues to be a frequent guest lecturer. Hilary also serves on the National Family Law Negotiation Competition organizing committee. Hilary was honoured to be selected by her peers as one of the 2026 Best Lawyers: One to Watch in Canada™ in family law and is thrilled to be presenting at her first National Family Law Program with her co-presenters.

Leslie Taylor, JD

Vogel LLP

Alberta

Leslie is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, having obtained a Bachelor of Science with Honours Specialization in 2010. In 2012, she earned a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toronto. Leslie subsequently graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Calgary in 2018 and was admitted to the Law Society of Alberta in 2019.

She practices in Estate Litigation and Family Law, as well as assisting on complex Personal Injury matters. Leslie helps clients strategize, prepare for, and attend all types of hearings and dispute resolution processes, including mediations, arbitrations, questionings, chambers appearances, case conferences, pre-trial conferences, and trials. She has appeared before every level of the Alberta court system. Her Estate Litigation practice includes will challenges, questions of capacity and undue influence, attorney and agent matters, misappropriation of estate assets, and family maintenance and support claims. She is especially skilled in estate matters involving complex business and family disputes.

Leslie’s advocacy on estate, capacity, and litigation matters has resulted in several reported decisions, including Lloyd et al v de Walle et al, 2025 ABKB 290, Spady v Spady Estate, 2022 ABQB 591, and at the Alberta Court of Appeal, Lloyd v de Walle, 2022 ABCA 321. Notably, her experience with capacity issues predates her legal career, having previously worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist on a multidisciplinary team addressing and assessing capacity barriers for clients.

Leslie was Co-Author of the Alberta Limitations Manual, 2nd Ed. (Butterworths/LexisNexis) from 2022 to 2025 and Co-Author and Presenter for the Legal Education Society of Alberta on “Ways in Which Will-Drafting Lawyers Can Become Involved in Estate Litigation” in 2024. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers from 2024 to 2026 as a “One to Watch” in Canada in Family Law and Trusts and Estates.

Rollie Thompson, KC

Professor Emeritus, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University and Counsel, Epstein Cole LLP

Ontario

Professor, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, since 1982 (full professor 1992-2020, professor emeritus since 2020). Executive Director, Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, 1982-85 and 1991-94.

Counsel, Epstein Cole LLP, Toronto, since 2022.

Recipient of Dalhousie Law Alumni Association and Dalhousie Law Students Society Award for Teaching Excellence 2001-02. Recipient of the Vincent J. Pottier Award for Exceptional and Outstanding Contribution to Dalhousie Legal Aid Service (awarded in 2005). Appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2011. Recipient of Award for Teaching Excellence in the Osgoode Professional Ll.M., 2016. Recipient (with Carol Rogerson) of one of the AFCC-Ontario’s “10 in 10” 10th Anniversary Awards of Excellence in Family Justice 2018. Recipient of the Ontario Bar Association 2024 Award for Excellence in Family Law in Memory of James McLeod.

Editor of the Canadian Family Law Quarterly. Co-director (with Prof. Carol Rogerson), Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines Project, Department of Justice Canada 2001-2008. Editor of the Nova Scotia Civil Procedure Rules (LexisNexis).

On sabbatical 2006-07 at University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, taught Evidence. Also taught Child and Spousal Support course at Osgoode Hall Law School, Osgoode Professional Development, Family Law Ll.M. (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015).

Associate at Kitz, Matheson, Green & MacIsaac, Halifax, 1980-82. Member of N.S. Bar since 1980. Clerk to Justice Brian Dickson, Supreme Court of Canada, 1978-79. Economist, Nova Scotia Government, 1972-76 and Bank of Canada, 1971-72.

Ll.B. (Dalhousie, 1978); B.A. (Hons. Economics & Political Science) (McGill, 1971).

Roslyn Tsao

Epstein Cole LLP

Ontario

Roslyn has been the Managing Partner of Epstein Cole for almost 20 years. As the steward of the Firm's culture and legacy of excellence, Roslyn has been challenged to drive growth and progress while nurturing talent and resilience in a traditionally under-resourced practice.

Lauren Turnquist

Miles Davison LLP

Alberta

Lauren grew up in Calgary, Alberta, playing competitive softball and curling. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a first-class honours degree in Psychology. In 2010, Lauren articled at Miles Davison LLP, a full-service law firm in Calgary, and has been a partner there since 2017. She was nominated by her peers and recognized as a 2026 Best Lawyer. Lauren has successfully appeared at all levels of Alberta courts, with a practice focusing on mediation and arbitration.

She has presented at the National Family Law Program (NFLP) in 2024, the Calgary Wills and Estates CBA section on the benefits of the mediation/arbitration process, and the National Judicial Institute on the intersection of bankruptcy and family law.

Outside the office, Lauren enjoys time with her husband and two children. The family shares a love of travel, having visited India, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, and Japan, and they look forward to continuing to explore the world together.

Daleen van Dyk

Nova Scotia Legal Aid

Nova Scotia

Daleen van Dyk graduated from Dalhousie Schulich School of Law in 2012 and she was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2013. After 4 years of private practice in rural Nova Scotia, she joined Nova Scotia Legal Aid in 2017.

Daleen's main area of practice is Family Law, but she also practices in the area of Adult Protection and Residential Tenancies and Social Justice law.

Daleen is a member of the Kings County Barrister's Society, and she is the Managing Lawyer of the Kentville Legal Aid Office.

Daleen is a single mother to two amazing adult children and she is an immigrant who proudly contributes to her adoptive country and community.

Emily Varga

Varga McCord Lonseth LLP

Alberta

Emily Varga is a co-founding partner of VML Family Law in Calgary, where she maintains a high-conflict family law litigation practice and also serves as a mediator, arbitrator, and parenting coordinator.

Emily has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Canada for Family Law and was named one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue magazine. She has chaired the CBA Law Day Committee and currently serves on the Executive of the CBA – Alberta South Family Law Section, as well as the Executive of the Inns of Court. She earned her JD from the University of Calgary, where she volunteered with Student Legal Assistance and received the Grant McGibbon Prize.

Outside of the law, Emily is a #1 internationally bestselling author of young adult fantasy books and enjoys life with her two small children and a menagerie of pets.

Angela Walker

MDW Law

Nova Scotia

Angela is a founding partner at MDW Law and has practiced exclusively in family law since 2007. Angela’s areas of family law expertise include complex financial matters and asset division, the analysis and division of business assets, international divorce, adoption, and all parenting matters. Trained in collaborative family law and a chartered mediator, she is recognized for navigating conflict and helping de-escalate high emotions in family disputes.

Antonina Wasowska, CPA, CA, CBV, CFF

Cohen Hamilton Steger & Co

Ontario

Antonina Wasowska is a Principal at Cohen Hamilton Steger & Co, specializing in valuation and forensic accounting services for family law matters, shareholder disputes, and purchase and sale transactions. Her work also includes quantifying economic damages in complex commercial litigation.

Antonina has authored numerous reports calculating income for support purposes in cases involving attribution of corporate income through complex organizational structures, significant investment income with tax and double-dip considerations, forensic review of corporate records and banking information, offshore income, and income from assets held in trust.

The Honourable Jim Williams

retired Justice of Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division

Nove Scotia

Jim has been involved in teaching, especially CLE, his entire career. Following his practice as a Barrister, he presided as a superior court Justice from 1987 to 2025.

Jim taught at Dalhousie Law School for almost 30 years. He has also taught courses at law schools in Alberta, Hong Kong, Australia and the U.K. and lectured in Spain, the U.K., Ireland, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, the U.S. and every Canadian province.

Jim co-chaired the Federation of Law Societies Summer Program on Family Law from 1992-2022. He chaired or co-chaired the National Judicial Institute's Annual Family Law Program from 2000-2022.

He has sat on boards of a broad variety of community organizations. They include Feed Nova Scotia, Dartmouth Whalers Minor Hockey, Banook Canoe Club, and Milford House.

Jim received an Honorary Doctorate from Dalhousie University in 2015. He was awarded the Judicial Fellowship from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London the same year.

His wife, Judy, a career teacher, has tolerated him since 1974. She's a saint. They are both exceptionably proud of their two sons and their families.

Fadwa Yehia

Jamal Family Law Professional Corporation

Ontario

Fadwa Yehia is an Associate Partner at Jamal Family Law. She attended York University where she obtained her Honours Bachelor’s degree in political science and humanities. Fadwa completed her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and received a special designation in international, comparative and transnational law.

Fadwa was called to the Bar in 2004 and practices in all areas of family law, with a special focus on child-related matters including cases involving parent-child contact problems, jurisdictional complications, mobility disputes and international abductions.

She has represented clients at all levels of court including the Ontario Court of Justice, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Fadwa is a member of the Ontario Bar Association and the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association. She is the Treasurer of the Board for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Ontario Chapter. Fadwa also served several years as the Vice President of the Board of Directors to the United Nations Association in Canada, Toronto Region Branch.

Fadwa has lectured and written about issues pertaining to marriage contracts, occupation rent, Islamic divorce, the impact of the Mahr on equalization calculations, and jurisdictional provisions in non-Hague removal cases.