COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE EDMONTON - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Amanda Baretta graduated from the University of Alberta Law School in 2011, articled with Legal Aid Alberta and Cochard Johnson, and was called to the bar in 2012. She has practiced exclusively in the area of family law since this time and is currently a partner at Latitude Family Law, a firm which she co-founded with four other family law practitioners in 2017. Amanda is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and an executive member of both the Family Law Section and Child and Youth Section. In addition to monthly education seminars with the Canadian Bar Association, she attends ongoing professional training throughout the year to expand her legal knowledge and skills. Amanda volunteers with the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, Just-Us Girls Justice Committee, and as an advising lawyer with Pro Bono Students Canada, and is a sessional instructor at University of Alberta Faculty of Law.
Job Titles:
- Family Lawyer
- Family Lawyer / EDUCATION
Amanda received her B.Sc. (1999) and her B.A. (2003) from the University of Alberta before attending law school and graduating with an LL.B. in 2006. Amanda articled and subsequently practiced in Edmonton.
Andrea was born and raised in Camrose, Alberta. Andrea began her university career studying psychology at the University of Alberta, graduating with distinction in 2005. She went on to obtain her law degree at the University of Alberta in 2008. Andrea returned to Camrose in the summer of 2008 to article and practice law at Farnham West Stolee Kambeitz LLP.
Andrea primarily practices collaborative family law as a Registered Collaborative Family Lawyer. Andrea completed her collaborative law training within the first few years of practice and has maintained a busy collaborative family law practice since then.
Outside of practicing law, Andrea is a very active member within the Camrose community. Andrea has been a board member with the Camrose Association of Community Living (CAFCL) since 2010, and has served as the Vice President for three terms. In September of 2018, Andrea will commence a fifth term with the Board.
Andrea keeps busy with her three young children and enjoys traveling, golf, skiing and spending time outdoors with her family.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Board of Directors
- Family Lawyer
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
- CIM
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member for the Association of Collaborative Family
- Certified Divorce Coach
- Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist
- Financial Professionals
Holly is a Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist™ and a Certified Financial Planner® professional with over 25 years of experience. Holly works closely with her clients to help them find a financially fair agreement during a time where they are feeling financially scared or intimidated and emotionally exhausted. Her expertise and guidance ensures your financial interests, tax adjustments, pension legislation, and your future financial outcome is taken into consideration.
Gathering the required financial documentation and organization for your case file to provide to your lawyer,
Holly is also a Certified Divorce Coach and helps individuals address issues that often create barriers in settling disputes during this challenging time. She works with clients to develop positive stress management, goal setting, effective communication, and conflict-resolution skills. She can also assist with clarifying the individual's needs, interests, and concerns to prepare them to advocate for themselves in team meetings.
Holly is a current Board Member for the Association of Collaborative Family Professionals (Edmonton) and the Collaborative Divorce Association of Alberta. Through her volunteer efforts she helps bring awareness of the collaborative process to the general public.
As a trained mediator and registered collaborative family lawyer, Tory believes that family disputes are best solved through the use of cooperative, non-adversarial means when possible, but she is also a strong advocate in court and appears in both the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King's Bench.
Whether mediating, acting for clients as a Registered Collaborative Family Lawyer, or litigating, Tory works hard to obtain practical, client focused, and effective results by minimizing unnecessary conflicts, communicating regularly, ensuring clients understand their legal rights, and analyzing options to ensure the best possible solutions are achieved.
Committed to continuing education and professional development, Tory regularly takes courses to enhance her existing skills, and she contributes to the community by volunteering at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre.
Professional Associations
The Law Society of Alberta
International Association of Collaborative Professionals
Collaborative Professionals of Canada
Association of Collaborative Family Professionals (Edmonton)
Canadian Bar Association
Canadian Bar Association Alberta Branch, section memberships in Family Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Jasmine recognizes that separation and divorce is a stressful and difficult time. Her goal is to assist clients with reaching satisfactory resolution of their family law matter in a respectful and amicable way.
Jasmine was born and raised in Edmonton and completed her post-secondary education at the University of Alberta. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in 2007 (Distinction), majoring in psychology, and her Juris Doctor in 2010. During law school, Jasmine was employed at Legal Aid Alberta and volunteered with Student Legal Services. She received the Merv Leitch, Q.C., Scholarship, having been selected by the late Hon. E. Peter Lougheed, Q.C., on the basis of superior academic achievement and volunteer commitments. Jasmine has practiced exclusively in family law since being called to the Alberta Bar in 2011. She is currently a lawyer at TC Family Law Group.
Jasmine's volunteer experience includes working with children with disabilities at an orphanage overseas, organizing the annual collection of hundreds of care packages for children in developing countries, and working at a brain injury rehabilitation clinic. Most recently, she was a board member of a condominium board and a board member of the Association of Collaborative Family Professionals Edmonton. Currently, Jasmine is a volunteer lawyer at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre.
Jasmine enjoys spending time with her family, fitness, cooking, and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Family Lawyer
When collaborating with Jodie, you benefit from a unique blend of expertise and adaptability. As a Chartered Professional Accountant, University Certified Coach, and skilled Mediator, Jodie supports individuals and families through the Collaborative Process, offering comprehensive assistance in three key areas.
Her approach encompasses guiding you to comprehend your financial standing, navigating emotional hurdles, and charting a confident course for your future. This tailored support allows you to tailor each session to address your specific needs effectively.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
- Family Lawyer
As a lawyer with over 15 years of experience in all aspects of family law, Lesley brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the collaborative process. Lesley is proficient at handling complex claims in the areas of division of family property, child support, spousal/partner support, and parenting.
As a collaborative professional, Lesley's focus is on achieving practical, timely and cost-effective solutions for her clients. She is a creative thinker who helps her clients think outside of the box and move past roadblocks. She is able to re-frame issues to diffuse conflict and achieve a resolution.
Lesley sees collaborative divorce and separation as an effective alternative to the delays, frustrations, spiraling costs and loss of control that clients often face in family law litigation. As the decisions made during a divorce or separation are essential to a family's ongoing well-being, she feels it is imperative that her clients are involved and invested in the process and have ownership of the outcome, which is exactly what the collaborative process offers.
Lorraine's attentive, skilled, calm and intuitive approach has helped many going through the pain and stress of separation and divorce to create satisfying, workable settlement agreements outside of court, bringing peace and closure to their conflict and renewed hope for their future.
She is a strong proponent of an interest based approach to meet client needs and those of their children. In a respectful manner, Lorraine empowers parties to create solutions that promote harmony, peace, and recovery, so that they can move forward with their lives.
An early pioneer in the development of collaborative family practice, Lorraine was at the grassroots table when the Association of Collaborative Family Professionals (Edmonton) was formed in 2001 and has specialized in this area of practice ever since. Already a family law lawyer with a mediation practice, the addition of collaborative law was a natural fit. Lorraine is past-Chair of this Association and has a long history of coaching interest based training courses. She is a Registered Family Mediator (AFMS), has certificates in Conflict Management and Parenting Coordination, and child consultant training. She obtained her law and family studies degrees from the University of Alberta, previously worked in social work with families in crisis and child protection, and has business owner experience. Her law and mediation practice also includes wills and estates.
Clients benefit from Lorraine's extensive knowledge and experience to enable them to reach agreement on parenting arrangements, support, property, including complex asset division, family businesses and pensions. She understands that family law can also impact corporate and estate matters.
Lorraine's clients are choosing a time and cost-effective settlement process which prefers to minimize negative effects of family break up on their children and each other, reduce stress from unresolved conflict, and eliminate delay and financial burden of protracted litigation. They prefer a process which, while taking into account their legal rights and obligations, enables them to custom tailor make agreements suited to their unique circumstances.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Family Lawyer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Family Lawyer
After completing his Undergraduate degree in History and Political Science at the University of Calgary and his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws at the University of Alberta, Owen has been practicing in the area of family law for over a decade. In that time, he has come to realize that traditional litigation is the least effective and efficient process to resolve family disputes. In pursuing Collaborative Family Law, his goal is to assist his clients in arriving at a fair resolution in a timely and cost effective manner, and to preserve and promote the well being of families and the inherent dignity of the client, while minimizing the emotional and financial damage that can occur during a separation.
I was born and raised in central Alberta, growing up on the farm with 4 siblings and many pets. After graduating from Bentley High School, I left home and entered the working world, until, finding myself a single mother with two small children to support, I registered for and was accepted into the Arts program at the University of Alberta and after two years of undergraduate study, I applied for and was accepted into the Faculty of Law.
As a lawyer with now over 30 years experience in the area of family law and, as well, drawing on my own personal life experience, I want to assist families going through separation and divorce with the least stress possible - both financially and emotionally. When relationship breakdown is inevitable, with support and guidance almost everyone can resolve matters outside the court process, and create a go forward plan for division of property, parenting of children and support that will fit the unique circumstances of their family. As a founding member of the Collaborative Association of Professionals (Edmonton) since its formation 15 years ago, I continue to broaden the scope of my knowledge and expertise in dispute resolution through training, seminars and of course hands on experience with the many families I have worked with over the course of my practice.
I come to law as a second career. My background is in education. I was first a junior high teacher and then a college instructor, teaching literature, grammar, and writing. Now, I work hard to educate my clients so that they better understand their rights and obligations upon family breakdown.
I also come to law with a family of my own. I know just how hard it can sometimes be to bring my best self home. Yet I, like other parents, desire for the health of my family and well-being of my children. It is the pressure of parenting and the love of our children that inspires us to be problem-solvers and prospective thinkers - we hope for a fantastic future for ourselves and for them.
I also come to law with a belief in a good God. I am convinced that we have a Creator who loves us deeply and cares about our healing.
After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta in 2009, I practiced at a general practice law firm, Quantz Law, and gained experience in many different areas - family law, civil litigation, real estate, corporate commercial, personal injury, and wills and estates. However, over the past number of years, I am drawn to the family - practicing mainly in the areas of estate and family law.
I have become trained as a collaborative lawyer, not because I want to add another tool to my tool belt, but because I hope that the restructured family would have its best start through the collaborative process. I hope that through the collaborative process, parents would give their children the opportunity to building up their own future, healthy families.
It is my firm belief that peace and healthy beginnings are possible in family law, and that is why I love doing what I do.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Riley has been practicing law family law since 2009. Her professional life is dedicated to helping families navigate the issues that follow a relationship breakdown, including issues relating to parenting, finances and property division. Although Riley is an experienced litigator, she knows that going to court can be slow, stressful and costly. She believes that the best outcomes for families are achieved through a collaborative approach. The process can move forward at a pace dictated by the parties and space is provided for creative solutions that meet the interests of all family members. No two families are exactly alike and each unique family situation will have it's own unique best outcome. The collaborative approach is especially beneficial when children are involved in the family unit. Exposure to high levels of conflict and stress at home can significantly impact a child's development. Riley's litigation practice includes representing the children of parents who are involved in high-conflict separation and divorce court actions, so she is keenly aware of how an adversarial process negatively impacts kids. The collaborative process provides an opportunity for separated parents to practice communicating with one another in a respectful, interest based and solution-focused way with trained professionals providing assistance and guidance. Hopefully, this method of communication and style of decision-making will assist parents in successfully co-parenting together long-term, even after the collaborative process concludes.
Riley grew up in Saskatoon and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2008. She moved to Edmonton after completing her law degree and spent the first part of her career working at Legal Aid Alberta's Family Law Office. In 2017 she became a partner at Latitude Family Law, a firm she founded with four other experienced family law practitioners. She then pursued collaborative family law training to expand the range of services she provides to her clients. She likes to stay on top of developments in family law and frequently attends training sessions and seminars. She has been involved with the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Alberta Branch Family Law Section executive since 2014 and is the Chair of the executive for the 2019 - 2020 year. She is also an executive member of the CBA Child and Youth Section. She has volunteered as a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2013 and enjoys volunteering with various other organizations.
Sandra has been a member of the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association since 2010. She is an inactive member of the Nigerian Bar Association. Sandra works very hard for her clients and is able to quickly assess a file and give a client the "big picture" of what the client's options may be. Clients benefit from her keen eye for small, but important details. Sandra has had much success in court. However, her first option is to try to settle matters collaboratively prior to proceeding to court, thereby reducing her clients' stress and costs. As a collaborative family law lawyer and mediator, Sandra is able to assist Albertans in resolving their disputes outside of the adversarial court process.
In addition to her law practice, Sandra is also a member of the Alberta Human Rights Commission, where she plays a role in upholding the human rights of Albertans and in reducing discrimination in Alberta.
Sandra has been practicing law since 2003. She currently practices in all areas of Family Law, including representing children and youths in child welfare matters. Prior to being called to the Alberta Bar in 2010, Sandra was an Associate at a law firm in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where she practiced Business, Trademark, Immigration, Civil Litigation, and Oil & Gas Law. Sandra's higher education includes a Master degree in Law, which she obtained from the University of Alberta. Sandra has been a partner at the firm since its inception as Crerar Law in 2011.
As well as spending time with her family and friends, Sandra enjoys cooking and volunteering. She is also a very enthusiastic soccer fan. Both her colleagues and her clients enjoy her quick smile and empathetic nature.
Job Titles:
- Family Lawyer
- Member of the Board of Directors at the Today Family Violence Help Centre
- Partner at Latitude Family Law LLP
Sarah Dargatz is a partner at Latitude Family Law LLP and practices exclusively in the area of family law. She graduated from the University of Alberta Law School in 2008 and was called to the Alberta bar in July 2009. She practiced at the Family Law Office, a program of Legal Aid Alberta, from 2010 to 2017. Sarah is also a mediator.
Sarah has a strong interest in helping clients navigate through their separation and divorce with their relationships intact and in the best interests of children. She understands that each family has their own story and own best outcome. She is a strong advocate for her clients while also calling on them to be reasonable and solution-focused.
Sarah is member of the Board of Directors at the Today Family Violence Help Centre and volunteers at the Edmonton Community Legal Centre and with E4C's Crossroads Outreach Program.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Board of Directors
- Family Lawyer
I am the principal lawyer with Brown Law Group, a Family & Divorce Law firm in Edmonton. I would describe myself as a passionate and compassionate advocate for reasonable resolutions in family disputes, guided by fairness and the ‘best interests of children'. I have never shied away from the Courtroom, but I will first work tenaciously to assist Clients avoid Court. Even before being trained in Collaborative Law practice, my approach was always settlement oriented. Except in a small percentage of cases, out-of-Court resolution is always the better way.
I believe I am a natural facilitator and mediator, in part because I am quick to understand the dynamics of conflict and what is really going on with the parties to a dispute. While I am particularly experienced in working with parenting disputes, I am also adept with all financial aspects of support and matrimonial property division.
I am trained in child-inclusive mediation, meeting with children, parenting coordination, working with high-conflict people, and representing children in the litigation process. I believe that Family lawyers have an ethical obligation to "do no harm" to the children caught in the middle of these disputes.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
I assist people with many of the day-to-day legal issues facing families, including transitioning through a separation, planning for death or incapacity, and purchasing and selling family homes. I am very interested in helping people sort through the confusion and uncertainty around a major life change, in educating them about their legal rights and obligations and supporting them in finding a new path forward.
Over the last 15 years, I have been specifically developing skills using Collaborative Practice to help people resolve the issues that arise on separating from a spouse, including how to parent children, how to financially support children, how to allocate family property, and how to plan for the future.
I am a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) and I am active in our local Association of Collaborative Family Professionals (Edmonton), having acted as Recording Secretary from 2006 to 2009, sitting on the Executive as a Member-at-Large from 2006 to 2017, and taking on the role of Registrar in 2019. I have also been a member of the ACFP(E) Forms and Precedents Committee since 2007.