Debbie Hoffman
Debbie lives in Waterloo, Ontario. Born in Renfrew, Ontario she is Woodland Métis, an Algonquin of the Pikwàkanagàn First Nation. Debbie went to high school in Red Deer, Alberta and moved to the Whitehorse, Yukon in 1994. She was called to the bar in the Yukon and British Columbia in 1995. Debbie lived in the Yukon for 22 years, specializing in family law and general civil litigation.
Trained as a collaborative lawyer and mediator, Debbie has always been interested in keeping families out of court. When she moved back to her Southern Ontario roots in 2016, Debbie continued to practice family law and dedicated her practice to collaborative conflict resolution and mediation.
“In collaborative law we work together to achieve the best outcome for families. There is a clear commitment, entered into through a binding contract, to deal with asset division, debts, parenting time and decision making without going to court.”
Having worked on numerous trials throughout her career, Debbie knew there had to be a better approach that didn’t take such a huge financial and emotional toll on clients and their children.
“The collaborative approach is the most effective way to resolve issues for separating spouses and their children. We work with financial and family professionals throughout the process to ensure that clients make informed decisions. Lawyers are an integral part of the team, but the clients are the ones in the driver’s seat.”
Collaborative law allows clients to remain in control of decision making instead of handing that power to the lawyers and a Judge. In the court process, clients have very little say over the final outcome. Debbie helps clients achieve the best outcome by improving communication and brainstorming outcomes in a respectful environment where the result is tailored to fit the unique needs of each client and their family.