Verena Fraser

As a family lawyer, Verena's goal is to help her clients cooperatively achieve shared, sustainable resolutions for their unique family situation. By focusing her practice solely on processes such as Collaborative Law (Collaborative Practice) and Mediation, Verena is able to facilitate a non-adversarial approach to divorce, separation, and custody of children that respectfully takes into consideration the well-being of all those who will be affected by the decisions taken. 

 

Verena understands that her clients will feel the impact of divorce, separation and child custody issues on multiple aspects of their lives. To address these impacts, Verena has forged strong relationships with other professionals so that when requested, whether in Collaborative Practice or Mediation, Verena can effectively bring together a neutral team to assist clients in reaching personalized and holistic solutions. Verena continually observes how these cooperative processes offer both a productive, and cost-effective alternative, to litigation.

 

Verena also assists a growing number of couples who regard Collaborative Practice as a personalized and tailored option for creating their cohabitation and marriage contracts.

 

Called to the Ontario Bar in 1994, Verena is an Accredited Family Mediator (Acc.F.M.) with the Ontario Association of Family Mediators (OAFM), and holds a Family Mediation Diploma from McMaster University. Verena has completed both Level 1 and Level 2 of Collaborative Law Training. In addition to holding an undergraduate degree in commerce, Verena has achieved certification with the Academy of Financial Divorce Specialists.

 

Verena is an active member of a number of Collaborative Practice Groups, including CP Hamilton/Halton, as a member of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Programming Subcommittee, and member of the RIOT Committee reaching out to all group members; CP Halton/Peel, as a member of its Community Outreach subcommittee; and Collaborative Practice Toronto. As well, Verena is a member of other organizations that also support an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to family law, including the International Academy of  Collaborative Professionals and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

 

Education and Credentials:

• B. Comm. (Honours), McMaster University 

• Law degree, McGill University 

• Called to the Ontario Bar in 1994 

• Family Mediation Diploma, McMaster University 

• Financial Divorce Specialist, Academy of Financial Divorce Specialists. 

• Accredited Family Mediator, (Acc.F.M), Ontario Association of Family Mediators (OAFM). 

• Collaborative Law Training, Levels 1 and 2