Julie Gill is a mediator and arbitrator with a focus on family. She is a Qualified Family Arbitration Screener, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and 1 of less than 20 in Canada with a Family Mediation Canada Advanced Certified Elder Mediation designation and an International Certified Elder Mediator.      

Julie provides FDR services through Families First Mediation which she founded in 2009, after a lengthy career in the financial industry. She believes that it’s important to provide an environment for families to fairly, creatively, and personally develop solutions that best meet their family’s unique situation and requirements.

Julie is a former TV show host and international conference presenter. Julie was an active member on the CCAC roster of Independent Complaint Facilitators and a mediator with ADR Chambers performing FSCO accident-benefit mediations.

Julie is a roster mediator and trainer with Lifeworks (formerly Morneau Shepell) and a volunteer with the BGCC Youth Justice Committee and an active member of the Durham Elder Abuse Network.

Born in Leamington and raised speaking both French and English in Chatham-Kent and Essex counties, Jennifer graduated from McMaster University in 2004.

After obtaining a Juris Doctorate in 2007 from the French Common Law program at the University of Ottawa, and completing her articles in Sudbury, she was called to the Bar in Ontario and began practicing as an agent for the Public Prosecutions Services of Canada in Oshawa.

In 2009, Jennifer joined Legal Aid Ontario as a bilingual designate in the GTA where her practice was focused exclusively to family law. There, she committed herself to representing disadvantaged litigants at both the Ontario and Superior Courts of Justice in Toronto.

During her time with Legal Aid, Jennifer worked extensively on custody, access and support issues, frequently with clients who had experienced or been charged with domestic violence. 

In 2013 she founded Daudlin Law, and expanded the scope of her practice to encompass all areas of family law, including the division and equalization of property and the negotiation of domestic contracts.

With a demonstrated dedication to her clients, Jennifer is committed to representing her client's interests and providing them the best legal advice and representation.

A lifelong athlete, Jennifer continues to enjoy various athletic endeavours, loves to travel and is an avid salsera.

Avagene is a family law lawyer and notary public.  She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2005 and has practised exclusively in family law for the last 15 years.

Prior to being called to the Ontario Bar, Avagene received her Bachelor of Laws with Honours degree from the University of the West Indies, and her Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School  in 2001, both institutions located in Jamaica, her proud island home. She was called to the British Virgin Islands Bar in 2001. There she practised corporate law for two years.

Before studying law, Avagene completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in French from the University of the West Indies. She also completed a French Business Certificate issued by the Chambre of Commerce and Industry of Paris.

Avagene is the founder of Skervin Law, a family law firm in Mississauga, Ontario. She promotes the resolution of family law issues including custody, access, support and property, through a variety of alternate dispute resolution processes. She is a member of the Ontario Family Law Limited Scope Services Project and is currently pursuing accreditation as a family law mediator.

Avagene retired her soccer shoes a few years ago but continues to live soccer, vicariously, through her favourite teams.

Cheryl Goldhart is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada and has practiced exclusively in the area of family law for more than 30 years.

She specializes in negotiating complex agreements encompassing all areas of family law and litigates in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Justice, and the Court of Appeal. She is also an accomplished OAFM accredited family mediator and a certified family law arbitrator by the ADR Institute of Ontario. She is also a fellow with the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Cheryl is the Chair of the Dispute Resolution Officer Committee in Toronto and has worked as a Dispute Resolution Officer at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice since its inception more than 20 years ago. She is a member of the Bench and Bar Committee of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Toronto) and was a director of the Board of the Advocates’ Society. Cheryl has served as the Chair of the Ontario Bar Association, Family Law Executive, and a past member of the Canadian Bar Association (Federal), Family Law Executive. Cheryl is a frequent lecturer on various topics in family law. Over her years of practice, Cheryl has written numerous articles for the Bar Admission Course, professional journals, periodicals and magazines. Cheryl is the only family lawyer in Ontario to be awarded the Lexpert Zenith Award. She has certified as a “Best Lawyer in Canada” for family law since 2008. In 2016, Cheryl was awarded the OBA Award for Excellence in Family Law.

In 2019, Cheryl was appointed to the Judicial Appointments Committee by the Federal Government.

Clayton R. Spencer practices exclusively in the area of Family Law. Mr. Spencer was called to the bar in 1998, and has provided Family Law services to the residents of Durham Region since that time. Mr. Spencer provides a broad range of Family Law services, including divorce, custody and access, child and spousal support, property division, child protection, and collaborative services. Mr. Spencer is also a trained arbitrator, and his arbitration services are available to help you resolve your Family Law disputes.

Mr. Spencer obtained his Level II Collaborative Team training in 2007. Mr. Spencer strongly believes that the collaborative process produces better results and more cost-efficient outcomes for those who are separating from their spouses than traditional litigation. Mr. Spencer encourages the use of alternate dispute resolution, where appropriate.

Mr. Spencer is also an experienced Family Court litigator. Mr. Spencer is respected by his peers, and was appointed a Family Court Dispute Resolution Officer when that program was introduced to Durham Region in 2011.

Nick Esterbauer is an associate lawyer at Hull & Hull LLP who assists families with matters involving capacity issues and death.  He has experience assisting clients in resolving matters involving all aspects of estates, trusts, and capacity law, including will challenges, dependant’s support claims, family law elections, fiduciary accounting disputes, guardianship applications, life insurance disputes, international estate administration issues, and trust claims, and frequently represents clients at mediation and at court.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Certificate of Competence in French, and Juris Doctor from Queen’s University.

Nick is the co-author of various papers and other publications.  He has been a member of FDRIO since 2015 and has been its webinar coordinator since the fall of 2019.

Raheena is the founder and chair of FDRIO’s Family Violence Section. She is also the chair of the Diversity and Inclusion section.

Raheena is a lawyer with experience in family and child protection law; and a family law mediator certified by the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO). She has earned degrees in European and International Law (LL.B.) and Canadian Common Law (LL.M.); and is a School of Psychotherapy and Counselling Psychology (Regent's College, London) accredited civil mediator. She is also a former roster mediator with St. Stephen’s Community House. Her mediation practice integrates a variety of approaches and modalities, such as interests-based, trauma-informed, transformational, psychotherapeutic, high-conflict, and community-informed mediation.

In addition to her roles with FDRIO, Raheena also serves as a member of the Executive Board for the Ontario Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.

Raheena is an avid yoga practitioner; and is a certified yoga teacher.

Stephanie completed a doctoral degree in 2004 from University of Guelph in Family Relations and Human Development. Her area of research is family conflict and its impact on intergenerational relations. She began her career teaching in the Sociology Department of University of Western Ontario.  In 2008 Stephanie founded Kith & Kin Counseling Services and Parenting Coordination in Etobicoke.

Stephanie is Registered Psychotherapist, a Clinical Agent of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer conducting Section 112 assessments as well as Section 30 assessments. She is a Qualified Arbitrator and Certified Specialist in Parenting Coordination. She is a Family Specialist in Collaborative Law cases. Stephanie is a member of two professional development and peer support groups as well as an active member of a book club with emphasis on remaining current with professional publications. She is also publishing a series of books that she wrote and illustrated for children that address complex issues like the breakdown of a relationship and death.