Advanced Issues in Spousal Support Faculty Biographical Information September 30, 2016
The Honourable Douglas Belch, Q.C. Doug Belch graduated from Queen s University, was called in 1969, and practiced, primarily in the area of family law, in Kingston, Ontario for 29 years, receiving a QC in 1983. He lectured in family law at Queen s Faculty of Law and in business law at Queens School of Business. He was appointed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 1998. In the last 14 years of practice, he completed many training programs in the theory and practice of conflict management, and accepted numerous appointments as fact-finder and mediator in the area of education, including successfully mediating a number of strikes. He was also involved in private mediations with an emphasis in family law. He is a past member of both the Family Rules Committee, Ontario and the Faculty of Law Advisory Council, Queen s University. In October 2015, he retired from the Ontario Superior Court and has now joined the Toronto law firm of Epstein Cole as counsel, mediator, and arbitrator. August 25, 2016
Justice David L. Corbett Justice Corbett earned his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1985 and was called to the bar in 1987. He practiced with Torys LLP until 1996, and then at Eberts Symes Street Corbett & Pinto until his appointment to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in June 2003. Prior to his appointment, he taught as an adjunct or visiting professor for thirteen years at Osgoode Hall Law School, University of Toronto Law School, and University of Western Ontario Law School. As a judge, he has been chambered in Milton, Brampton, and, since June 2012, in Toronto. Justice Corbett considers himself a generalist and has presided extensively in criminal, family and civil law motions and trials.
Dani Z. Frodis Dani Z Frodis Barristers 100 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 501 Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6N5 Tel: (416) 218 8888 Fax: (416) 218 0333 dani@frodislaw.ca Dani received his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Toronto in 1988 and his law degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1991. Since being admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1993, Dani s practice has concentrated on all aspects of family law and the defence of negligence claims against lawyers. Before forming his own boutique family law firm in March 1998, Dani was an associate at Epstein, Cole. Dani was an instructor at the Law Society of Upper Canada s Bar Admission Course teaching legal writing and drafting and professional responsibility from 1997, and family law from 1999. Dani has authored several papers published by the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of Upper Canada, and has spoken at various continuing legal education conferences and seminars. Dani has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and more than 60 cases have been reported in which he has appeared as counsel. September 8, 2016
Deborah Graham, B.A. Hons, LL.B., Acc.FM (OAFM) Deborah s family law practice has been entirely devoted to Collaborative Practice, Mediation and training for over 10 years and she has been practicing family law for over 20 years. Deborah is an accredited Family Mediator. She has settled hundreds of collaborative and mediation files. Deborah teaches introductory and advanced Collaborative Practice and Mediation and is a faculty member of the newly launched Training Faculty for the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She has spoken or led workshops about Collaborative Practice, Mediation and Growing your Settlement Practice at the annual conferences of the IACP, AFCC, OCLF, OAFM and FDRIO. She was previously a Collaborative Practice Toronto board member and is currently an Ontario Collaborative Lawyers Federation board member. Deborah runs The Settlement Clinic, A Resource for Family Dispute Resolution Professionals which is currently offering a one year program Growing Your Settlement Practice. To learn more, see www.thesettlementclinic.ca or www.deborahgraham.ca.
MICHAEL B. KLEINMAN KLEINMAN GORDON Family Law 165 Avenue Road, Suite 402 Toronto, Ontario M5R 3S4 Tel: 416-924-3000, ext. 222 Email: michael@kleinman.ca www.kleinmangordonfamilylaw.ca Called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994, after completing B.A. (Hons.) in 1988, and B.C.L., LL.B. degrees in 1992, all from McGill University. Proficient in English and French. Member in good standing of Law Society of Upper Canada, Ontario Bar Association, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and ADR Institute of Ontario. Articled and practised with Epstein, Cole LLP, 1992-1998. Practised in association with Gregory W. Cooper, 1998-2010. Currently a principal of Kleinman Gordon Family Law. Appointed a Dispute Resolution Officer (D.R.O.) of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto, 2012. Frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education programs including, most recently: Law Society of Upper Canada s Six Minute Family Law Lawyer: Grandparent Access Claims in Ontario, 2015; and Osgoode Professional Development s 5th Annual Recent Developments and Complex Issues in Child and Spousal Support: Re-Partnering and Spousal Support Variation under the Divorce Act, 2015. Practice restricted to Family Law advocacy, mediation and arbitration.
S. Christine Montgomery, B.A., LL.B. Consultant to DivorceMate Software Inc. 28 Eugene Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6B 3Z4 T: 416 718-3461 x 430 F: 416 498-0059 cmontgomery@divorcemate.com www.divorcemate.com Christine Montgomery obtained her Bachelor of Laws in 1991 from the University of Toronto, and was called to the Bar in 1992. Initially practicing civil and commercial litigation, Christine ultimately left to pursue an exclusive family law practice. In January of 2005, Christine joined DIVORCEmate Software Inc. as a consultant, initially assigned the specific task of interpreting the then newly released Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines (the SSAG ) and assisting in the development of the SSAG calculator. Since that time, Christine has been involved in numerous ongoing family law projects at DIVORCEmate, including assisting in the development of the Tools One software and recently the new DM Cloud product line, drafting and maintaining various precedents in the Precedents One software, conducting training sessions, writing articles pertaining to the software and new developments in family law, and presenting at numerous legal forums.
THE HONOURABLE MELANIE SAGER Call to the Bar: 1995 August 2015 to Presenter Appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice June 1995 to August 2015 Sole Practitioner practicing Family Law Membership: Presenter: Ontario Bar Association Member of the Education Committee of the 311 Jarvis Open Bar Education Program Member of the Family Lawyers Association Panel Lawyer for the Office of the Children s Lawyer Member of the AFCC Member of the Board of Directors of Scarborough Women s Centre Presented as a speaker on various topics for the 311 Jarvis Open Bar Education Program since 2004 Presented as speaker at 47 Sheppard Education Program Presented as a speaker at the OBA Family Law Institute Presented as a speaker at CPD programs offered by the Law Society of Upper Canada
D.A. ROLLIE THOMPSON, Q.C. Professor, Dalhousie Law School (now Schulich School of Law), since 1982 (full professor since 1992). Executive Director, Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, 1982-85 and 1991-94. Recipient of Dalhousie Law Alumni Association and Dalhousie Law Students Society Award for Teaching Excellence 2001-02 and 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. Editor of the Canadian Family Law Quarterly. Co-director (with Prof. Carol Rogerson), Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines Project, Department of Justice Canada 2001-2008. On sabbatical 2006-07 at University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, taught Evidence. Also teaches 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. Ll.B. (Dalhousie, 1978); B.A. (Hons. Economics & Political Science) (McGill, 1971). Teaching subjects: Family Law, Evidence, Civil Procedure, Supreme Court (Family Division) Placement, Clinical Law.
Justice Roselyn Zisman Justice Zisman was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in April 2007 and presided in Milton Ontario in family, youth and adult criminal matters. As of September 2014, she is sitting in Toronto and presides in family law matters. Justice Zisman has been involved in advocacy and legal education regarding child protection issues, domestic violence, child abduction and custody and access issues in high conflict family proceedings.