Divorce Mediation Kitchener/Waterloo: Expert Guidance by Fairway Divorce Solutions

Colette Fortin is one of the leading divorce mediators/coaches in Southern Ontario. She has been the owner-mediator of Fairway Waterloo since opening the office in 2010. Colette specializes in family-centred conflict resolution. She has guided hundreds of couples to a fair conclusion of their separation while helping preserve their family relationships, especially important for co-parenting situations. She is an Accredited Family Mediator (Acc.FM), a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®), and a member of both the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM) and the ADR Institute of Ontario.

Whether the separation involves high net worth, complex financials, business ownership, or pensions, Colette ensures clients are empowered to make good decisions about their financial future. She has become the region's go-to spokesperson on divorce and a frequent speaker at support groups and business groups about communication and the impact of divorce on the family and workplace.

Sarah Whyte is a Resolution Expert and accredited mediator with the Waterloo-Wellington office. She is an Accredited Family Mediator (Acc.FM) as well as a member of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). 

Sarah uses her real estate and financial planning interests to help coach clients through the often-emotional financial decisions tied to the marital home and the division of assets. She has first-hand knowledge of the impact separation can have on families and children and brings a compassionate understanding of the unique challenges parents face today when creating co-parenting plans. Sarah understands the chaos and grief experienced during times of separation. She strives to help guide her clients through the unknown and towards a more optimistic and peaceful future. She is a compassionate listener who brings creativity to every resolution process. She is passionate about helping young, modern-day families successfully navigate a clear road to a new beginning.

Michael Kaufman is a Resolution Expert and accredited mediator with the Waterloo-Wellington Ontario office. He holds his Q.Med designation and is a member of the ADR Institute of Ontario. Mike has a passion for helping parents navigate the waters of separation to help them develop a clear, stable plan for the future. He draws on his personal experience of parenting and divorce to truly understand the dynamics and complexity of these relationships.

For the past 20 years, Mike has coached leaders in organizational conflict resolution and team effectiveness. Drawing on his expertise in human dynamics, coaching and conflict resolution, Mike is able to help couples navigate their separation in a peaceful way. Specializing in relationship coaching, he creates the space to allow people to talk about what is important, stretch beyond their current abilities, and create meaningful connections. His coaching style is people-focused, approachable, supportive, and future-focused.

Deena Gangbar is a Resolution Expert and accredited mediator with the Waterloo-Wellington Ontario office. She brings a unique perspective to the role from a legal background/education and several years of mediation experience. 

Deena obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree at Queen's University, then an Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate at Humber College, before completing her law degree at Osgood Hall Law School. While completing her education, she worked and volunteered in multiple capacities as a mediator at both St. Stephen's Community Mediation and the Community Legal Aid Clinic. 

Deena thrives in the creative-solution space and loves the unique, step-by-step, Independently Negotiated Resolution (INR) process that makes Fairway Divorce's approach so successful. Being able to help clients reach a resolution in such a cost-effective and timely manner fuels her passion even more.

Michael Cugliari is a Q-Med accredited mediator at Fairway's Waterloo-Wellington office. With his dual role as Client/Office Manager, he might also be the first person you'll have contact with. You'll immediately enjoy his calm and helpful approach to ensuring you have a good experience. In fact, helping people has been a consistent passion for Michael throughout his career. And it's what draws him to Fairway Divorce Solutions; having the ability to help couples who are separating with compassion, sound information, and using a solid process for reaching resolution.

Michael also brings several years of valuable financial advisory experience, having worked for two of Canada's largest banks. He is able to leverage this financial acumen to help coach clients through the often-emotional financial decisions tied to the division of assets and family property. To say he knows his way around a complex balance sheet is an understatement.

Brittany is Fairway Divorce Solutions’ full-time, in-house lawyer, providing case-by-case support to our mediation experts and providing updates to offices across the country on local and national matrimonial law issues. She ensures that our Fairway Waterloo-Wellington office is equipped with a thorough understanding of current family law matters, having practiced almost exclusively in family law since being called to the bar. Brittany conducts the valuable ‘What is the Law™’ seminar for our Fairway Waterloo-Wellington clients.

Shannon is a Resolution Expert and accredited mediator with the Waterloo-Wellington Fairway office. She is a Collaborative Lawyer, Mediator, Negotiator and Peacemaker. During her many years of practice, she has seen first-hand the emotional and financial stress that lengthy and hostile court cases have on all members of a family, particularly children. Because she knew there had to be a better way to help her clients minimize the stress of a separation, she received training in Collaborative Family Law and Family Mediation. Shannon believes mediation can provide long-lasting solutions that work for almost all situations.

Shannon received her Law Degree from the University of Windsor in 2006 and her Bachelor of Arts in 2002. She is an Accredited Family Mediator with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM) and a Certified Specialist in Family Mediation with the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO) and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.