JESSICA GAGNE

After a decade of running a successful “traditional” family law practice in downtown Toronto, Jessica came to the conclusion that there had to be a better way to help separating spouses divide assets, calculate support, and plan for co-parenting.

She identified three fundamental client needs that the conventional practice of family law consistently failed to deliver: cost certainty, timeline certainty, and meaningful control over the outcome.

In many cases, the separating spouses had young children — a reality that meant years, if not decades, of continued involvement in each other’s lives. Yet the family law process often destroyed the very relationship that co-parents would need to rely on moving forward. Once the agreement was signed and the professionals stepped away, it was the parents who were left behind — often with little trust, poor communication, and a relationship in tatters after professionals had profited from their conflict.

Jessica believes that what most families truly need is impartial guidance: education about family law principles, assistance with calculating the equalization payment, child support, and spousal support using publicly-available resources, and — most importantly — the opportunity to hone the skills needed to resolve future conflict on their own. Conventional family law practice offered none of this. Instead of equipping parents for the road ahead, it left them unprepared to manage the challenges of co-parenting long after the legal process ended.

After pausing her practice to deeply reflect on a path forward that better aligned with her personal values, Jessica returned with a redesigned approach built to solve these problems, prioritizing efficiency, clarity, and client empowerment. By streamlining communication, incorporating education into the process, and offering both cost and timeline certainty, her model helps families move forward with confidence — and with relationships that are better preserved for the future.

JESSICA’S PROCESS

Jessica has designed a separation process that takes place over the course of ten weeks — long enough for thoughtful decision-making, but with a clear and fixed end date. It strikes a balance: not so rushed that spouses feel pressured, but not so drawn out that they remain in limbo too long.

Jessica works directly with both spouses in the dual role of educator and mediator — no lawyers are involved. Each week, she meets with the spouses together via video conference for a one-hour session. Following each session, Jessica provides a customized “to-do” list to help them prepare for the next meeting. Spouses are expected to communicate with each other regularly between sessions, building the skills they will need for future conflict resolution.

During these weekly sessions, Jessica identifies key issues, explains how family law would address them, answers questions, and guides the spouses toward resolution. Each session is recorded, with AI-generated transcripts and summaries shared with both spouses so they have a clear, reliable record to refer back to at any time. Importantly, all communication with Jessica is done jointly, ensuring complete transparency — each spouse hears everything the other communicates. Financial disclosure is exchanged and reviewed together.

This approach resolves issues that might otherwise take months of back-and-forth lawyer correspondence in a matter of minutes. The process culminates in a separation agreement — but not the dense, 35+ page legal document typical of traditional practice. Instead, Jessica crafts a concise, plain-language agreement that is easy to understand and sufficient for its purposes. Where children are involved, the process does not attempt the impossible — i.e. the development of a formula that can anticipate every eventuality life may present. Instead, it emphasizes the reality that in such circumstances, there is no true “final” resolution, and flexibility and ongoing reassessment are essential. Parents are equipped parents with the tools and mindset to navigate future challenges as they arise.

Jessica offers her services on a flat-fee basis, providing clients with full cost certainty from the outset. She believes everyone should have access to this type of dispute resolution, and therefore her fee structure uses a sliding scale based on family net worth and income. To ensure each couple receives focused attention and personalized guidance, she works with no more than ten couples at any given time. She works with couples across Canada.

GET STARTED

Spouses should first discuss with each other whether they want to engage in Jessica’s process. If so, they may send a joint email to jessica@jessicagagne.ca