Deborah Ditchfield
Bio
For over thirty years, Deborah Ditchfield has worked tirelessly to give her clients back their lives, their families and, in many cases, their voice.
Deborah’s unwavering belief in the power of family law to enhance lives along with her unyielding support of one’s right to the very best legal representation has earned her a stellar reputation as an exceptional advocate as well as a compassionate, forward-thinking person.
Deborah’s expansive knowledge of family law, along with a strategic, focused approach, instills confidence in her clients and ensures exceptional results.
Deborah excels at trial advocacy, as all who know her will agree. However, before proceeding to this step she will do everything possible to bring about a peaceful and fair resolution using her experience and skill in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Deborah has the knowledge base and capability to handle complex family law matters which involve corporate law and tax law and where necessary she will partner with business valuators, tax experts and accountants to achieve the best possible outcome.
Deborah has extensive experience in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) including negotiation, Collaborative Family Law, mediation and arbitration. She is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Institutes of both Canada and Ontario and is a trained Family Law Arbitrator providing mediation, med/arb and arbitration services.
Deborah has represented clients at all levels of Appellate and Trial Courts and she serves as a Small Claims Court Judge.
Associations
- Brant Haldimand-Norfolk and Hamilton Collaborative Practice Groups
- Brant Law Association
- Canadian Bar Association
- Law Society of Ontario
- Ontario Bar Association
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Ontario Association of Collaborative Professionals (OACP)
- ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC)
- ADR Institute of Ontario, Inc. (ADRIO)
- Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO)
- Collaborative Professionals of Canada (CPC)
Education
- York University, Osgoode Hall Law School, Masters in Law, 1999
- Admitted to the Ontario Bar, 1985
- University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Law Degree, 1983
- University of Western Ontario, graduated Magna Cum Laude, Bachelor of Arts, 1980
Insights
I Just Separated From My Spouse. What Are My Options?
Contact
p: 519.759.6220 ext. 308 e: dditchfield@waterousholden.com
Assistant
Cara Layne – p: 519.759.6220 ext. 370 e: clayne@waterousholden.com
Client Reviews
Source: LawyerRatingz.com
“Deborah is everything you want an excellent lawyer to be; knowledgeable, communicative, prepared, experienced and thorough. Deborah is the finest family practice lawyer I’ve found.” July 2014
“Deborah helped me navigate through a very tough time in my life. I was an emotional wreck and she was compassionate, but represented my interests firmly and fairly. She was honest with me from the outset and got the best possible outcome.” Client Review June’14
“Ms. Ditchfield…is very professional and very compassionate….the only lawyer who actually listened to our needs and did an outstanding job in the courtroom. We are forever grateful…” September 2018
“Ms. Ditchfield is the embodiment of professionalism and poise….[her] reputation of ‘the best’ is most definitely accurate..” February 2019
“I can’t imagine how I would’ve gotten through this without the support, advice, counsel and determination of Deborah… she gave me the full picture and advice on different options.” May 2019
“Ms. Ditchfield…is highly highly knowledgeable about family law and is also trained in mediation, she does not believe in going to court if not necessary and I found her to be fair.” April 2020
“Deborah and her team did an amazing job…” August 2020
“I would recommend her if you want to get things resolved.” February 2021
“I would highly recommend her.” August 2021