Jennifer M. Suzor

At Suzor Law and Mediation we have assisted separating families in Windsor and Essex County, Ontario, for over 29 years. We focus on guiding families to move forward from the devastation of divorce, separation and parenting conflicts into a new and peaceful future.  We believe that families can save time, energy and money by sitting together with a neutral third party to work through their issues without court.

Jennifer has practiced in all levels of the Court as a Specialist in Family Law, Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada, but now exclusively in the area of Family Mediation because she believes that mediation produces better outcomes for families.  She is highly intuitive and skilled at assisting parties to explore what needs to be worked through so that they can move to a better future.

Why mediate?  It works.                         

"In virtually every litigation file I had, the parties liked each other less at the end. With mediation, it is the opposite. I almost always see improvement in how people communicate but for certain I have never seen things get worse." 

Mediation is less expensive and quicker than traditional methods.  More importantly it lets your family determine what is best, as every family is unique and has their own challenges and strengths.

Jennifer became a mediator because she felt the tradidional methods were not working for families. Cases took years to resolve, at great expense. Mediation allows people to face issues head on and make necessary compromises to come to a fair settlement sooner rather than later. This saves money but more importantly it improves outcomes for children and clients.

Is Mediation really the right choice?  Yes, it is. Jennifer has restricted her practice to mediation or negotiation with other lawyers.  A consultation will allow you to explore what is best for your family.   We know that people experience both emotional and financial consequences when their relationships end.  Our goal is to put your family first by giving you great advice that actually helps you recover faster.

Early, neutral, expert guidance in a calm and relaxing environment means that the focus is on your family. Working with an Accredited Mediator ensures your communication will happen without argument and fighting, so that you can create a plan that works for you.  With a neutral third party present, the discussion stays focussed on resolving your issues fairly.  This really works when the issue is your children.

Jennifer has been accredited by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and has received specialized, and on-going, training specific to family law mediation. She is the current President of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation, the accrediting body for professional mediators.  She is highly skilled in conflict resolution and very knowledgeable about family dynamics and the needs of children.

Working things out together may seem hard at first but research shows it is successful more than 85% of the time.  Public satisfaction rates exceed 90%.

Some people mediate in the same room, and some in separate rooms.  Jennifer will help you make the right choice for you. 

It is important to have legal advice at any point during the process - before, during or after.  Jennifer can give both of you information, such as Child Support Guidelines, but you may wish to obtain some legal advice prior to or during mediation. 

Not sure what to do?  If you are not certain whether mediation will work for you, call today for a consultation at 519-252-2772 so you can meet Jennifer and hear more about mediation and other options for you.

We fully understand that you have made a difficult decision to separate, and now you need to do that in a timely and inexpensive way.  We have the experience to know what you need to address and decide and are fully equipped to help you do that.

Put Jennifer's conflict resolution skills to work for your family.

Family Mediation is a voluntary process where a neutral mediator supports the family to make decisions for themselves.  The mediator is impartial and neutral, and helps you both discuss your needs in a non aggressive way.  The mediator also helps you come up with options. Mediation is also confidential, which is important since the court system is not.  

The benefits of family mediation are numerous. The principal benefits are:

Where children are involved, the focus is kept on the best interests of the children.

The ability to resolve issues in a way that suits the clients best and enables them to directly affect the outcome.

An opportunity to speak directly to the other person about issues of concern in a neutral and safe environment.

An opportunity to learn skills for better communicationand cooperative problem solving.

Much less expensive and simpler than court processes.

Lessening tensions and removing an adversarial atmosphere.
The process is private.

Sitting together and working with one person usually results in less cost and certainly quicker timelines for clients.  More importantly, you are taking responsibility for your own lives and decisions instead of placing them in the hands of other people.

The document that will be drafted at the conclusion of your mediation is a Separation Agreement.  It is important that you think about obtaining legal advice before signing the Agreement.  In your mediation appropropriate legal concepts will be discussed, but it is always good to get an opinion that is suited only to you. 

It is also important to know that financial disclosure is important to the mediation process.  At an intake consultation you will learn more about what documents need to be provided in order for your settlement to be secure.