Elan Mendelson

I am a first-generation Canadian who speaks Spanish and Hebrew fluently. My Jewish-Mexican parents instilled the importance of communication, friendship, hard work, and community service. My upbringing led me to focus my attention on helping others.

I went to Western University with the intention of becoming a psychologist. During my studies, I learned about the ways that life stressors can trigger mental health conditions. I decided to focus my career on helping people by solving life problems before they become overwhelming and damaging. My skills in analytics, logic, communication and advocacy led me to become a Lawyer.

I started my legal career in civil litigation, where I participated in over 50 mediations involving matters of liability, damages, and complex structured settlements. I had the privilege of shadowing a renowned civil mediator who taught me the ins and outs of mediation and the strategies needed to mitigate the power imbalance between injured persons and insurance companies.

This passion for mediation led me to the field of family law where I saw an opportunity to make an everlasting effect on families who want to take control over their situation and escape the cost and distress of court.

I spent the next five years of my career mastering family law through litigation across all areas including child protection (Children’s Aid Society), child support, spousal support, property division, child custody, child access, and domestic abuse.

My ongoing litigation role keeps me up to date with the law, ultimately enabling me to provide my mediation clients with a credible perspective on the current legal system and the range of possible outcomes. I also leverage my passion for finance, tax law, and financial planning to find creative solutions to the satisfaction of both sides.

I have been a member of Collaborative Practice Toronto since 2020. I have helped clients at all stages of relationships using the prescribed principles of non-adversarial dispute resolution. Whether it is before marriage through marriage contracts or after marriage through the negotiation of parenting plans and separation agreements, my strategy is always to listen, plan, and implement solutions.

Delivering certainty, control, and closure is the most rewarding part of my job and I look forward to providing this to you.