Only Family Matters

Kelly Edmonds began practicing family law in the Town of Simcoe in 1989. To learn more about her previous legal experience or how she chose “Only Family Matters” as the name of her business, visit her website at www.onlyfamilymatters.ca.

In 2014, Kelly established her own law firm in Tillsonburg. Although she had a very successful career in family law litigation, Kelly has always thought that the courtroom is not the best place to resolve family issues. The process itself of going to court encourages conflict, which in turn, negatively affects the children. Her goal is to help separating couples move forward in a more positive direction by choosing mediation first. It is less costly, the parties themselves determine the outcome and the process is usually quicker than going to court. More importantly, it lessens the impact of separation upon the children because they do not have to witness their parents fighting. Instead, they see their parents trying to get along in order to work things out. The role of the Mediator is to provide a safe environment in which the parents can learn how to communicate more effectively and problem-solve.

For Kelly, helping couples resolve their differences is much more fulfilling than assisting them with their need for revenge. Mediation promotes healing and allows for a “win-win” situation, whereas going to court usually ends with one winner and one loser. Even when she “won” a case for a client, it was not always personally satisfying for Kelly because that usually meant that the family as a unit was torn apart.