Calm and composed: an asset in family law

Jamie Mountford’s secret power is remaining calm under pressure when clients and situations are emotionally charged. “If I can help people resolve things amicably and help them move on to the next phase of their lives with the least amount of conflict and cost, then I’ve done my job,” he says. Children are the biggest beneficiaries when their separated parents resolve their issues with minimal cost and conflict.

Jamie’s practice covers all aspects of family law, from property division to dealing with parenting rights. His 35 years of experience began with criminal law and civil litigation, but family law eventually became his focus. His ten years as in-house counsel at the Catholic Children’s Aid Society helped strengthen his knowledge and approach to family law, with a strong focus on protecting children from their parents’ disputes.

His unique approach to family law has a lot to do with listening, strategizing, and adapting. “I listen carefully to what my clients want to achieve and sometimes have to help them refine their goals because what they want and what they can get are often very different.” Jamie also maintains that the resulting strategy must be adaptable and flexible because circumstances frequently change.

Jamie is also an active member of the family law community. He has conducted numerous roasts of the family law bench and bar. “It’s all part of keeping it light, where we can poke fun at ourselves as we deal with emotionally charged issues and people,” he says. And it serves a larger purpose in maintaining and building relationships between the bench and bar so they can effectively work together, which always serves the clients better.