About Linda Roberts

How and why I became a divorce mediator

In my twenties, my passion was to open my own psychology practice here in Calgary by the time I was 40. But when I decided to leave my marriage with my son, who was just a year and a half old at the time, that path was not what was going to get me through the next six years of litigating my divorce.

I remember stepping into the courtroom for the very first time. It felt like entering a tunnel, not knowing what I’d find inside or when I’d see the light at the other end. Naive to the legal system, I placed all of my trust in my first lawyer, who I thought would get me past the uncertainty so I could move on and raise my son in our new normal: two homes, with one parent in each.

What litigation taught me

After the first year of litigation, I learned that there is no “fair”. Your lawyer has minutes to tell your side of the story to a stranger, the judge, who then makes a legally binding ruling about how you’ll move forward, or moves it to yet another day so more information can be brought forward. By year three, and my second lawyer, that pattern hadn’t changed. A resolution was no closer, but the cost was now almost $67,000.

My lawyers’ lives went on at the end of their working day. The judges, and everyone else in the courtroom telling their stories, went home to their lives. What I went home to was not knowing what to expect next, and that feeling continued for six long years, at a cost of $114,000, and that was just for my lawyers.

Why I do this work

If things happen for a reason, then my reason for choosing a career in divorce negotiation and mediation is to help others avoid crazy legal costs, unnecessary time and stress, and the kind of damage that makes co-parenting almost impossible.

I couldn’t be more passionate when I say that mediation lets you keep some control over the outcome of your final divorce agreement. It can leave you with a place to rebuild your future from, and it lets you be a positive role model for your children as they watch both of you get through this challenging time with dignity.

Experience and credentials as a Calgary divorce specialist

• 18 years helping Calgary families through separation and divorce
• Commissioner for Oaths since 2014
• Conflict Resolution studies at Mount Royal University
• Paralegal studies, plus courses in finance, sociology, psychology, women’s studies and parenting
• Seminars helping people understand what to expect from separation and divorce

A boutique practice

Get through your divorce with an affordable, less stressful, fair and efficient process, with a boutique business that isn’t passing on the cost of fancy offices, franchising or sales quotas to its clients. Learn more about Calgary Divorce Solutions.

Ready to take the next step? Book your free consultation, call 403.460.2800, or send us a message.