Guides for the Journey
Our Staff
Elizabeth A. Urban, B.A. LLB
Elizabeth is a Collaborative family lawyer with over 30 years of experience. She also is a wife to Mark, a mom to Brenton, Becca and Dustin and a grandma to her granddaughter Charley!
She graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with her Honours Degree in Political Science and Economics. It was during her second year at McMaster where she began her legal career working at various law offices in administrative positions to gain knowledge and experience prior to becoming a lawyer. That is when Elizabeth knew with certainty, she wanted to practice law, with a focus on family law. She went on to obtain her law degree and graduated with her LLB from Osgoode Law School in 1989 and was called to the Bar in 1991. Elizabeth began her career with a focus on family law, but also practiced criminal defence and then as a federal prosecutor for the first few years of her career.
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Since 1996, Elizabeth has restricted her practice to Family Law. Elizabeth completed her Collaborative training in 2008 and since then, the core of her practice has been Collaborative Practice. Elizabeth is also a qualified Collaborative trainer and facilitates training of other professionals (lawyers, financial and family professionals) to obtain their Collaborative certification. Her extensive involvement in the Collaborative process, not only in the community she practices in, but also in the Province of Ontario and internationally is demonstrative of her passion for the Collaborative Process.
Elizabeth is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Canadian Bar Association, Hamilton Law Association, Halton County Law Association, Collaborative Practice Canada, Collaborative Practice Hamilton-Halton (Chair from 2015 to 2023), the Ontario Association of Collaborative Professionals (OACP), co-chair of the Professional Development Committee of OACP, a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).
Elizabeth has continued her education to keep up to date with changes in family law and resolution-focused process options. She has attended countless seminars, workshops and family law and professional collaborative conferences. She takes her role seriously in assisting families “in transition” and exercises compassion with her clients. Elizabeth takes time to learn her clients’ goals, objectives, stress factors and concerns and strives to help them resolve their differences with their partners with compassion, dignity and respect. Elizabeth has the perseverance, strong work ethic and exceptional negotiation skills required to help her clients to achieve the most appropriate resolution to any family law dispute or problem.
In December of 2007, Elizabeth was honoured with an inaugural appointment to the Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO) Panel for the Superior Court of Justice in Milton Ontario where she continued to assist families in the Court system for 15 years, until 2022. Lawyers appointed to this Panel function to support the family law court process by assisting separated couples to resolve their issues prior to their case proceeding before a Judge.
It is through great care, determination, and a passion for helping families resolve conflict, that has made it possible for Elizabeth to be instrumental in resolving matters for numerous families over the years.
In her spare time, Elizabeth loves to spend time with her family, and also makes time to recharge her batteries by playing the piano, learning Spanish, playing tennis and golf, going on hikes or attending the gym for body pump or yoga classes.
Rachel, Administrative Assistant
Rachel oversees accounting and related financial matters. She joined Team Urban in April 2019 and enjoys working closely with Elizabeth to provide clients with care and support. She is organized and efficient while dealing with accounting, ledger entries, accounts payable, and other administrative tasks. Rachel will be in touch with clients often for scheduling, connecting them with Elizabeth, and any accounting tasks. Rachel has loved working at Urban Family Law for the past five years and welcomes the opportunity to support you as you navigate through this new phase in your life.
Patricia, Senior Law Clerk
Patricia is a Senior Law Clerk to Elizabeth Urban. She has more than 30 years of experience and joined Elizabeth’s team in May 2014. Patricia’s role in the office includes assisting clients in gathering the necessary details for the negotiation, drafting and preparing Separation Agreements, Marriage Contracts and Cohabitation Agreements. All the while she gives clients direction as to what is required of them and what the process involves. Patricia’s goal is to help clients ease through their challenging transition by being supportive and helpful in reducing the stress load often associated by the “unknowns” within the process. Patricia supports Elizabeth with her extensive experience and work with clients to involve alternative dispute processes to include the Collaborative Practice process, mediation and arbitration. Patricia is also a commissioner appointed by the province of Ontario for swearing documents.
