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Managing Partner/Lawyer Accredited Family Mediator (OAFM) Accredited Intergenerational (Elder) Mediator (OAFM) Child-Inclusive Roster Mediator (OAFM/NavOn) Certified Collaborative Practitioner (OACP/IACP) ODR Specialist - Certificate in Online Dispute Resolution (FDRIO) Integrative Law Practitioner & Conscious Contracts® Practitioner
Connect(he/him/his)
Aubrey J. Sherman assists couples in struggling relationships or facing separation and divorce to gain clarity, navigate challenges, and improve communication. He facilitates opportunities to reduce conflict, resolve disputes, plan for a better future, and protect a legacy. Aubrey brings over 20 years of practical and hands-on experience specialzing in family law, dispute resolution, and estate planning for the benefit of his clients. |
His practice is distinguished by a commitment to providing clients with expert counsel, mediation, and collaborative divorce services that prioritize practical, interest-based/insightful solutions, and the best interests of children. An alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation and Mediation, Aubrey is a skilled negotiator, accredited family mediator, and accredited intergenerational (elder) mediator. He is widely recognized for his empathetic and solution-focused approach, emphasizing a wholistic and integrative legal practice centered on peacemaking, healing, and collaborative problem-solving. Aubrey understands that adversarial court proceedings can be harmful to families. As a result, he prioritizes peaceful and constructive alternatives for addressing family law issues. He advocates for legal solutions that support the long-term emotional and relational well-being of his clients and their families.
Aubrey is a Faculty Facilitator at Osgoode Hall Law School in the Skills Workshops for The Osgoode Certificate in Family Law Skills and Practice, which is an intensive three-month certificate professional development program at York University. Aubrey serves as a Director and Vice-President on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Association for Family Mediation. For the past decade, Aubrey served as a Director on the Board of Directors at Family and Children's Services of the Waterloo Region where he actively participated on several committees, including governance, executive director recruitment, strategic planning, and as Chair for the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) committee.
Over the course of his career, Aubrey has developed a deep expertise in complex family law matters, including:
He offers clients valuable insights into how courts may approach these sensitive and intricate issues, helping his clients to make informed decisions, avoid unnecessary conflict, and resolve disputes.
Aubrey is proud to assist clients across Waterloo Region and throughout Ontario, offering both in-person and virtual services via Zoom. He welcomes and supports all modern families, including blended families, same-sex spouses and partners, and members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Aubrey is an insight-oriented mediator and conflict resolution specialist who understands the importance of maintaining strong and respectful relationships with others. Drawing on his diverse background in law, business, and the social sciences, he helps families navigate conflict with clarity and compassion.
His approach centers on facilitating conversations that promote learning, mutual understanding, and meaningful resolution. Aubrey encourages dialogue that goes beyond surface disagreements, fostering insight into the deeper dynamics of relationships. Aubrey's work is informed by the principles of the comprehensive and integrative law movement, which integrates mindfulness, wholistic legal practices, conscious contracting, and alternative dispute resolution methods, including collaborative divorce and mediation to mitigate conflict and facilitate durable agreements.
With extensive experience advocating for clients in litigation—often resolving complex matters without the need for trial—Aubrey brings a grounded understanding of how conflict can be transformed. He skillfully guides families through difficult discussions using mindful approaches and constructive techniques such as “listening to understand,” which encourages awareness, empathy, and long-term solutions rooted in shared values. Aubrey is committed to helping families reduce conflict, preserve relationships, and create agreements that reflect their core values and long-term goals.
Aubrey strategically advances the interests of his clients by seeking timely and effective resolutions. He champions a wholistic, interdisciplinary approach to family law, enabling clients to access top professionals in related fields such as family professionals, financial experts, forensic accountants, tax specialists, financial planners, social workers, mental health professionals, and child psychologists.
His early commitment to mastering the complexities of family law has provided Aubrey with invaluable mentorship from internationally recognized senior counsel in family, corporate, and estates law. As a result, Aubrey is adept at navigating complex legal intersections involving corporate structures, trust and estate matters, joint family ventures, business valuations, family-run business divisions, employment-related issues, constructive and resulting trust claims, unjust enrichment, and corporate succession planning.
Aubrey is a trained Conscious Contracts® Practitioner, offering a unique alternative to traditional legal agreements. Through this values-based model, clients can co-create marriage and separation agreements centered on mutual respect and shared purpose. These agreements emphasize relational sustainability, authentic communication, and creative design—supported by plain language, visual tools, and innovative thinking.
When litigation is necessary, Aubrey is a strong courtroom advocate. He provides knowledgeable and skilled representation at all stages, including conferences, motions, trials, and appeals.
As a fellow of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Aubrey promotes collaborative practice as a superior alternative to traditional adversarial litigation for separation and divorce. He offers collaborative divorce and family law services for couples seeking to resolve their family law and divorce issues outside of court in a dignified, respectful, wholistic, and non-adversarial manner. Separating couples collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of legal, family, and financial professionals to resolve disputes, reduce conflict, and improve communication—all without ever entering a courtroom.
Aubrey's dedication to lifelong learning is reflected in his studies at IACP Global Virtual Institute, where he has trained under respected international leaders in the field, including Nancy J. Ross (Los Gatos, CA) family professional and co-founder of the Collaborative Divorce process, Pauline Tesler (Mill Valley, CA) lawyer/author, and Stephen Sulmeyer (San Francisco, CA) lawyer/mediator and clinical psychologist.
He is an active member of Collaborative Divorce of Waterloo Region (Best4All) and Collaborative Practice Hamilton Halton.
Aubrey is an Accredited Family Mediator (AccFM) and an Accredited Intergenerational (Elder) Mediator (AccIM) with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation, where he also serves on the Board of Directors. He is trained in child-inclusive mediation and is a member of the Voice of the Child/Child-Inclusive Mediator Roster with Navigating Onward.
With over 20 years of litigation experience, Aubrey brings a practical and solutions-oriented approach to mediation. Aubrey works with mediation clients directly, and frequently with legal counsel. His focus is on quickly identifying the core of a dispute and facilitating mutually satisfactory resolutions, often through creative settlement discussions. He offers both counsel-assisted mediation and case management services for matters already before the court, providing insight into how courts may approach specific legal issues, while offering candid and balanced feedback to help guide resolution.
Aubrey's mediation practise covers a broad range of issues, including:
Aubrey is an alumnus of advanced mediation, conflict management, and negotiation programs at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. He is a graduate of the conflict management and mediation certificate program at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo. He completed certification in dispute resolution through the ADR Institute of Ontario, focusing on conflict and negotiation theory and the mediation process. He completed advanced family mediation training through Family Mediation Training Canada in both the insight approach (Picard) and the interest-based approach (Fisher/Ury), designed by Jennifer Suzor and Madam Justice L. Madsen of the Ontario Court of Appeal. His intergenerational and elder mediation training was completed with Elizabeth Sterritt.
Aubrey is a member with Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO) and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).
Aubrey offers collaborative divorce mediation, which extends collaborative divorce to include a neutral lawyer-mediator and a family professional who work together with the couple to navigate legal, financial, and emotional hurdles, ultimately reaching mutually acceptable agreements. This consensual dispute resolution process combines the best aspects of collaborative divorce with the cost-effectiveness of mediation, achieving outstanding success.
His dedication to providing innovative legal options motivated Aubrey to become the first IACP-trained collaborative lawyer-mediator in Waterloo Region to offer collaborative divorce mediation.
Aubrey's approach to estate planning goes beyond financial capital to include the intellectual, social, human, and spiritual dimensions of wealth. When working with high-net-worth families, he prioritizes understanding the key individuals, values, and long-term goals that matter most to his clients. Aubrey collaborates with clients to design estate plans that are not only financially sound but also emotionally meaningful and family-focused.
Driven by a commitment to help clients transfer wealth in ways that inspire, empower, and create opportunities for future generations, Aubrey provides customized estate planning solutions tailored to each family's unique needs. His services include drafting comprehensive Wills and Trusts that safeguard legacies, minimize taxation and probate costs, and achieve both strategic and personal objectives.
Aubrey also offers expert succession planning for clients with business and corporate interests, working closely with corporate counsel and accountants to ensure continuity and clarity in leadership transitions.
In addition, Aubrey advises estate trustees throughout the estate administration process, offering guidance on probate, court appointments, and executor responsibilities. His goal is to help executors navigate complex legal procedures for estates with confidence and to ensure the smooth and proper distribution of estate assets.
Aubrey has achieved notable recognition for his extensive professional experience and expertise, including:
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Year of Call2005, Ontario
A little bit more about AubreyAubrey leads an active and intentional lifestyle rooted in wellness, creativity, and community. With a strong passion for physical fitness, yoga, and mindfulness, he believes in nurturing both body and mind.
Aubrey is a regular at the Kitchener Farmers' Market, where he supports local merchants and connects with his community. His love for the culinary arts has shaped him into a talented chef, inspired by clean eating and the vibrant offerings of local food culture.
When he is not in the kitchen, you will find Aubrey tending to his garden, exploring antique markets on weekend day trips, or working on home and interior design projects. A true enthusiast of the arts, he has a keen eye for fashion and design and finds joy in discovering beauty in the everyday.
Whether through his legal advocacy, thoughtful design, or a well-prepared meal, Aubrey brings creativity and intention to all his interests.
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