Trudy is Associate Counsel with Harper Grey and throughout her career has focused her practice primarily on family law and estate litigation.
For almost 30 years, Trudy has guided hundreds of clients through marriage, separation, divorce, child custody, property division and other domestic matters. She has extensive experience in complex family law disputes and is also experienced in estate and plaintiff personal injury litigation. Trudy is regularly involved in multi-party negotiations, trials and appeals. Trudy is particularly adept at files that have complex financial issues, and those with high conflict parenting issues. She has built strong relationships with leading experts and professionals to assist her clients when necessary.
Trudy is well known for her passionate, no-nonsense approach, her legal expertise, and her ability to craft creative legal solutions. She is a strong advocate for alternate methods to resolving disputes where client’s fashion the outcome, rather than having one imposed by a court. Trudy was trained as a Mediator early in her practice, so that she could effectively represent her clients in that forum and has also trained in the Collaborative process. When the new parenting coordinator and family law arbitration process came to British Columbia, she was quick to become accredited as a Parenting Coordinator as well as a Family Law Arbitrator. With her extensive alternate dispute skills and training, her years of courtroom experience, and her up-to-date knowledge of the law, Trudy is able to confidently evaluate cases and advise her clients on the best forum for the resolution of their disputes, whether that be an alternate dispute resolution process, or litigation.
Throughout her career, Trudy has frequently contributed to the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia in the area of Family Law as a faculty member, speaker, writer, and volunteer.
As a bilingual practitioner, Trudy can assist her clients in both English and Dutch.
Education
- University of British Columbia, LL.B., 1990
- University of Lethbridge, B.A.(Philosophy)/B.Ed., 1983
Bar Admission
- British Columbia, 1991
Accreditation
- Family Law Mediator, The Law Society of British Columbia (2014)
- Family Law Arbitrator, The Law Society of British Columbia (2014)
- Parenting Coordinator, The Law Society of British Columbia (2015)
Leadership
- Board Member, Trial Lawyers Association of BC
- Former Board Member, Thunderbirds Hockey Association, Risk Manager (2009-2017)
- Former Board Member, Westside Warriors Football (2008-2012)
- Consultant, Family Law Agreements Manual, published by the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC
Membership
- Member, The Law Society of British Columbia
- Member, Collaborative Divorce Vancouver Society
- Roster Member, Access Pro Bono Family Law Roster
- Roster Member, Mediate BC (Family)
- Roster Member, BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society, Vancouver
- Member, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch Subsections:
- Family Law
- Wills & Estates
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
Community Involvement
- Volunteer, Pro Bono Legal Clinic
- Volunteer, Pro Bono Collaborative Roster Society
- Volunteer Coordinator, New Westminster Family Section
- Volunteer, Salvation Army Pro Bono Clinic