Doreen provides the important service of collaborative financial consulting for people already working with collaborative, settlement-oriented lawyers.  By combining financial expertise with the legal advice and information clients receive from their lawyers, Doreen assists clients to make informed decisions about assets and support.   

Doreen has handled enough collaborative cases to know that the neutral financial professional is a very valuable team member.  As a neutral professional, Doreen is not aligned with either client, and is available to both people as they figure out how both can get what they need.  One of her tools, projections of cash flow and net worth, is a very effective way to break through an impasse.  These customized illustrations give clients and their lawyers a new way to discuss the often hot button topics of spousal support and division of assets.

Doreen has a strong background in personal financial education.  In situations where one person lacks the financial skills to make good decisions, Doreen can quickly provide a customized learning experience that helps the person become more confident about the options.  Doreen has a wealth of experience that helps clients quickly fine tune their money management skills and become better able to manage their own affairs.

Selecting not to sell any financial products, extensive knowledge of where and how these products can be purchased is shared with clients as they implement the decisions they make during the collaborative process.  Doreen works on a fee only basis and her policy is to not accept any referral or finder fees.

Doreen has been in private practice since 1990.  Her degree in Home Economics from the University of Manitoba, with its focus on family systems and personal finance, is the foundation of her collaborative work.  Doreen is a Certified Financial Planner in good standing with the Financial Planning Standards Council and has the Accredited Financial Counsellor  designation from the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE).  Professionally, Doreen enjoys opportunities to train and mentor financial advisors as they move toward collaborative practice.