About Us
Helping to Bridge Differences
The Collaborative Law Group of the Kootenays offers a team approach to resolution of legal issues arising through separation and divorce. We aim to help you reach agreeable terms of your separation agreement with each of you having your own lawyer throughout the process.
We are an association of experienced independent lawyers, mediators, psychologists, family counsellors, child specialists and financial advisors who are specially trained to work together for the benefit of your whole family.
Lawyers
Lawyers provide independent legal advice. In the Collaborative Practice model, each party retains their own specially trained Collaborative Lawyer to advise them individually throughout the process. The parties and their two lawyers have a series of 4-way meetings where the lawyers co-mediate with a view to helping the parties reach settlement, while providing independent legal advice to their own clients.
Our Collaborative Lawyers are members of the International Academy of Collaborative Lawyers and the Law Society of British Columbia.
The lawyers will draft your enforceable Separation Agreement after you have reached settlement. The lawyers can also help you get an order for divorce.
Susan Kurtz, Q.Arb.
Lawyer, Mediator, Arbitrator
Susan Kurtz has been a family law lawyer for more than 30 years and a qualified Collaborative Lawyer for 25 years. She has successfully assisted hundreds of couples through the collaborative process to a final separation agreement. Her vast experience in the courtroom exposed to her the harm litigation causes families and individuals, causing Susan to become a strong advocate for Collaborative Practice as a superior and healthier way to resolve family law issues.
Since making Nelson her home in 1992, Susan has widely shared her skills as a lawyer, teacher and community leader. Susan has served as President of the Nelson Rotary Club and President of the Kootenay Bar Association. She is a founding Director of both the BC Women Lawyers Forum and the BC Collaborative Roster Society. In Nelson, Susan has served on the Board of Director’s for Kootenay Co-op Radio, the Capitol Theatre, Community First Health Co-op and the Osprey Community Foundation.
As a certified yoga teacher of more than 20 years, Susan brings compassion and mindfulness to her work. When not working, Susan enjoys being outdoors on a paddle board, bike or skis or hiking and when she cannot be outdoors Susan enjoys playing the piano or ukelele, but not at the same time.
Judah Harrison
Lawyer & Mediator Kootenay Mediation, Nelson, BC
As a family lawyer and mediator with nearly 15 years experience, Judah is dedicated to assisting individuals and families in navigating legal issues, particularly those pertaining to family breakdowns. Legal issues that must often be resolved include parenting plans, child and spousal support, and dividing assets and debts. On many occasions, he has seen the benefit of people resolving their legal issues on their own terms; collaboratively and through mediation, rather than through court.
Helping Professionals
They are child specialists, psychologists, counsellors, financial advisors and others who are specially trained as members of the Collaborative Law Group of the Kootenays to work with the lawyers.
Al Dyck
Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist (CFDS), A.C. Dyck Financial Services, Cranbrook, BC
Alfred “Al” Dyck is an independent Chartered Financial Divorce Specialist (CFDS) with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Since 1992, he has helped individuals navigate life’s transitions with personalized, unbiased financial guidance. As an independent advisor, Al’s recommendations are free from institutional influence and focused solely on his clients’ best interests.
Drawing on decades of experience, Al provides clarity around the financial aspects of separation and divorce, helping clients understand asset division, evaluate settlement options, and plan for the future with confidence. His calm, practical approach empowers clients to make informed decisions that support stability and peace of mind.
Deborah Brakeley, M.Ed., R.C.C.
Collaborative Divorce Coach, Vancouver, BC
As a Collaborative Divorce Coach, I guide individuals and couples through separation with steady emotional and practical support. I understand that this transition involves grief, uncertainty, and profound change. My role is to help clients navigate the process with clarity, purpose, and intention.
I work closely with parents to create thoughtful parenting plans, strengthen communication, and build durable co-parenting skills that prioritize children’s well-being. I encourage decisions that protect long-term family stability while honoring personal needs and concerns. Throughout the process, I hold a deepbelief in every client’s capacity for strength, courage, resilience, and compassion.
With guidance and empathy, I help people move forward in ways that reduce conflict, preserve dignity, and lay the groundwork for next chapters that promote well-being for the family as a whole.
Shelley Behr, MSW, RSW
Collaborative Divorce Coach, Child Specialist, Family Counselor, Richmond, BC
Shelley Behr is a Collaborative Divorce Coach, Child Specialist, and Family Counsellor based in Richmond, BC. Since 2003, she has supported families through separation and divorce with integrity, dignity, and mutual respect. Shelley is dedicated to helping clients resolve disputes, strengthen communication, and navigate conflict in ways that preserve relationships and support the well-being of children.
Working within the Collaborative Divorce process, Shelley assists separating spouses in developing effective parenting plans, improving communication, and understanding the voice and experience of their children. As a child specialist, she helps parents recognize the impact of divorce at every developmental stage and guides them in creating thoughtful, customized parenting arrangements. Trained in art and play therapy, she works directly with children to ensure their perspectives are heard and respected.
Shelley also supports families in the early stages of separation, including guiding parents through conversations with their children and managing grief and transition. With over sixteen years in private practice and as founder of the Richmond Counselling Centre, Shelley brings depth, compassion, and extensive experience to families restructuring their lives through collaboration.