Marcus Ashby

Why Marcus does this work

Marcus Ashby was called to the Ontario bar in 2012 and joined Elliot as a partner after several years in family law practice. Marcus chose this work for a reason many clients recognize: as a teenager, Marcus watched a close relative go through a long, bitter separation that cost the whole family far more than money.

That stayed with Marcus. It is why Marcus trained in collaborative family law and family mediation, two ways of separating that protect people’s dignity and their children’s sense of safety.

How Marcus works with clients

Marcus works in two different roles. As a lawyer, Marcus represents one person in negotiation or collaborative family law, where both people and their lawyers agree to work things out without going to court. As a mediator, Marcus stays neutral and helps both people talk through parenting, support and property, while each of them gets independent legal advice.

Every mediation starts with private screening for family violence and power imbalances. If mediation isn’t safe or fair for you, Marcus will say so plainly and help you find a better route.

• Calm meetings. Sessions are structured and never rushed, with breaks whenever you need them.

• Practical solutions. Marcus likes agreements that still work on a rainy Tuesday in February, not just on paper.

• Respect for everyone. You can disagree with your former partner and still be treated, and treat them, with courtesy.

• Clear next steps. You leave every meeting knowing what happens next, who is doing it and roughly what it will cost.

Marcus speaks English and Portuguese and is often asked to help families where grandparents and extended family are an important part of the picture. Marcus is patient with big emotions and good at finding the small agreements that make the larger ones possible.

Away from work, Marcus coaches a youth soccer team in Aurora, cooks enormous Sunday dinners for anyone who will come and is slowly, stubbornly learning to play the guitar.