Family LawCoaching

Navigating Divorce on Your Terms - The Benefits of Legal Coaching

Family Law - Coaching

What is legal coaching and how does it work?

Legal coaching or unbundled family law services provide a more affordable alternative to hiring a family lawyer. Rather than having a family lawyer go to court for you, you represent yourself in divorce court and a family lawyer works in the background—helping you draft legal documents, giving advice, and preparing you for court or family law mediation.

Legal coaching differs from the traditional family law firm model. Normally, your divorce lawyer does all the work for you and appears on your behalf in court or mediation. With legal coaching, you represent yourself, while a legal professional supports you behind the scenes. This reduces the legal workload and overall cost.

At Crossroads Law, we understand that not everyone chooses or is able to retain a full-service lawyer. Some people navigate the legal system alone due to cost, lack of access to Legal Aid, or personal preference. Regardless of the reason, we believe everyone deserves meaningful access to justice.

Prepare for family law mediation with legal coaching

Legal coaching can also help you prepare for mediation. It’s often an effective way to resolve a family law case. However, mediation can feel intimidating if you don’t know your rights or how to negotiate effectively. A legal coach can improve your outcomes by assessing your case, developing strategy, and even helping you draft speaking notes.

What are the benefits of legal coaching?

Control your costs
With legal coaching, there's no need for a large retainer. Only a nominal fee is required depending on your needs. Our services are unbundled—you pay for what you need, when you need it. Whether it's legal advice, help drafting court documents, or legal research assistance, you stay in control of the scope and cost.

Save time
Our legal coaches—lawyers and paralegals—have supported thousands of clients through separation, divorce, and other family matters. Instead of spending hours navigating complex procedures alone, you can rely on an experienced coach to draft documents, provide guidance, and streamline your case.

Flexibility
We designed our services to be flexible for people representing themselves. Everything is virtual and available to clients across B.C. and Alberta. While we don't appear in court for you, we work behind the scenes to help you prepare effectively.

How do I know if legal coaching is right for me?
Legal coaching is ideal for self-represented litigants—those managing their family law case without full legal representation. If you're comfortable handling aspects of your case but need help with document drafting, court procedures, or preparing for hearings, this may be the right fit. Book a free consultation to learn more.

Legal coaching services available through Crossroads Law

We offer flexible coaching options for self-represented clients in family law matters:

Legal coaching with a lawyer
Get behind-the-scenes support from a family lawyer to help you prepare for court, mediation, or negotiation. You remain in control, with expert guidance at each step.

Legal coaching with a paralegal
A more affordable option, paralegal coaching provides similar support. A trained paralegal can assist with document prep, legal information, and strategy—while you continue to self-represent.

What is the process for getting started?
Begin by booking your free consultation. We'll help assess your needs and suggest next steps. Afterward, you’ll work with a legal or paralegal coach. Needs can change—you’re free to switch services anytime. A small retainer is required to get started.

Whether working with a lawyer or paralegal, our goal is to empower you with the skills and support needed to get better results in court, mediation, or arbitration.

What our legal coaching clients have to say:

“Trish has provided me with fabulous paralegal services. I would highly recommend her and the team for all families needing affordable and professional legal services. Trish is detail-oriented, responsive, proactive and partners with her clients to get outstanding results. I couldn't recommend her highly enough.”

“I wish I had found this service years ago. Professional, reliable, and truly felt like I had someone in my corner. I had Chyanne help me through a very difficult time, she was always there when I needed her. I hope to continue working with her in the future.”

“Fantastic! I can honestly say that there would be no way that I could have navigated the Supreme Court documents without Trish’s assistance. Worth every penny. And yes, the outcome was successful in my favour."

Legal coaching with Crossroads Law

Crossroads Law has family lawyers in good standing with the Law Societies of British Columbia and Alberta. If you have an internet connection, we can provide remote legal coaching for your separation or divorce anywhere in B.C. or Alberta.

For a FREE initial consultation on legal coaching, please reach out to us.

Book Free Consultation Now

Additional resources

As a start, check out our free blogs on legal coaching and unbundled family law services, written by our Vancouver and Calgary family lawyers.

Coaches in BC

Vancouver

Jenna Lalani

Family Lawyer / Estate Planning Lawyer / Certified Legal Coach

Jenna Lalani is a dedicated and compassionate family lawyer with the added bonus of assisting clients with their estate planning needs.

Vancouver

Anchal Gupta

Family Lawyer

Anchal brings a diverse legal background to her practice, having started her career as in-house counsel for Rogers Communications before exclusively focusing on family law.

Vancouver

Chyanne Sharma

Family Lawyer

Chyanne’s passion for family law is driven by her desire to help people and she has a proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Vancouver

Zachary Berinstein

Family Lawyer

Zach Berinstein is a dedicated family lawyer based in Vancouver, blending skilled litigation with heartfelt advocacy.

Vancouver

Chris Cosentino

Family Lawyer

Leveraging his corporate and family law experience, Chris focuses on simplifying legal issues and championing cost-effective solutions.

Vancouver
Calgary

Trish Johnson

Paralegal / Certified Legal Coach

Trish is a highly skilled paralegal with over two decades of experience in family law, with extensive experience at both the Provincial and Supreme court levels.

Coaches in Alberta

Calgary

Yasemin Shihab Ahmed

Family Lawyer / Legal Coach

Yasemin is a dedicated family lawyer with a strong background in litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Calgary

Daniella Marchand

Family Lawyer / Fertility Lawyer / Legal Coach

Daniella Marchand is a family lawyer whose holistic and patient approach provides her clients with compassionate and practical legal services.

Calgary

Gurjant Bains

Family Lawyer

With a diverse background spanning both civil litigation and criminal defense, Gurjant brings a wealth of experience to his practice.

Calgary

Benjamin Szalay-Anderson

Articling Student

Benjamin Szalay-Anderson leverages his profound understanding of human behavior—backed by his degree in psychology and sociology—to advocate effectively and passionately for his clients.

Vancouver
Calgary

Trish Johnson

Paralegal / Certified Legal Coach

Trish is a highly skilled paralegal with over two decades of experience in family law, with extensive experience at both the Provincial and Supreme court levels.

Legal coaching is when a lawyer helps you in the background so that you can get some help with your case while you represent yourself in court, mediation or negotiation.

Paralegal coaching is similar to legal coaching, except instead of hiring a lawyer to help you in the background while you represent yourself, you hire an experienced paralegal.

Unbundled legal services simply refer to a special type of legal retainer, sometimes called a limited scope retainer. A regular retainer with a family lawyer involves paying the lawyer a lump sum (usually $3000-$5000) and the lawyer does all of the work on your file so you don’t have to represent yourself. Unbundled legal services offer customers the option of having a lawyer do specific tasks that are agreed upon ahead of time.

Get flexible and affordable legal assistance with unbundled family law and legal coaching services. Skip the hefty retainers and pay only for the needed time, billed in 15-minute blocks. We also offer flat-rate pricing for various divorce and family law services.

Family law legal coaching is also sometimes called unbundled family law legal services or a limited scope retainer. Legal coaching is a way for you to get the help and advice you need to represent yourself in your case, but you decide how and when you need it. 

We do not attend court for our clients; we provide help in the background so they can represent themselves better in court.

Explore valuable resources to guide you through self-representation in family law matters.

Coaching

Frequently Asked Questions

chyanne faq
Support Calculators

Support Calculators

Free Child & Spousal Support Calculators to help you understand what support payments may look like.

Legal Resources

Legal Resources

Unravel the intricacies of family law with insights and commentary from Crossroads Law's distinguished team.

Free Consultation

Free Consultation

Contact us today for a no-charge initial consultation to discuss your family law needs.