CDS® Canada Connect
Divorce Education & Networking
Support. Community. Growth
Monthly virtual events designed exclusively for Canadian Divorce Professionals to stay current, connect, and elevate their practice.
Event Series Overview
The CDS® Canada Connect Learning Series is a monthly online event crafted for Certified Divorce Specialists across Canada.
These events focus on practical training, real-world case studies, and industry updates to help you better serve your divorcing clients.
🔹 What You’ll Learn
Live expert-led insights covering legal, emotional, financial, and communication topics relevant to Canadian divorce professionals.
🔹 CDS® Community Benefits
Stay connected with CDS® grads across Canada, share knowledge, and expand your referral network through monthly virtual meetups.
Our mission doesn’t stop at certification. Every month, we host exclusive virtual learning events for CDS® designees and other Canadian Divorce Professionals, designed to provide ongoing support, real-world insights, and a collaborative space to grow.
✅ Upcoming Presentation
Love, Separation, and Status: When Family Law and Immigration Law Collide
📅 Date: Sept 17, 2026
🕒 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
🎙️ Speaker: Adrienne Smith
Join us for an insightful discussion exploring the intersection of immigration and family law during separation and divorce. This session will provide professionals with a practical understanding of how immigration can impact clients navigating family breakdown, while highlighting common misconceptions, potential legal and financial implications, cross-border considerations, and the importance of early collaboration and referrals.
Why Attend?
- Stay up to date on family law trends in Canada
- Get real-life case insights from fellow CDS graduates
- Ask questions in a supportive, educational space
- Build your referral network within the Canadian divorce industry
- Collaborate with fellow Canadian CDS® pros
- Get updates on Canadian divorce trends
These Monthly Events Are Just One of the Many Benefits of Becoming a CDS®
Already certified? You’re welcome to attend every month and expand your toolkit.
Not certified yet? Learn more about the CDS Program here »
Monthly Learning Themes
Every month, our CDS® Canada Connect Learning Series covers practical, relevant topics that divorce professionals face across various fields — from legal to emotional and financial.
Whether you’re navigating the family court system or supporting a client’s mental health, each session is designed to build your skills and confidence.
You’ll gain clarity on current challenges and learn how to better support clients across the divorce journey.
Recent Topics Covered
By Focus Area:
- From High Conflict to Agreement : Unlocking Effective Mediation Tools
- Stable Clients, Smoother Cases: Strategies to Help Clients Regulate Their Emotional States
- The business of mrriage and the mediation of prenuptial agreements
- From Screening to Courtroom: Addressing Domestic Violence in Divorce Cases
- Client Management in Divorce: A Legal Perspective for Interdisciplinary Professionals
- Beyond Automation: How AI is reshaping the divorce professional’s toolkit
Speakers Spotlight
ADRIENNE SMITH
Adrienne Smith is the founder and principal lawyer of Smith Immigration Law, a Toronto-based law firm specializing in LGBTQ2+ immigration, Federal Court litigation, and inadmissibility issues. Adrienne has been practicing exclusively in immigration and refugee law for over a decade.
Adrienne has appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada on behalf of EGALE and Rainbow Railroad, and as an expert witness before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. She currently teaches Immigration Law at the University of Toronto, and Family Class Immigration in the immigration graduate diploma program at Queen’s Law. In 2025, Emond Publishing released the second edition of Adrienne’s book titled “Family Class Sponsorship in Canadian Immigration Law”. Adrienne is a regular speaker at immigration law conferences.
Prior to practicing as an immigration lawyer, Adrienne worked as a strategic policy advisor at IRCC’s National Headquarters in Ottawa.
Attendee Benefits Recap
- Free access to expert-led training
- 1 Hour of CE credit for CDS® designees
- Real-world case studies from Canadian professionals
- Actionable strategies for emotional and legal support
- Opportunity to ask questions during live Q&A
- 30-minute networking session with other CDS® grads
- Replay access available to registered attendees
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What CDS Graduates Are Saying...
