This expansion isn't about change, but continuity of service, says the DivorceMate team
This article was produced in partnership with DivorceMate
The team at DivorceMate has been proudly serving the Canadian family law bar for almost four decades, and that deep bench of expertise is about to impact LEAP Family Law as DivorceMate takes over their innovation, content, development and support. Michael Perlman, CEO of DivorceMate has the following message “We’re the same people you’ve relied on for years — and we’re here for you. We look forward to building on existing strengths and driving meaningful progress for lawyers using LEAP Family Law software.”
Christine Montgomery, VP of Family Law at DivorceMate, who was pivotal in laying the foundation for DivorceMate, will be one of the leaders heading up legal content for LEAP Family Law.
“I’ve been at DivorceMate for 20 years — which I hate admitting because it shows my age,” she jokes. “I came on board when the SSAGs were first being developed and I worked closely with the authors to interpret the SSAGs and design software that was not only accurate in its application of the formulas, but was also understandable, useful, and intuitive for our clients.”
From humble beginnings to an indispensable tool across the Canadian family law system, DivorceMate is the sum of decades of expertise in the field that will now benefit LEAP Family Law as well. The ability of DivorceMate’s team to draw on their knowledge has “allowed us to hone our product and develop the premium software we offer today,” Montgomery recalls, adding that it’s the collaborative culture at DivorceMate that has kept her with the company for so long.
“Most of us have been here for a very long time and work together well,” she explains. “Regardless of tenure, everyone at DivorceMate is smart, hardworking and dedicated.”
Another proud member of the original crew is experienced developer Simon Knowles, DivorceMate’s COO, who started at the company 32 years ago. He’s seen fads come and go but DivorceMate has remained stalwart. Knowles believes that DivorceMate’s success lies in its fundamentals: “We do one thing, and we do it better than anyone else: providing family law professionals with really good software and customer service. LEAP Family Law will derive significant benefits from our expertise and only get better as a result.”
When asked what they love most about working at DivorceMate, the DivorceMate employees interviewed all gave variations of the same answer: the people, not just their cherished colleagues but clients as well. Beyond the software itself, the DivorceMate team’s connection to clients is what they’re most proud of. “It sounds cliché, but it’s the truth,” says Knowles.
For Montgomery, who practiced law for several years before coming to DivorceMate, interacting with clients has always been a highlight for her.
“As a former family law practitioner, I love the creative aspect of building tools to assist clients who are in the trenches,” she explains. “I derive a great deal of satisfaction from helping a client work through very complex facts and legal issues to arrive at a solution, or from seeing the ‘aha’ moment in a client's eyes when I help them understand a complicated concept and apply it to practice.”
Flloyd Morgan, who has spent 24 years as an IT Support Specialist at DivorceMate, agrees. He enjoys the challenge of his role, including learning legislation like the Income Tax Act, for example, which has given him a deep appreciation for what lawyers do day in and day out.
“Client relationships have made me respect and admire the legal community and the hard work they do,” says Morgan. “I care about our clients, and they know they can rely on me to give them the straight goods. Morgan, as well as several other dedicated IT Support Specialists will now be providing the same top-tier support services to LEAP Family Law clients as they do for DivorceMate users.
What hasn’t changed, even as platforms and technology evolve, is the team’s dedication to delivering a top-tier product with the human touch.
“We value our clients above all else and are committed to going above and beyond,” Montgomery says, and Morgan agrees.
“What’s always been constant, and always will be constant, is the quality service,” he adds.
For Knowles, this duty of care is exemplified by how the team handles customer queries.
“We still answer the phone like we always have and talk through the issues and questions that are raised by our clients,” he explains. “A premium product deserves a premium customer service experience, and that’s what we seek to provide each and every day.”
When it comes to this expansion of the DivorceMate team’s oversight, they stress that it’s business as usual, only better. DivorceMate will continue to operate as it always has, the same company shaped by the same people offering the same high-quality product and personalized service that it’s come to be known for — but now that support will extend to users of LEAP Family Law as well.
“DivorceMate and LEAP Family Law will be around for many years to come, and we will continue to make both products better year after year,” Knowles says.
