Meet Judith Janzen, Family Lawyer at Onyx Law Group

Judith Janzen is a co-founder of Onyx Law Group and has practised family law in British Columbia for 25 years. What keeps her engaged, she says, is that no two families are alike — she is as curious about the legal issues, and the people behind them, as she was on her first family law file.

The results that stay with her are the quiet ones: children who settle into two separate but loving homes and go on to thrive at school and with friends. You can read more about her on the Judith Janzen bio page, or see the full scope of the firm’s family law practice.

How Judith can help

• Listen first, so she understands the family’s full story before shaping a solution.
• Move quickly when a matter is urgent — protection orders, a financial crisis, or an urgent court appearance.
• Prepare thoroughly for every hearing, whether it is a ten-minute appearance or a multi-day trial.

Full transcript

Family law is a notoriously difficult area of practice. How have you kept at it in this area for 25 years? I remain as curious and engaged about the legal issues, and the people that need my services, as my first family law file. I find it fascinating. No two situations are alike, just the same as no family is the same as each other. That keeps me engaged and interested, and it's the people aspect of things that I particularly enjoy.

What is the most rewarding thing? Maybe not just a particular experience, but the kind of most rewarding results that you've found in work? I find that there's a lot of inward satisfaction when I've worked with a family, one of the couple that is separating, and they have children who could be of various different ages, and those children are often unsettled about the disruption in their family home because of the unfortunate events their parents are going through. It's always gratifying to me when I realize at the end of the process that the children are comfortable in two separate but loving homes, and that they're thriving in their school, or forming friendships. That gives me a lot of joy to see. Family law often involves emotions and recounting difficult things or experiences. How do you handle that with your clients? It's very important to listen, especially at the beginning, to find out what led to the unfortunate circumstances they're in, to listen to the background before jumping in and finding a solution to a problem that you may not fully understand yet. Sometimes I don't have the luxury of a long lead-up to getting the background. Sometimes there are urgent appearances in court, protection orders, or a financial crisis that need to be dealt with immediately, and then it's important to be nimble and effective very quickly. But the relationship with the family law client becomes very personal. It's very important, as I say, to listen and give their narrative, and find out what success looks like for them, and work with them to achieve that.

What skill or practice do you have that gives you an edge every time you're in a courtroom? Of course, it's always essential to be prepared before I step into any courtroom, whether it's a 10-minute hearing or a two-day lengthy chambers hearing, or even a trial. Preparation is the key. I particularly enjoy that moment when I'm making my presentation and the judge may take me off my script and engage in that conversation, that, albeit it can be still argumentative, is still that moment where I'm still trying to persuade the judge to see it my way on behalf of my client, for their best interests. But that moment when I can speak frankly to the judge directly, respectfully, knowing that the judge is trying to do the right thing as well for the family and do the right thing by the law, I enjoy those moments and feel that they're particularly effective, once I have the respect of the judge to just go a little bit off script and really kick into it.

If you are going through a separation or another family law matter, Judith and the Onyx team are glad to talk it through with you. Book a consultation.