Mikayla is a family law lawyer, with The Ross Firm. She has successfully handled family law cases from complex prenups to negotiated separation agreements. Her portfolio of cases includes child and spousal support to contested custody and access cases, winning sole custody of children as well as obtaining an Order of supervised access against an opposing parent. She has also dealt with complex property files involving everything from farm equipment and land to stocks, bonds, the matrimonial home and complex pension plans. Mikayla was born to become a lawyer. She remembers growing up in the country outside of Owen Sound along with a menagerie of pets – horses, ponies, ducks, geese, rabbits, turtles, fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs, and cats, (not all at the same time). In order to persuade her parents for each additional pet, Mikayla, as a child, created a contract, complete with signature line, outlining her “ask” and agreeing to feed, clean and care for her mixed brood. Faced with a signed legal document, how could her parents say no? Until taking law in high school, Mikayla had actually planned on becoming a police officer like her brother but after being exposed to law courses in high school, her career path changed. Mikayla received a 10 with Honours in Criminology and Sociology from the University of Western Ontario in 2015. During her undergraduate years at Western, Mikayla returned home in the summer months to play women’s rugby for the Bruce County Banshees out of Tiverton. She also played varsity rugby for Western University and was a member of the triathlon club. As an undergrad, Mikayla acted as a co-facilitator for a program called Changing Ways, a primarily court-mandated program whose mission statement is to assist men in ending their violent behaviour towards the women and children in their lives. She received a Juris Doctor from Lakehead University in 2018, with a first-class standing. During law school Mikayla acted as a VP for the Women in Law committee. She also took part, as a research assistant in the development of the first comparative human rights research database in Canada, designed to helps both the public and legal practitioners navigate human rights law in Canada. After attending law school in Thunder Bay, Mikayla happily returned to her home town, Owen Sound where she completed her articles and now practices family law with The Ross Firm. Mikayla consider her emotional intelligence or “people skills”, as one of her strengths as a lawyer. She listens intently to each client, showing them empathy, patience and understanding when they are going through a very tough and emotionally-charged life altering event. She knows sometimes her clients – mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, foster parents, family members – are scared, and she works to make them feel a little less intimidated by the process. Mikayla believes in educating clients, and restoring their confidence. She works to help them re-establish control over their lives and in the end, enabling them to determine their own futures. Outside of work, Mikayla enjoys reading, cycling, and travelling.