Stephanie H. Gibson
Stephanie was born and raised in and around Cornwall, spending much of her youth on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Summerstown. After graduating from St. Lawrence High School in 1994, Stephanie attended Queen’s University in Kingston, where she obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Stephanie then attended the University of Toronto law school, where she obtained a Juris Doctor in 2001.
Stephanie was called to the Massachusetts bar in 2001 and the Ontario bar in 2003.
In 2001-2002, Stephanie practiced commercial litigation in the Boston firm of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault for approximately a year before deciding to return to Canada to continue her legal career.
Upon her return, Stephanie articled at the HIV & AIDS legal clinic in Toronto, which she described as “both an enlightening and sobering experience”. At the clinic, Stephanie gained experience in what is referred to as “poverty law”, as well as landlord-tenant and human rights issues, appearing before various tribunals.
After completing her articles, Stephanie returned to her hometown of Cornwall to join the firm of McDonald, Duncan, where she specializes in family law. She also practices in the areas of residential real estate and wills.
Stephanie is happy to be back in her hometown and enjoys the pace of life here. She has been happily married since 2005 and she and her husband are the proud parents of two young children.
Family law is a very complex area of the law. It is often full of high emotion and has the potential to be financially draining for a family. While Stephanie admits to enjoying the excitement of litigation, her philosphy is that the long, drawn-out litigation of a family law matter is rarely beneficial to anyone. As a result, she tends to be somewhat settlement-focused in her approach to her practice. Don’t let this worry you – Stephanie will provide you with the best legal representation available, and protect your rights and interests. She will work with you and the other party to ensure that your family matters are resolved in the fairest and least disruptive way possible so that you and your family can get on with living.
Areas of Practice
Family Law, including:
- Divorce
- Separation Agreements
- Cohabitation and Marriage Agreements
- Parenting Agreements
- Child Support
- Custody
- Access
- Spousal Support
- Division of Property
Residential Real Estate, including:
- Purchasing a home
- Selling a home
- Mortgages
- Refinancing
Wills & Powers of Attorney