What you want is a good and affordable lawyer
What you need is a fair and fast divorce
When you’re thinking of divorce, you want a good lawyer who’s right there with you.
Someone who knows their *hit, and can get you what you’re entitled to.
Someone who’ll light the way. But also not charge half your salary for each lightbulb.
A lawyer who’s good and cheap.
But, do they exist?
An average Alberta divorce lawyer charges between $375 and $600 per hour. And will ask for a retainer (money up front) of $3000 to $10000.
Say you find a lawyer who’s good, and therefore wastes no time starting the process. They jump right into the court procedures and do this:
Prepare the Statement of Claim for Divorce | X 2 Hours |
Put together a Financial Disclosure Application | X 2 Hours |
Attend court to appear on your behalf | X 4 Hours |
If we went with the lowest hourly fee, by Step 3, your lawyer at $375/hour will have used up your retainer, and is asking you for a replenish faster than you can say, “Am I divorced yet?”.
At this point, you’re at step 3 of maybe 49 in the court procedures if your divorce includes kids or property. You can multiply the $3000 many times before you get to a final divorce.
There’s a better way.
Trusted Divorce Services works with both spouses
You either come to us ready with an agreement, or we help you get there through mediation
3 steps to a Fair and Fast Divorce
Step One
Share your financial statement with each other and us
Step Two
Attend mediation to agree on the house, kids, and assets
Step Three
Finalize and sign your completed divorce documents
Meet your mediator:
Zeina El-Sayed worked as a divorce clerk for 10 years before founding TDS in 2016. She’s a registered family mediator and an ORSC™ certified coach.
When working as a court clerk, she interacted with many frustrated Albertans who were stuck in a punishing lawyer vs lawyer divorce – stuck in a never ending and expensive court process.
Zeina knew there was a better way.
She’s on a mission to help Albertans divorce amicably, such that they protect their kids, preserve their assets, and even communicate more effectively with one another.
Simply put, she provides a Constructive Way to divorce.

Trusted Divorce Services is NOT for you if you:
- One of you has “my way or the highway” attitude
- At least one is unwilling to provide financial disclosure
- There’s power imbalance or emotional abuse that prohibit communication
Yes, in Alberta, you do not need a lawyer to file your divorce. You may obtain legal advice at any point in the process, but a lawyer does not need to file your documents.
No we don’t. We are a mighty group of paralegals, and a lead mediator, who help you with every element of your divorce, from parenting, to division of property, to the finalization of your divorce.
We work with spouses who are amicable. This doesn’t mean that you have to agree to everything beforehand, but you both have to want to avoid the lawyer vs lawyer route and the stress, cost, and confusion that comes with it.
You work with us in full transparency. You’re both informed every step of the way until you reach a final agreement.
In the majority of the cases, we cannot work with you unless your spouse agrees to also work with us. Contact us to ask about your specific situation.
We do not represent single parties in a divorce, nor can appear in court on your behalf if your spouse has lawyer representation.
- Our clients feel well informed, and in control of their divorce process- so they see no need to leave us and choose a more difficult and unpredictable route. However, this happens about 3% of the time.