In the second installment of our Q&A series, Demi had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashleigh Arcand, our lead lawyer, to learn more about what brought her to working at our office and to get to know a bit more about her personally.
Ashleigh articled with our office from 2024 – 2025 and joined our office as an associate lawyer in the fall of 2025.
In 2026, Ashleigh became our lead lawyer. In this role, she helps to guide and support our legal team in providing the highest quality of legal services, upholding our core value of excellence.
Ashleigh also supports our legal assistant team, providing them with mentorship and assisting in ensuring smooth operations between the paralegals, lawyers, and the clients we assist.
Let’s dive into our interview!
Interviewer: Tell me a little bit about your educational background.
Ashleigh: I have an undergraduate degree in arts and science and then I majored in sociology and then that was kind of just it took me about I think it was like 4 1/2 years to complete. I was part-time a little bit in the beginning and then moved into full-time. And then after that, I transitioned and kind of just immediately went into law school and just right in COVID, so 2020. And that was online. And then that took me also, I want to say three and a half years to complete just because in my second year, I was also part time. I graduated 2024. At beginning stages when I started my undergrad degree, that would have been, my classes were online just because I had my child, my son at that time. It was through the U of R. When we moved here, I transferred to U of S.
Interviewer: What led you to pursue a career in law specifically?
Ashleigh: I think it was, I want to say grade 10. I lived in BC and there was like this pre-law type class that I took in high school. And then when I graduated, that interest continued, and I knew that was my goal going into my undergrad. It was my goal because I wanted to help people in a way who experience issues with access to justice. I wasn’t really exactly sure at the beginning stages of what type of law that I would enjoy and that I would like to kind of practice in. But as I went through law school, I did take the family law one and two courses, which were really great and insightful. And then just after that, I got connected with a family law firm.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part of articling with our office?
Ashleigh: I would probably have to say just learning that there’s a different approach to how we think about the law and keeping it out of court. And I think that was probably my favorite part was just like when you go to law school you hear about different cases and precedents and all those sorts of things, you automatically, and most people automatically think litigation. And apart from some of the things I learned [in law school], like negotiation and some dispute resolution, I never knew that could be the primary approach. When I came to Panko, I realized that’s something that we can work towards because not everything needs to go to court, especially in a family system where things are so tense, but people also have the desire to work things out and keep it out of court. You see that all the time with people who might have separated, something just might not have worked out quite right, but they’re still amicable. They still might not be the best-est friends, but they’re still thinking and wanting to work together to figure out how their separation looks going forward. I think that was one of the nice things was learning there’s an entirely different approach. And I appreciated that outlook and getting to work with people who had similar thoughts and wanted to move towards that approach as well. There were all the multiple trainings that were offered for mediation and getting more well-versed in dispute resolution and how to fully understand clients and where they’re at. Everyone in the office works together as a team, checking in with one another, seeing what we can do. The team meetings that we have, which was really nice to feel connected with people – that you can go to people for questions or there’s always someone, if they don’t have the answer, they’re always willing to help you figure out the answer as well.
Interviewer: The Beatles or the Rolling Stones and why?
Ashleigh: Oh, good question. Probably the Rolling Stones. I don’t think there’s any particular reason why, it’s just maybe more what my parents listen to.
Interviewer: What interested you about the practice of family law?
Ashleigh: I would say working with people, navigating through difficult times. And I think one of the things that I really appreciate is the ability for people to come in and place their trust in us to have their story heard, feel like they have been heard and listened to, and feel like they can talk to someone about exploring all of their options further before making a final decision and working together with them. And just working with families to figuring out all of those issues related, you know, to like property or parenting and stuff because those are really important and impact people, especially when they’re navigating their separation and what that looks like and child support and stuff, making sure the children are cared for and supported during a separation. It’s overall just like working with families just to see what we can help on in ways that we can support them.
Interviewer: What’s the creepiest bug?
Ashleigh: Okay, I don’t know if it’s the creepiest bug, but to me it is, ticks because they latch on and they’re hard to get off, especially when you see them, because they have to twist them out, otherwise their head gets stuck in. And they just pop up everywhere!
Interviewer: If you were hiring a family law lawyer, what attributes would you be looking for?
Ashleigh: Though it’s not a requirement, I would definitely have to say empathy, understanding and being open-minded. Because when you’re working with families, you’re going to hear from people with different backgrounds, perspectives, different cultures, religions, and all those sorts of things. Really come listening with an open mind and an open ear to understand to hear what their goals are and how you can support them through it. Through that you’re also checking in within yourself, your own biases. Anyone who comes in, I take no judgment. I’m here to listen. Tell me what’s going on. Tell me what’s happening. Tell me what your goals are. And that’s how I like to approach it, so that they can feel like they can express themselves however they need to or tell me what they need to so that we can help get them moving and get them towards their goal as well. Also, not a requirement, but I guess just approaching it with a bit of kindness, because most times when you have families, unless they’re super amicable, they’re also going through something really hard. Meeting the client where they are at. They’re going to be angry, they’re going to be frustrated, overwhelmed, overworked, all of those sorts of things. Giving them the grace and opportunity and the space to express themselves. If they have anger or frustrations, it might be directed towards a lawyer, but it’s important that the lawyer doesn’t take that personally because it might just be in their overall situation or what the next bit of their life is going to look like. Each person has their own different approaches, but that’s what I’d be looking for: open-mindedness, empathy and kindness. It goes a long way, and the client will likely want to share more with you when they know they aren’t being judged.
Interviewer: What’s one thing everyone should know before hiring a lawyer?
Ashleigh: Have an open-mind – it’s a two-way street. It’s good to do your own research, but maybe the resource isn’t the correct one or might not apply because the thing is that each situation is going to be different. Keep an open mind about the options when you’re coming to a lawyer and listening to what they have to say. Think about how you want to approach the situation and listen to the strategies the lawyer is offering, even if it doesn’t seem like what you would’ve selected as the approach initially. There will probably be some conflict, and it won’t be easy breezy the whole time. And then also the cost. Some people don’t realize how much of an expense it will be. Just because it’s expensive, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Having a lawyer at the outset can definitely help keep things on track right from the beginning versus maybe starting out alone and then kind of coming in it where there’s lots of more stress and overwhelmed doing it yourself, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other service options available. If you start off on your own, and hire a lawyer later on, there might be extra costs, because the lawyer might have to go back through something and redo it. If you start with a lawyer from the beginning, they can lay out the whole process.
Interviewer: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Ashleigh: I’d probably have potatoes because they provide good nutrients and then you can make French fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, all those different things.
Interviewer: Why should somebody choose Panko Collaborative Law to help them through their family law matter?
Ashleigh: The open minded, kind, and empathetic approach. Our whole team exemplifies that and they have you come in and know that you’re feeling heard, knowing that we’re listening and knowing that we’re going to lead you and provide you those options and give you time to think and approach it at a way that works best for you. So that’s why you should come to Panko; we’re here to listen. And we’re always looking to improve our practices and procedures. We’re trying to give you the best help we can offer. And we take a team approach.
We hope you have enjoyed this spotlight on Ashleigh Arcand. Ashleigh is available for new client consultations. If you would like to work with Ashleigh, contact our office today to book a consultation:
Give us a call! or Email us!
If you want to learn more about Ashleigh, make sure to visit her profile page!