About Catherine
For over a decade, Catherine has helped couples navigate separation and divorce outside of the court system through mediation and the collaborative process. She is a certified mediator and collaborative attorney and a review and consulting attorney for mediated uncontested divorces.
In addition to mediating divorce, custody, visitation and parenting plans, Catherine mediates conflicts in relationships, for pre-nuptial or post nuptial agreements, as well as issues in the LGBTQ and trans community.
Catherine is on the Board of Directors of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals where she co-chairs their mentorship program and is a past President of the Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York. She offers her time pro bono and low bono to FamilyKind, a not for profit that helps separating and divorcing families.
Catherine has trained new mediators in a number of organizations, has served as a mediator and collaborative mentor, and has presented to numerous organizations on the topics of mediation and collaborative divorce including to the Brooklyn Bar Association, the Marino Institute for Continuing Education, AXA Financial Professionals, and recently on collaborative law in the LGBTQ and trans communities to the Nassau County Bar Association.
Catherine was an English major and earned an A.B. with high honors from Vassar College and a J.D. with honors from American University’s Washington College of Law. She is admitted to the bars of the states of New York and Connecticut, and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Catherine splits her time between Manhattan and Mattituck on the North Fork of Long Island.
Catherine can be reached at Catherine@canadelaw.com.
More About Catherine
In addition to her private practice, Catherine is on the Board of Directors of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, and is a past President of the Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York, where she co-chairs the mentorship program.
Catherine is a founding member and the former Assistant Director of the National Association of Divorce Professionals, Brooklyn Chapter and is also a founding member of the Long Island Collaborative Divorce Professionals.
Catherine has been a mentor at the New York Peace Institute, where she has taught mediation apprenticeship groups, and coached and trained new mediators in the areas of child support and custody and visitation. Catherine also served for several years on the New York Family Court’s custody and visitation mediation panel as well as as a trainer and consultant for Hunter College High School’s Bias and Dispute Panel.
Catherine has presented to numerous organizations on the topic of mediation and collaborative divorce, including on divorce mediation to the Brooklyn Bar Association, the Marino Institute for Continuing Education and AXA Financial Professionals, and on Collaborative Law in the LGBTQ and Trans Community to the Nassau County Bar Association.
Catherine earned an A.B. with high honors from Vassar College and a J.D. with honors from American University’s Washington College of Law. She is admitted to the bars of the states of New York and Connecticut, and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Catherine Canade, Esq.
Lawyer of the Year
2025
Collaborative Law: Family Law
New York City
The Best Lawyers in America® award recognizes the outstanding achievements of legal professionals who have demonstrated unparalleled expertise and dedication in their fields. These awards are more than just recognitions—they are a testament to the skill and commitment of lawyers across the United States, whose work continues to shape the future of the legal industry.
"As an industry-driven professional recognition, it is the opinion of lawyers themselves that determines our awards," said Elizabeth Petit, Director of Research & Development and Managing Editor at Best Lawyers. "We received record-breaking voter participation in this year's editions of both The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. As an organization, we also reached a milestone in the U.S., surpassing 250,000 individual voters since we began asking our core question over 40 years ago: 'If you are unable to take a case, how likely would you be to refer your client to this nominee?' With more engagement from the market, the barrier for recognition is higher and more competitive than ever before. This reflects not only the profession's commitment to celebrating professional excellence, but also the increasing importance of every voice in shaping the standards of legal distinction."
Source: BestLawyers.com > Insight
Thank you for all of your hard work. It has been at least 6 attorneys over 5 years before you and (the other attorney), and it is only today that this was done. That is to your credit and all (the other professionals). Many thanks, with my best wishes.
— A.K.
Philosophy of Giving Back
Catherine firmly believes that all families benefit by resolving conflict outside of the court system. She also believes that you get back by giving.
She combines those beliefs by providing divorce mediation and mentoring services on a sliding scale as part of the team at FamilyKind, a non profit organization. Catherine also serves as a pro bono consulting attorney for low income divorcing clients as part of the New York Legal Assistance Group’s Mediation Project.
Internationally, Catherine has served as the Executive Director of Adoptive Families of Singapore and as legal counsel to a non-profit group working to stop the trafficking of young girls in Thailand.
She is the parent of three children, two of whom were adopted.Click to learn what Catherine’s clients say about her work.
