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Leading with Heart: The Strength of a Sensitive Divorce Lawyer

By Leanne Townsend | - September 16, 2025

Leanne Townsend is a Senior Divorce Lawyer at Benmor Family Law Group with over 25 years of courtroom experience and expertise in family law, divorce, and domestic violence. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario and has served in prominent roles, including 16 years as an Assistant Crown Attorney and as the founder of Townsend Family Law. A skilled communicator, negotiator, and litigator, Leanne is committed to empowering her clients and achieving optimal outcomes both inside and outside the courtroom. A sought-after coach, speaker, and media contributor, she hosts the popular "Divorcing Well" and "Divorce Explained" podcasts and recently joined Fanshawe College as a part-time professor. Beyond her legal career, she is passionate about fitness, travel, and lifelong learning and takes pride in her two children.

There’s a quiet truth in family law that not enough people talk about:

The best divorce lawyers don’t just fight hard.

They feel deeply.

In an area of law filled with conflict, urgency, and pain, sensitivity is often misunderstood. But for some of us, it’s not a weakness—it’s the foundation of our strength.

I’m a divorce lawyer.

I’m also highly sensitive—and an empath.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Strength in Sensitivity

Being an empath in a high-stakes legal field doesn’t mean I break under pressure. It means I sense what others miss—emotionally, strategically, and intuitively.

🧠 I read the room before I walk in.

🗣 I listen beneath the words.

⚖️ I negotiate not just with logic, but with insight into what actually moves people.

These skills aren’t soft. They’re sharp.

They allow me to de-escalate tension, build trust quickly, and resolve complex family issues without fueling more conflict.

Clients often tell me they chose me not just because of my experience—but because they felt safe. Seen. Heard.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s intentional.

What People Don’t See

Yes, being a sensitive lawyer means I carry a lot. I don’t shut down emotionally to get through the day—I’ve learned to process, to protect my energy, and to lead with grounded strength.

I’ve built emotional endurance.

I’ve learned how to stand firmly in high-conflict situations without becoming hard myself.

And I’ve redefined what success in family law looks like—not a scorched-earth win, but a fair, forward-focused resolution that protects the people involved.

For the Lawyers Who Feel

If you’re a lawyer who feels deeply: you are not too soft for this profession.

You’re the future of it.

Empathy doesn’t mean we break under pressure.

It means we lead with wisdom, emotional intelligence, and integrity.

In a system that often loses sight of humanity, we bring it back in.

And we don’t just close files.

We help people close chapters—and begin new ones with strength.

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