BRETT JENSEN, CDFA

Since beginning his work as a divorce financial professional in 2010, Brett Jensen has

become a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA), gaining significant experience

along the way. He has been directly involved in over 350 divorce cases and indirectly

contributed to more than a thousand others in various roles.

Before moving into the world of divorce settlement, Brett owned and operated a small to

mid-sized construction business. This role gave him solid experience in finance and

Brett now also brings his extensive experience to the table, by educating other

professionals and sharing his knowledge and insights with lawyers, mental health

professionals, and financial experts who are navigating the complexities of divorce

settlement. He takes a holistic approach, acknowledging both the financial and emotional

dimensions of divorce.

JUDITH JOHNSON, J.D.

Judy Johnson has been practicing law for longer than most of her clients have been

alive. She was raised in the profession by patient mentors in her mid-size law firm in

downtown Minneapolis (Speeter and Johnson) under the old model of general practice,

which meant that she was educated in and expected to cover such diverse

everything for her clients, and in fact that "winning big" created more disruption and

dysfunction in the lives of her clients and their children than what had been intended. She

acquired her mediation training early on, and served on the Board of Directors for the

Minnesota Mediation Association. In the course of her mediation practice, she learned

that it could be a two-step process with a big disconnect in the middle – agreements often

fell apart if counsel were not involved in the result, and clients had to get themselves

divorced, with more time and expense. She became one of the primary authors of the

Minnesota Parenting Plan Legislation (Minn. Stat. 518.1705) and served as a primary

lobbyist for that bill, which took nearly two years to be passed. Judy joined the

Collaborative Law Institute of Minnesota in 2005, and immediately saw the benefit of

and currently serves as President of that organization. Judy is currently working on a

Judy considers herself to have two husbands (who are besties), 3 stepsons, one

biological son, and five grandchildren, all girls, one of which locked her into a bathroom

with her own Pilates resistance band at age 3-1/2. She lives outside of downtown

Excelsior, Minnesota, and offices in Edina, Minnesota at the Collaborative Alliance.

SHASHA C. PORTER, LCSW

Shasha Porter is a Mental Health Professional working in the role of Family Specialist

with the Collaborative Law Institute in Edina, MN. Shasha came into Collaborative

Divorce work in a very personal way having been a client in the Collaborative Process,

Services work, private practice therapy, and writing, to her role in guiding families through

the transition from one home to two.

Shasha is most at home with clients and their children in incorporating art in her work with

the families, as well as presenting aspects of this work in furthering the understandings

of the uniquely respectful work that is Collaborative Practice. Shasha is convinced that

Collaborative Practice laid the groundwork for what is now a very close relationship with

her former spouse and the well-being of their children.

DEANN PLADSON, J.D.

coordination and parenting investigation. DeAnn has been actively involved in the

legislative process and contributed drafting work to the North Dakota Parenting Plans

Legislation and Parenting Coordinator Legislation passed by the legislature in April 2009,

and served as legal advisor to the legislative authors of that bill, and lobbyist for the

legislation. She also contributed to the legislative study of spousal support and

contributed drafting work for the North Dakota Spousal Support Legislation passed in

2021, as well as lobbying efforts and legal assistance on all bills related to family law.

DeAnn is a member of the Family Law Section in both Minnesota and North Dakota, and

sits on the North Dakota Joint Procedures Committee. She is licensed to practice in North

Dakota and Minnesota and currently practices in all complex family law areas including

professional experience.

He works collaboratively with his clients to create a safe and encouraging environment

for taking risks and exploring personal challenges. His goal is to help people understand

and address the root causes of their challenges in order to effectively eliminate

recurrences. Joshua’s clients have successfully recovered from: depression and anxiety;

healed past trauma; improved the quality of romantic relationships; increased

communication and conflict resolution skills; learned to manage frustration/anger;

navigated major life transitions; and eliminated drug and alcohol problems. In addition,

Joshua offers divorce mediation to help families create child focused and developmentally

appropriate parenting plans.

themselves. She went on to represent clients in family law matters in mediation through

trial. But when she found Collaborative Practice, she knew she was home.

In 2012, Ann and her family relocated to Bismarck and while she left her family law

practice behind, the core principals of what she’d learned stayed with her. She now works

at Workforce Safety and Insurance where she spearheaded a program for injured workers

who are struggle to make the transition to their post injury life. Through the program, they

are afforded coaching sessions with a mental health professional and meetings with a

financial neutral to help them make the necessary adjustments to life a full life post injury.

In her time at WSI, she became a Certified Trainer of Crucial Conversations and trained

the skills to many state agencies including WSI, Parks and Recreation, ND Highway