Elliott was born in Oshawa and grew up in Whitby. She attended the University of Western Ontario where she received her honours Bachelor of Arts degree in history. She graduated from Western Law School and received her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1978. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1980. She started off her career as a bank auditor for one of Canada's largest banks. She was a founding member and partner of the Whitby law firm Flaherty Dow Elliott & McCarthy, where she practised in real estate, corporate/commercial, and estate law.