Victoria Smith Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Canada Area

I am a Toronto family lawyer with over 30 years of experience. My passion and life work is to help my clients to resolve their separation and divorce wisely and with dignity, and to support an evolution in the legal profession from adversarial advocacy to conflict resolution advocacy. Over 15 years ago, I confined my practice to out-of-court settlement work using Collaborative Law/Collaborative Practice and mediation. I have successfully resolved hundreds of mediations and collaborative cases. I have received extensive training in mediation, collaborative law, negotiation and communication skills. I am an empathic and solution-oriented lawyer and mediator, with a recognized capacity to negotiate creative settlements that meet my client’s needs and goals. I believe in educating, coaching and empowering my clients through a separation process that successfully prepares them for the future. My goal is to help my clients receive their best possible outcome with the least possible emotional and financial turmoil.With extensive experience dealing with complex property and high income support cases, I have the ability to understand and absorb complex information and distill it to focus on what is essential. And I know the importance of the human side as well. I listen carefully to understand my clients’ goals, which may include protecting their children, preserving their business, achieving long-term financial security and maintaining a constructive relationship with their former partner, extended family and friends.Navigating divorce successfully involves experiencing strong emotions and, at the same time, making important long-term financial and legal decisions. I provide a safe, supported environment for intelligent problem solving, even when the numbers are complicated and emotions run high.

I provide workshops across North America and internationally to critical acclaim. I am a passionate and inspiring presenter, with a firm grounding in the collaborative process, settlement advocacy, effective negotiation and communication skills. With my colleagues, I also provide workshops on effective interdisciplinary teams and collaborative team protocols. I have developed integrated working relationships with accountants, financial planners, valuators, social workers and child specialists who are the best in their field. I am a member of Chestnut Collaborative Solutions, a group of 12 independent collaborative professionals providing coordinated services to separating families in 2 offices in central and west Toronto.Most recently I have presented in Zurich, Amsterdam, Australia, New Mexico, Saskatoon, New Brunswick, Tennessee, Florida and Halifax.

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1983 Called to the Bar in Ontario - Law Society of Upper Canada

B.A., History Major