Victoria Smith

Victoria L. Smith – LL.B, C. Med, Cert. CFM (FMC) – is a collaborative family lawyer, mediator, and arbitrator in Toronto with over 27 years of experience. After litigating in all levels of Ontario courts, she has confined her practice to helping clients achieve effective out-of-court settlements since 2001.

She is a trainer, adjunct professor, writer, and presenter on the subject of collaborative law and alternate dispute resolution. She is an international voice for collaborative practitioners, training hundreds of professionals in the collaborative process and negotiation skills across North America and in Europe. She is an acclaimed presenter and plenary speaker at international conferences on the subject of collaborative practice and conflict resolution.

She has developed a unique practice as a leading collaborative lawyer and highly skilled mediator. When appropriate, she works with parenting specialists and financial professionals to guide her clients through a respectful negotiation process to reach their best possible agreement. Over 95 per cent of her clients achieve mutually acceptable settlements.

She is Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, where she teaches collaborative law. She is coauthor of Collaborative Family Law, Another Way To Resolve Family Disputes, published by Thomson Carswell. She is regularly published in legal and alternate dispute resolution newsletters and magazines. She has appeared on television and radio as an expert on family law.

She is a graduate of Queen's University and Osgoode Hall Law School. She is certified as a Comprehensive Family Mediator with Family Mediation Canada and is a Chartered Mediator with the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of The International Association of Collaborative Professionals. She is a member of I.A.C.P., Collaborative Practice Toronto, Family Mediation Canada, the Ontario Association for Family Mediation, and the A.D.R. Institute of Canada.