We are a conflict resolution centre helping to create a world where people can skillfully navigate conflict in all areas of their lives, and in all of their relationships.

About Resolve

We’re taught that the legal system is the only place for justice. But it also conjures up fear-based images of harrowing courtrooms, menacing table face-offs, and “gotcha” moments. To us, the legal system is so much more than that. At Resolve, we are part of a growing movement to practice law outside of the courtroom—in ways that feel good and supportive to our clients.

We employ innovative, non-adversarial approaches (e.g., the collaborative method of separation, and Mediation) to resolve conflict. Our hope is to empower our clients and their families with the ability to make decisions that actually fit their lives and protect at the same time the people that matter to them most. We create a legal experience that is transparent and caring, constructive and holistic, wise and innovative.

How it all started

We founded Resolve in 2018 as a mother-daughter team. Victoria is a pioneer of the collaborative method of separation—one of the first to bring the practice to Ontario—and is an established thought leader in the field. Alexa had been working successfully as a litigator, but often felt like she was part of the problem, rather than the solution. One day, while Alexa was speaking to her mom about her job, Victoria offered an unexpected suggestion: “You know, you would be really good at my line of work.” That rang true for Alexa. She joined Victoria and quickly became a widely respected settlement lawyer and mediator herself.

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Portrait of Victoria and Alexa standing together

For us, coming together meant that we could invest twice as much effort into helping build a new future for conflict literacy. We have created a collaborative family law firm where we offer clients a supportive space during their most difficult times. We create wise contracts, coach clients to act with dignity, and navigate the collaborative process in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. We also want to take this practice and the lessons we have learned, and build a legacy that anybody in a relationship could benefit from.

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From the beginning, our hope was to be a respite from the conventional legal experience that most of our clients expect or are used to. Our focus was—and still is—exclusively on innovative, out-of-court solutions to resolving conflict.

Today, we’ve expanded to other areas of conflict resolution, in addition to divorce and separation. We’re taking the best practices we’ve learned from the collaborative method and applying this process across all types of relationships, ensuring that our clients can have all their needs met in one place.

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Most recently, we’ve helped clients navigate relationships and emerging types of conflict in a post-Covid world. We are evolving into a conflict resolution centre, offering expansive and holistic legal approaches and solutions to support a variety of human dynamics. From friends and family members coming together to buy property, to intimate relationships involving multiple people, we’re here to see the nuance of your life and support you fully.

Our Core Values



Empathetic

We meet our clients where they are and see them as whole people, treating them with respect and dignity.

 



Service-Oriented

We offer an exceptional client experience, from the first contact with us to the last.

 



Constructive

We always take a practical, workable, and realistic approach.

 


Our Team

Victoria Smith

Family Lawyer, Collaborative Practitioner, Accredited Family Mediator, Trainer

Alexa Turner

Family Lawyer, Collaborative Practitioner and Accredited Family Mediator, Presenter

Madison Howell

Family Lawyer and Collaborative Practitioner

Client Reviews

 
 

Media + Publications

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Recording studio and equipment
 
 

How we can help

We’d love to see how we can help you.


Workshops + Speaking

Are you working in the collaborative space and interested in learning more? Learn about our upcoming speaking events and workshops.