Laurel Family Law
4 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 579 handling Family Law.
About Laurel Family Law
Laurel Family Law is a small Toronto firm that practices exclusively in family law, along with some wills and estates work. Four lawyers make up the team, including founding partners Lorna M. Yates and Dana Cohen. The firm works through negotiation, mediation, collaborative law, parenting coordination, and arbitration, and its lawyers also appear in court when a matter can't be settled outside of it.
The four lawyers bring different backgrounds to the practice. Yates, called to the Ontario bar in 2002, handles complex marriage contracts, separation agreements, and parenting plans, and holds degrees from McGill University and Queen's University. Cohen, called in 1999, earned a joint law degree and Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and has served as a panel lawyer with the Office of the Children's Lawyer since being called to the bar. Rui J.M. Alves, called in 1996, has practiced family law for close to three decades, focuses on collaborative and negotiated settlements, and also handles wills and estates matters. Zahra Taseer, called to the bar in British Columbia in 2004 and in Ontario in 2009, worked with human rights organizations in Pakistan, Thailand, and New York before moving into family law practice.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Rui J.M. Alves co-authored a chapter on family violence in family court proceedings, published by University of Toronto Press in 2025.
- Alves served as Associate Editor of the Ontario Family Law Reporter from 2010 to 2016 and is a past chair of Collaborative Divorce Toronto.
- Yates has chaired the Ontario Bar Association's Family Law Section and the Advocates' Society's Family Law Practice Group, and sits on the Bench and Bar Committee of the Superior Court of Justice (Family) in Toronto.
- Taseer has also chaired the Ontario Bar Association's Family Law Section and currently serves as the OBA's regional lead for Toronto, along with acting as a Dispute Resolution Officer with the Superior Court of Justice.
In the community
- Taseer sits on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Justice Education Network and chairs the Governance and Nominations Committee of Kinvia, formerly Canadian Feed the Children.
- Alves has been recognized by the Osgoode Hall Alumni Mentor Program for mentoring law students.
- Yates leads technology training and continuing legal education programs for family law practitioners and has spoken on family law trial practice and digital evidence since 2016.
- Cohen is a panel lawyer with the Office of the Children's Lawyer, a role that involves representing children's interests in family court matters.
Lawyers 4
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 2002–2009 · median 20 years in practice 2 of 4 lawyers
- Law schools
- Queen's University, University of Ottawa 2 of 4 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- French
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Laurel Family Law's office, Suite 803 at 60 St. Clair Avenue East, sits in a ten storey mid-rise office building in the Rosedale-Moore Park area of midtown Toronto, in the city's St. Paul's ward. David A. Balfour Park is among the nearby green spaces.
The location fits a practice that isn't built around a single neighbourhood courthouse. The firm's lawyers appear across the Toronto-area court system, and much of their work in negotiation, mediation, and collaborative law happens outside a courtroom entirely.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Laurel Family Law handle divorce and child custody cases, or does it do other kinds of law too?
- The firm practices exclusively in family law, plus some wills and estates work. It advises on parenting arrangements, spousal and child support, property division, and divorce, and its lawyers also handle marriage contracts and separation agreements.
- I don't want to go to court. Does the firm offer alternatives like mediation or collaborative law?
- Yes. The firm offers negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and collaborative family law, where each spouse has trained counsel and the parties commit in writing to full disclosure and staying out of court while working toward an agreement. Two of the firm's partners lead its collaborative law practice.
- My ex and I keep fighting over how our parenting plan should work. Can Laurel Family Law help?
- The firm offers parenting coordination, a dispute resolution service for high conflict parents that applies after a court order or parenting plan is already in place. A parenting coordinator helps parents follow the existing agreement and can issue binding decisions on disputes over how it's interpreted or carried out, though not on custody or the parenting schedule itself.
- Can Laurel Family Law prepare a will alongside my separation agreement?
- The firm's practice covers wills and estates as well as family law, so it can help with a will or other estate planning documents in addition to a separation or divorce matter.
- How many lawyers work at Laurel Family Law, and where is the office?
- The firm has four lawyers. Its office is at 60 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 803, in Toronto, and can be reached at 416-968-9200.
- Will my case go before a judge if we can't reach an agreement?
- It can. While the firm's lawyers favour negotiation and mediation, they also represent clients in court when a matter requires it.
Where to find them
60 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 803, Toronto, ON M4T 1N5 · 416-968-9200
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