Bio







	Personal Toni was born in Italy. She was raised in Montreal, Quebec. She speaks Italian, French and English. Toni has been living in Mississauga for 25 years. She has been married to her “Tony” for close to 7 years. She is the mother of James and Brandon. She is step-mother to Eric and Marc. Tony and Toni have three wonderful daughters-in-law, Nichola, Lisa and Melissa. Tony and Toni are the proud grandparents of two beautiful girls, Coco and Sasha and a grandson, Alexan. A fourth grandbaby is expected in November 2010. Over the years practicing family law including doing a great deal of litigation, has made Toni realize that families who were in the throes of separation were worse off after going to court than they had been at the outset of the separation. She wanted to be instrumental in making changes. When she first read about Collaborative Family Law in 2000, she knew this process was for her. This was her call to make positive changes in the practice of family law. In due course, Toni hopes to restrict her practice to Collaborative Family Law exclusively. Credentials Education 1972 B.A. University of Montreal/ Marianopolis College 1977 BCL McGill University Law School 1978 Called to the Bar in Quebec- Le Barreau du Quebec 1984 Called to the Bar in Ontario- Law Society of Upper Canada Professional Activities Practice restricted to Family Law Founding Member and Past Vice Chair of the Peel Halton Collaborative Family Law Association Founding Member of the Ontario Collaborative Law Federation Member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professiona Further training obtained June 2009 week-long Deepening The Practice in Sonoma California with Sharon Strand Ellison March/April 2009 Training the Trainers 5 day program with Richard Shields November 2008 Texas Interdisciplinary training model workshop in Toronto May 2008, attendance at the Second European Collaborative Conference in Cork, Ireland including participating in advanced training workshops May 2008, attendance at the Collaborative Family Law Conference in Ottawa including participation in a workshop with Sharon Strand Ellison, Director of The Institute for Powerful Non-Defensive Communications, Oakland, CA March 2008, 40 hour mediation training with Richard Shields July 2007 Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative at Harvard Law School October 2006 attendance at IACP conference in San Diego, California including advanced training workshops September 2006 attendance at North Bay Conference on Collaborative Family Law; workshop with Chip Rose July 2006 attendance at National Federation of Family Law Conference in Kananaskis , Alberta May 2005 attendance at St. Catharines Conference on Collaborative Family Law, workshop with Chip Rose July 2004 attendance at National Federation of Family Law Conference in Charlevoix, Quebec Level 2 Collaborative Family Law Skills Training with Judith Ryan , Richard Shields Victoria Smith in Toronto, Ontario in December 2001 May 2000 Attendance at National Federation of Family Law Conference in Newfoundland First Level Collaborative Family Law training with Stu Webb and Pauline Tesler in Minneapolis, Minnesota May 2000 July 1998 attendance at National Federation of Family Law Conference in Whistler, British Columbia July 1996attendance at National Federation of Family Law Conference in Ottawa, Ontario July 1994 attendance at National Family Law Conference in Victoria, British Columbia July 1992 attendance at National Federation of Family Law Conference in Prince Edward Island July 1988 attendance at First National Federation of Family Law Conference in Montreal, Quebec