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Sylvia Basso

  • Collaborative Lawyer
  • Galbraith Family Law Professional Corporation
  • 4-1195 Stellar Drive, Newmarket, ON, L3Y 7B8

Education: Osgoode Hall Law School 

Practicing Since: 2019 

Practice Areas: Separation, parenting plans, child and spousal support, collaborative divorce, mediation Email: sylvia@galbraithfamilylaw.com 

Phone: (289) 210-0295 ext. 240 

Hours available: 9-5 Mon-Fri 

Approach to Family Law 

Sylvia brings a wealth of personal and life experience to her family law practice. She has experienced  first-hand the challenges of family breakdown and is committed to supporting clients through this  challenging period in their lives. Sylvia came to family law after a long career in Human Resources management and is committed to helping clients obtain agreements that will allow them to move their  life forward as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. She works closely with clients to understand their  concerns and goals, and uses negotiation, mediation and collaborative practices to resolve disputes  without going to court. She is open to providing legal services on a flat-fee basis instead of charging by  the hour and supports clients who are dealing with matters on their own by providing unbundled  (limited scope retainer) legal services. 

Education and Experience 

Sylvia is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in Ontario in 2019. She articled  with a boutique family law firm in Markham and has been practicing family and civil law since her call to  the bar. 

Sylvia received her Honours B.B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1985 and had a very successful  career as a Director of Human Resources and Labour Relations in the consumer products manufacturing  industry. Through her work in HR she supported and assisted managers, unions and employees for over  twenty years, and brings a wealth of creative problem-solving experience involving individuals and  employers dealing with challenging circumstances. She left her business career to pursue a law degree in  order to assist families going through relationship breakdown. She has completed Mediation training  toward her certification in Family Dispute Resolution and is a trained Collaborative Family Lawyer. 

Personal Life 

In her free time, Sylvia enjoys spending time with her two sons, going to movies and hosting card games  with friends. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Toronto High Park Football Club where she plays  in the women’s house league year-round. She is an active member of the Family Dispute Resolution  Institute of Ontario (FDRIO), the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM) and Collaborative  Divorce Toronto (CDT). 

What our clients have to say about the collaborative family process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Collaborative Family Law (CFL) is a better alternative to help families resolve the issues arising out of a separation. Click here to learn more about what CFL is, the benefits, the negotiation process, the professionals involved, and how you can start. 

Most family issues can benefit from the CFL process including issues concerning child custody and visitation; spousal and child support; property and the family home and changes to existing arrangements.

Difficult communication is a very reasonable part of the process post-separation. Despite your differences, the common goal remains the same, resolving the issue in a cost-efficient way that avoids a lengthy court battle. The collaborative process helps keep things moving and reach an amicable result.

Collaborative family law has both parties sign a participation agreement that agrees to generate options and a mutually acceptable settlement.

Collaboratively trained professionals are present during negotiations to help defuse conflict and guide discussion. The goal of this form of conflict resolution is to help keep things productive and non-confrontational.

Each of the parties will be responsible for paying the fees of his or her own collaborative professionals; sometimes parties agree to share the total fees incurred. The expenses of a negotiation will vary depending on the complexity of the issues and the commitment of clients to work towards a resolution. 

A mediator is a neutral person who assists the parties to work out a settlement. The mediator does not act for either party and does not provide legal advice. In a typical family law mediation, the clients attend mediation without their lawyers. 

Lawyers for each of the parties then provide independent legal advice regarding any proposed agreements. In a CFL negotiation, each of the parties has a full team present. Each team would provide legal advice, emotional support, and financial planning. The team will work to guide the parties to the best settlement possible.

In a CFL negotiation, the parties and their team commit to resolving the dispute in a cross-disciplinary fashion that no other process offers.  In a traditional family law negotiation, the court may be used as a bargaining tool.

In a CFL negotiation, the parties explore options for resolution that fits their individual family’s needs. In a traditional negotiation, typically, only legal options are considered.

In a CFL negotiation, the team works with the client to develop a settlement that that best meets the goals of both parties. In a traditional negotiation, each lawyer advocates solutions that best meet their client’s goals.

In a CFL negotiation, the clients have a voice and take responsibility for resolving the issues in an interest-based approach. In a traditional negotiation, it is the lawyers who maintain control of the process.

The guiding principle of the entire collaborative practice is a sense of respect. The tone of the entire process is made to foster cooperation, respect, and mutual understanding. Collaborative professionals are trained specifically how to create a non-confrontational environment, and focus on areas of agreement. Members involved in the process have a family and child-first mentality, they want what’s best for your family and your future.

If children are involved in your dispute, collaborative family law offers a holistic approach that focuses on the best interest of the children. Our professionals are trained to help create an atmosphere of open communication that encourages trust and respect. If one of your main goals is co-operative parenting, then collaborative practice will help you achieve that.

From our experience, major roadblocks become easier to navigate as you begin to work with a collaborative professional. Our experienced team have handled a variety of complex cases, and know what the cost and outcome will likely look like in court, and will be able to use that as a reference to motivate both parties to achieve an outcome through collaboration. 

If there is an impasse, our team meets and works together to resolve the conflict, keeping negotiations productive.  

Children collaborative family law

Ready to start with the collaborative family law?

Achieve a settlement in a dignified, respectful, creative and cost effective way. York Collaborative Practice provides an opportunity for you to maintain the integrity of your family as you transition through separation and divorce. 

It all starts with reaching out. Browse our list of professionals and find the right person to support you or your family, and reach out to begin moving forward. 

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