Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2006 
Laurie Pawlitza is a partner in the Family Law Group at Torkin Manes LLP in Toronto, Ontario. She represents clients in a broad range of family law matters involving high incomes, substantial property issues, parenting disputes, support claims, and complex financial matters. Laurie works with clients to develop practical and strategic solutions tailored to their circumstances, whether through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation. She regularly appears before courts at all levels in Ontario and also assists clients in resolving disputes through alternative dispute resolution processes where appropriate.
In addition to her family law practice, Laurie is a frequent contributor to the National Post and writes a regular column addressing current issues in family law. Her commentary and insights on legal developments and family law matters have been featured in publications including the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, Canadian Living Magazine, Law Times, The Lawyers Weekly, Canadian Lawyer, and Precedent Magazine. Laurie also serves on the editorial board of Canadian Lawyer Magazine and is a regular speaker on family law, professional regulation, leadership, and legal issues in Canada and internationally.
Laurie has held a number of leadership roles within the legal profession. She was elected by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association to serve as Vice President of the Americas and was appointed co-chair of the organization’s Family Law Committee, which focuses on advancing family law practice, legislative modernization, and alternative dispute resolution initiatives throughout Commonwealth countries. From 2010 to 2012, Laurie served as the 63rd Treasurer (President) of the Law Society of Ontario, the regulatory body for lawyers and paralegals in Ontario. She was the third woman to hold that position since the Law Society’s founding in 1797. During her tenure as an elected bencher of the Law Society of Ontario from 2003 to 2012, Laurie chaired initiatives relating to legal education and co-chaired the Justicia Project, which supported the advancement of women in the legal profession.
Laurie has been recognized in legal publications including Best Lawyers in Canada and The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for her work in Family Law. In 2012, she was named among the “Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada” and also received an Honourary Doctorate from the Law Society of Ontario.
Laurie is also a co-founder of The Minerva Group, an association of senior family law lawyers in Toronto providing mediation, arbitration, and litigation management services. She conducts mediations and arbitrations with a thoughtful and solutions-focused approach designed to assist parties in moving matters forward efficiently and effectively. To inquire about mediation, arbitration, or litigation management services with Laurie, including rates and availability, please contact Michelle Fields.
