Ilana Zylberman Dembo

Known for her razor-sharp judgement and deep sense of fairness, Ilana successfully resolves seemingly impossible and complex family law disputes in pragmatic, creative and cost-effective ways. Her ultimate goal is for families to resolve their conflicts with dignity and respect for one another. Ilana adapts her advocacy style and legal approach to best meet the specific needs and goals of her clients, through negotiation, mediation, arbitration or in the court room.

Ilana's tenacious pursuit of justice, her probing cross-examinations and her command of the facts and the law have led her to work on ground-breaking and precedent setting cases at both trial and appellate levels, including appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada. Her work has set the standard for domestic contract negotiations across the country.

Ilana is regularly sought out for her expertise in advising multigenerational family businesses and home offices on the interplay between family law and corporate and trust structures. Her areas of focus include complex valuations of private businesses, professional corporations, executive compensation and pension plans, complex trust and tax structures, as well as cross-border issues. Ilana also has extensive experience dealing with parenting issues and managing complicated family dynamics.

She is an Associate Editor of the Reports of Family Law and has authored papers and lectured before the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Ontario Bar Association. Ilana taught family law at the Law Society of Upper Canada's Bar Admission course. She was appointed as a Dispute Resolution Officer ("DRO") for the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.  As a DRO,  Ilana conducts family law conferences, providing litigants in family proceedings with an early evaluation of their case, assists them in reaching their own settlements and ensures their case is ready to go before a judge.

Clients appreciate Ilana’s analytical, measured, and pragmatic approach to assessing their unique circumstances and minimizing their family law risks moving forward.  Her candid and personable nature lets you know what to expect at each stage of the process.