"Do no harm" may be a medical creed, but it's also an important guiding principle for GTA family lawyer Nancy E. Macivor.

If you're going through separation or divorce, you probably already know that the process can be adversarial and sometimes very hostile. But when you cross the threshold of Nancy E. Macivor's law office, you're sure to find yourself in friendly territory. First, there's the office itself; the Richmond Hill barrister and solicitor practices in a house that dates back to 1913. "I made a conscious effort to produce a warm, welcoming place for my clients," she says. "My clients just love it here; it makes them feel very comfortable. Some first come in at first wearing suits; the next time, they're wearing jeans." Then there's Macivor's approach to the divorce process: it's equally relaxed, friendly, and non-confrontational. "My interpersonal skills have always stood me in really good stead," she says. "I have the abilities to listen and to read people well."

When meeting clients for the first time, Macivor take the time to educate them about the three different processes that can be used to help resolve family-law issues: negotiation and/or court adjudication, mediation, and Collaborative Family Law (CFL). She was an initial member of a growing number of lawyers in the Greater Toronto Area who utilize CFL, a relatively new and non-adversarial divorce resolution process. With CFL, each party retains a lawyer who is trained in the process; all four individuals work together toward the common goal of settlement outside of court. In fact, court adjudication is not an option once parties commit to the process. If they are unable to reach an agreement, both lawyers must withdraw and the parties must start the process over again with new counsel. This means that it's in everyone's best interests to reach an agreement.

According to Macivor, the advantages to the CFL approach are plain: "It leaves the two parties still talking to each other, and that's so important -- especially when there are children involved." The process also ideally suits Macivor's temperament. "I'm not a litigator by nature: I'm a negotiator. When I went to my first CFL course, I remember thinking, ‘Where has this been?'" According to Macivor, when presented with the three options, nearly all her clients choose the CFL process. "Contrary to what some people believe, it can work even when dialogue has broken down between the two parties," she stresses.

No stranger to helping others, Macivor became a lawyer in 1993 after a successful administrative career in the nursing field. "I kept tripping into the law with everything I did in nursing," she explains. Macivor initially worked for a civil litigation boutique, specializing in hospital defense. "It was where everyone said I should be," she says. "But I didn't really find it to be a challenge." The ability to work with people eventually drew her to practice family law. She started her own firm in 1994 and today remains its sole practitioner. "I had seen some really bad things going on in family law and thought there had to be a better way," she says. In her practice, Macivor keeps the creed, "Do no harm," front and center at all times. "It comes from my medical background," she explains, "but it's an equally good creed for family law."

Macivor finds her work with women particularly rewarding. "They're so devastated, especially if they've been at home with children," she says. "It's been incredibly rewarding to see those women at the end of the process. They say, ‘You know what? I'm going to make it; I'm going to be fine.'"

Everyone has the right to skilled, knowledgeable, and caring work from their lawyer, she concludes. "And that's what I try to provide."

For more information, or to book an appointment, please contact:

Nancy E. Macivor has written the following article:

FAQ's:

"Can collaborative law help me to settle my divorce more amicably? How is it different from mediation?"