About
Frank Alfano, LL.B., LL.M.
Family mediator, trained at Lightstone Academy, with 33 years of experience in Ontario's legal system.
Why Frank mediates
From 1990 to 2024 Frank was a licensed Ontario paralegal. He represented clients in Ontario courts and tribunals and learned what litigation does to the people inside it: the cost, the delay, and the way a hearing hardens positions that could have been settled at a kitchen table.
Family disputes feel that harm more than most. The people in them usually have to keep dealing with each other, often as parents, for years after the file closes. Frank turned to mediation to help families reach agreements they can live with, made by them rather than imposed on them.
- Mediation training, Lightstone Academy
- LL.M., Osgoode Hall Law School
- LL.B., University of London
- Licensed Ontario paralegal, 1990 to 2024
How Frank works
A mediator is neutral. Frank does not represent either of you, does not take sides and does not decide anything. His job is to run a fair process: make sure each person is heard, keep the discussion on the issues, bring the right financial information to the table and test whether a proposed deal will hold up in real life.
His legal background helps with that. He knows what a court looks at on parenting, support and property, so he can point out when a discussion has drifted far from where the law would land, and when an issue needs a lawyer's advice before you go further. He will not give either of you legal advice, and he will encourage each of you to get independent legal advice before you sign anything.
Frank also screens every file for power imbalance and family violence before mediation starts. If mediation is not safe or fair for you, he will tell you, and suggest other options.
Ready to talk it through?
Call or email Frank to ask a question or book a first session. You can contact him on your own; the other person does not need to call at the same time.