Original Published in The Advocate Daily by Advocate Daily Staff on December 12, 2018.
Due to her personal experience with the family law system, Toronto family lawyer Inna Tsinman could never have predicted her future career.
Growing up in Russia and Israel, the teenaged Tsinman already had her eye on the legal profession, inspired by her readings of the wisdom of King Solomon. But she had ruled out any sort of family law, put off by her own experience with the field.
However, she had her mind changed by a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, who helped her see the area as one that “embodied Canadian values that were far ahead of many countries in the world,” says Tsinman, founder and principal of Tsinman Law.
“In this field, I was hoping that I would be able to help people pursue the rights that embodied these values,” she tells AdvocateDaily.com.
And now she’s looking to pay it forward, not only by legally and financially transforming and empowering individual clients but also by changing the very way society views relationships between men and women, as well as how women think about themselves.
Tsinman questions whether free consent to sex is ever possible in marriages characterized by financial and power inequities, where one party, typically the woman, may feel bound to exchange sex for economic survival.
She tries to address these same inequalities through her practice.
“I really believe that people can regain control of their families and empower themselves through the separation process, so long as they are provided with the appropriate information and tools,” Tsinman says. “Clients who come to me can feel comfortable knowing that they are represented by someone who is thinking about their financial health and not just their legal position.”
Tsinman was called to the bar in Ontario in 2012 after articling with a family law boutique, and she continued working with that firm as an associate. She later joined the firm Niman Gelgoot and Associates, working in family law with Harold Niman, who was once described by Toronto Life as “one of the best family lawyers in the country.”
“I am fortunate to have been trained and mentored by the top family law practitioners in Canada,” Tsinman says.
She struck out on her own in early 2016, opening Tsinman Law, where she has further developed her experience in complex financial issues, including support, property, and trusts. During her time in practice, Tsinman has advocated for a wide range of clients, including families of professionals and business owners, as well as parents involved in child custody, access, relocation and proceedings under the Hague Convention.
In the coming years, she aims to build on that foundation by becoming a registered divorce financial analyst.
“I’m looking to expand my practice in the area of financial empowerment,” adds Tsinman, who is also vocal about gender dynamics in a marriage.
According to Tsinman, most clients appreciate her transparent and straight-talking style, though she admits it doesn't suit everyone.
“We discuss everything from relationship dynamics to legal strategy to finances, and anything in between,” she says. “Honesty is the most valuable quality, and it takes a certain type of person to be able to speak the truth.
“At the same time, I never throw the truth at them. It has to be explained and delivered in a sensitive way, which also takes a certain skill,” Tsinman adds.