Marie Annik Walsh

Marie Annik Walsh has been a lawyer for over thirty years, practicing mainly in family law since 1993. She has also been a family law mediator since the early 2000s.

Ms. Walsh has always been in private practice. She began her career in boutique firms before joining Dunton Rainville in the fall of 2012 to build a family law team that now includes seven lawyers in the Montreal office. She is currently a member of Dunton Rainville’s board of directors.

Ms. Walsh has also been actively involved with the Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (Quebec Association of Family Law Attorneys / AAADFQ) since 1998. She served on its board of directors until January 2024, holding various positions on the executive committee, including President.

Ms. Walsh currently sits on the Superior Court Liaison Committee for the district of Montreal, where the issues of accessibility to justice and the efficiency of the judicial process are currently evolving due to numerous organizational challenges, including a lack of resources on all sides.

As a family law practitioner, Ms. Walsh has assisted, counselled and represented hundreds of people, and pleaded as many cases before the courts. She is keenly aware of the direct impact that separation has on families, the lack of recognition of de facto unions, and the absence of clear standards for them in Quebec society. This awareness fuels her keen interest in the new provisions that will govern de facto spouses and future parents as of June 2025. Her expertise regularly leads her to speak out about family law issues in the media and before parliamentary commissions of the Quebec government.

Areas of expertise

• Family law: divorce and end of life of de facto spouses: custody and patrimonial aspects, division of assets, etc.
• Marriage contracts
• Wills and estates
• Mandate and incapacity, elder protection
• Family mediation

Admission to the Bar

• 1993

Education

• Accreditation in family mediation – Barreau du Québec
• LL.B. – Université du Québec à Montréal
• LL.L. – Université du Québec à Montréal
• B.A. in Political Science – Université du Québec à Montréal

Professional activities and associations

• Past President and Secretary of the Executive Board,
  Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (2016 to present)
  
• President and member of the Board of Directors, Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (from 2011 to 2016)
• Treasurer and member of the executive board, the
  Québec Association of Family Law Attorneys
  (from 2002 to 2011)
• Member of the Board of Directors,
  Québec Association of Family Law Attorneys
  (since 1998)

Publications, conferences and courses

• Member of the Superior Court Liaison Committee (September 2023 to present)
• Parliamentary Committee on Bill 56 – Drafted a brief and presented to the Committee (May 2024)
• Secretary and member of the executive board, Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (2021 to 2023)
• President and member of the executive board, Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (2011 to 2016)
• Treasurer and member of the executive board, Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (2002 to 2011)
• Member of the board of directors, Association des avocats et avocates en droit familial du Québec (since 1998)
• Member of the Forum québécois sur l’accès à la justice civile et familiale (Quebec forum on access to civil and family justice)(April 2015 to 2018)
• Parliamentary Committee on the Act to promote access to justice in family matters (May 2012) – Drafted a brief and presented to the Committee
• Member of the Liaison Committee with the Superior Court in Family Matters (September 2012 to November 2016)
• Maison Le Prélude (centre for women in difficulty) – member of the board of directors (2012-2014)
• Member of the Liaison Committee for Judicial Services (September 2010 to June 2011)