Marie G. Michaels Family Lawyer

Family lawyer Marie G. Michaels has more than 28 years of experience in the legal profession and more than 25 years as a family law lawyer. Divorce lawyer Marie Michaels and her team of family law lawyers serve the communities of Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, Bowmanville, and Courtice in Durham Region. They also represent clients with cases in Toronto, Newmarket, Peterborough, Lindsay and Cobourg.

In 2013, Marie became certified as a Collaborative Team Leader, giving her family law clients another option during their divorce. Collaborative Family Law is seen by many as a better resolution option than going to court and therefore less stressful on the entire family, particularly small children.

In addition to providing family law clients with sound advice about, custody and access, child support, spousal support, division of marital property (equalization of marital property), common-law separation, and restraining and emergency orders, Marie and her team of family lawyers have experience in these unique and frequently traumatic family law situations below.

Family Lawyer Experienced in Traumatic Family Situations

Child abduction – where the father, the mother, or another trusted adult kidnaps a child or children. Marie has experience in handing both domestic and international child abductions. For more information on Child Abduction, visit our Restraining and Emergency Orders.

Spousal battery – Marie has experience in representing clients who are victims of domestic violence and who want to file civil lawsuits for spousal battery within divorce cases. She has won lawsuits, where the judge has awarded monetary damages for spousal battery and physical violence.

Income imputation – Marie has won cases where she has proven in court that the support payor is intentionally unemployed (or under-employed) to evade child support responsibilities or spousal support responsibilities.

Constructive trust and unjust enrichment claims – because the breakdown of common-law relationships are treated differently by law than marriage breakdowns, the “constructive trust” and “unjust enrichment claims” are two legal remedies that are available if you are not married, but contributed to your partner’s assets or maintaining of those assets, and wish to be compensated for your contributions of time and/or money. Visit our Common-Law Separation page, to learn more.

Family Lawyer Who Gives Back to the Community

Although she is a busy family lawyer, Marie has made time throughout her career to volunteer and do pro-bono work at various safe houses and shelters across Durham Region including Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, Bowmanville, and Courtice.

In addition to helping her own clients with their family law and divorce needs, Marie oversees the firm’s operations, trains, supervises and mentors the junior associates, staff and law clerks. She also trains articling and LPP students and currently mentors junior family law lawyers in the community.

Family Lawyer at the Ontario Court of Appeal

Marie G. Michaels has successfully defended two clients at the Ontario Court of Appeal with respect to an appeal of a costs award in one case, and all issues in a Trial Order, which trial was conducted by a different lawyer.

Stewart v. Crane, 2011 ONCA 758

Berger v. Berger, 2016 ONCA 884

Marie was Called to the Bar in Ontario in February 1997 and founded her firm on March 1, 1997. She attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario.