Joanna acted as Intervener for the Family Alliance Ontario, Sherbourne Health Centre in the 2017 case, Coates v Watson, successfully challenging provisions of the Family Law Act that previously denied support for adult children with disabilities.

For the full article, please see: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/11/15/province-to-include-adult-children-with-disabilities-in-child-support-law.html

Coates v Watson, 2017 ONCJ 454:
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/oncj/doc/2017/2017oncj454/2017oncj454.html?autocompleteStr=coates%20v%20watson&autocompletePos=1

2017 Lexpert Zenith Award Winner

The team at Martha McCarthy & Company LLP offer warm congratulations to Joanna Radbord for receiving The 2017 Lexpert Zenith Awards: Celebrating Women in Law. This year’s awards celebrate the advancement of women in the legal profession.

Zenith Award 2017

For more information please see: 2017 Zenith Award Winners

Joanna Radbord, LSM

Each year, the Law Society of Upper Canada awards its top honour – the Law Society Medal – to selected lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the profession.

Martha McCarthy & Company LLP is pleased and proud to announce that Joanna Radbord received the Law Society Medal at a special ceremony on May 24, 2017. Joanna Radbord was recognized for numerous contributions to LGBTQ rights, family law, constitutional and human rights in the province of Ontario.

The team at Martha McCarthy & Company LLP congratulates Joanna Radbord on this magnificent honour.

Joanna Radbord receives the Law Society Medal at a special ceremony on May 24, 2017

Joanna Radbord receives the Law Society Medal at a special ceremony on May 24, 2017

Joanna Radbord and Martha McCarthy acted as counsel to the LGBTQ families challenging discriminatory parentage laws. Joanna was instrumental in advocating for and drafting the All Families are Equal Act. The Act provides equal treatment for all children regardless of how they were conceived.
For the complete statute, please see: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/S16023

Martha McCarthy, LSM of Martha McCarthy & Company LLP in Toronto, ON, Canada was recently inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) at their Annual Meeting held April 2-6, 2016.

The Academy seeks out, identifies, acknowledges and honors those who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court and appellate practice. Members are
engaged in civil practice on both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s side of the courtroom, and the trial of criminal cases. The Academy invites only lawyers who have attained the highest level of advocacy. A comprehensive screening process identifies the most distinguished members of the trial bar by means of both peer and judicial review. Ms. McCarthy has been evaluated by her colleagues and the judges in her jurisdiction and has been highly recommended by them as possessing these qualifications and characteristics.

Chartered in 1954, the Academy’s general purposes are to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the Administration of Justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and
courtesy in the legal profession.

Download the press release at “Martha McCarthy was inducted at the International Academy of Trial Lawyers”

Martha McCarthy included in the 10th Edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada in Family Law and also being named the Best Lawyers’ 2016 Toronto Family Law “Lawyer of the Year”

Martha McCarthy included in the 10th Edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada in Family Law and also being named the Best Lawyers’ 2016 Toronto Family Law “Lawyer of the Year”

Heather Hansen was recently interviewed by Stephen LeDrew on Live At Noon (CP24) regarding the Ashley Madison data and its impact on divorce. You can watch live on CP24 website. Go to: http://www.cp24.com/talk-shows/live-at-noon and search for “Divorce Lawyer discusses Ashley Madison hack”.

Martha McCarthy & Company LLP would again like to congratulate the University of Toronto Walsh Family law Mooters on their spectacular results!University of Toronto Law had another year of great success at the Walsh Family Law Moot. U of T, represented by Rachel Kattapuram, Petra Molnar Diop, Amy Tang, and Graham Thomson came in first overall. Graham was named top oralist (with a perfect score!) Rachel and Amy tied with Manitoba for best respondents’ factum.

The team made submissions before the Supreme Moot Court of Canada on two thorny issues of property division under the Family Law Act: (1) the valuation of fixed debts under bankruptcy, and (2) the court’s power to set aside a single, mistaken provision of a settlement agreement.

For the first time the Family Law Moot included a Negotiation component. Christophe Shammas and Aoife Quinn comprised our negotiation team and did very well in their pioneering role.

Walsh Moot team

Walsh Moot team: Sarah Young and Martha McCarthy, (Faculty Advisors) Petra Molnar Diop, Amy Tang, Rachel Kattapuram, and Graham Thompson, (Mooters), Carol Rogerson (Faculty Advisor), Paloma van Groll and Colleen McKeown (student coaches)