Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2027 
Anne-France Goldwater has been recognized by Best Lawyers for her work in Family Law.
Based in Westmount, Quebec, Anne-France Goldwater has practiced family law for more than four decades. She is the Founding Partner of Goldwater Droit and was called to the Quebec Bar in 1981. Her practice focuses on complex family law litigation, including divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, parental rights, common-law spouse disputes, and constitutional matters affecting families and children.
Over the course of her career, she has appeared before every level of court in Quebec, including the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Her work has involved cases addressing parental alienation, the procedural rights of children in matrimonial litigation, same-sex marriage, common-law spouse rights, unjust enrichment, and child support issues.
Anne-France Goldwater acted in Hendricks v. Québec (Procureur général), a case challenging federal and provincial laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. She also represented parties in matters concerning the enforcement of support orders and constitutional challenges relating to family law legislation in Quebec.
She is also known for her involvement in Eric v. Lola, a significant case concerning spousal support rights for common-law spouses in Quebec. Her Supreme Court of Canada work includes Bruker v. Marcovitz, which addressed the enforceability of religious divorce agreements, and an intervention in L.M.P. v. L.S. concerning child support variation principles.
Her litigation experience includes matters involving high-net-worth family disputes, inter-spousal financial claims, corporate asset seizures, and constitutional challenges to the Quebec Child Support Guidelines. She has also argued cases involving unjust enrichment between common-law spouses following the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Kerr v. Baranow.
In addition to her family law practice, Anne-France Goldwater has appeared before the Quebec Court of Appeal in animal welfare matters, including proceedings concerning the City of Longueuil's authorization of a controlled deer hunt in Michel-Chartrand Park. In those cases, she relied on article 898.1 of the Civil Code of Québec concerning the legal recognition of animals as sentient beings.
She has written and spoken on topics including parental alienation, custody relocation, unjust enrichment between common-law spouses, and legal issues related to assisted reproduction and filiation. She also hosted L'Arbitre (The Arbitrator), a weekly television program on V.
Clients seeking representation in family law matters in Westmount and throughout Quebec turn to Anne-France Goldwater for guidance in emotionally and financially complex disputes. She works closely with individuals and families facing separation, custody disputes, support claims, and other sensitive legal matters requiring careful strategy and courtroom advocacy.
Anne-France Goldwater earned her B.C.L. from McGill University and practices in English, French, Spanish, and Yiddish.
