Judy N. Boyes, KC

Counsel

Judy is an experienced litigator, practicing primarily in family law now for more than 40 years. In addition to her experience in Court, Judy is a trained mediator, arbitrator and collaborative lawyer. In her practice she makes use of these dispute resolution methods to achieve fair and reasonable solutions for her clients, using the Courts only where necessary.

Judy advises clients on matrimonial property issues including complex corporate matters, family trusts, professional practices and business and pension valuations, and on significant financial issues including spousal and child support. In addition, Judy represents clients in estate litigation and in legal professional liability matters.

Judy has appeared as counsel in all levels of Court in Alberta, including the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of King’s Bench and the Court of Appeal. She has been retained as an expert in family law to provide legal advice on the Matrimonial Property Act of Alberta in other jurisdictions, including internationally, and as well to provide expert evidence in legal professional liability matters.

Judy was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2000 and is now King's Counsel. She is continually chosen as a leading family law lawyer by her peers for inclusion in Lexpert, a legal directory, and in Best Lawyers in Canada. In 2019 she was named Lawyer of the Year in Family Law by Best Lawyers. She is also recognized in the Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory.

Believing in the importance of continued education for lawyers both as to developments in the law and effective practice, Judy has been involved as an educator throughout her career for the profession. She has been the Chair or a speaker on numerous panels for the Legal Education Society of Alberta on matters of family law, trial advocacy, and civil litigation. She served on the Board of Directors of the Legal Education Society of Alberta as a Director, then Chair of that Board and was an instructor in Trial Advocacy at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law for more than 10 years.

Judy has been on the organizing committee for the National Family Law Program, as well as a moderator and presenter at the Programs over the last 20 years on matters relating to the practice of family law, alternative dispute resolution options and professional ethics.

Judy’s distinguished career has been noted in Peter C. Newman’s book, Titans: How the New Canadian Establishment Seized Power. In 2002, she was awarded the Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Gold Key Award for her contribution to the profession as an alumnus of the law school. She was elected by her peers as a Bencher of the Law Society of Alberta, the governing body for lawyers in Alberta.

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Admitted to the Law Society of Alberta, 1980
  • Bencher, Law Society of Alberta, 2004-2006
  • Past Chair, National Family Law Section, Canadian Bar Association
  • Past Chair, South Alberta Family Law Section, Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Branch
  • Past member, National Continuing Legal Education Committee, Canadian Bar Association
  • Past Chair and Director, Legal Education Society of Alberta
  • Past Board Member, Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family, representative of the Law Society of Alberta
  • Member, Association of Women Lawyers
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association

RECOGNITIONS

  • Best Lawyers in Canada (Family Law)
  • BV® Distinguished™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale Hubbell
  • Gold Key Award, Osgoode Hall Law School

OTHER ACTIVITIES

  • Judy has been active in the theatre community in Calgary, as an actor and as a Director on the Board of Directors for Alberta Theatre Projects, as well as on the Capital Campaign Committee for Vertigo Theatre.
  • Judy is an avid hiker, awful golfer and loves to travel when she is not spending time with her puppy.