Partner

Ms. Caroline Harnois is a member of the Family law, Personal law and Estate law team. Her practice is focused on all aspects of family and estate law, which comprises private international family law, including international child abduction.

Education

• LL.B., Université de Montréal, 2000

Significant Accomplishments

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Harnois worked as a lawyer with the Children, Person and Family Law team at The Hague Conference on Private International Law in the Netherlands, where she developed an expertise in extraterritorial conflicts and the application of international conventions, in particular regarding international child abduction, recovery of maintenance abroad, intercountry adoption and international protection of children and vulnerable adults.

During her last years with this international organization, Ms. Harnois took part in international negotiations meetings, organized and conducted training sessions for lawyers, judges, civil servants and representatives of other international organizations, and worked towards the implementation of conventions. She was also invited in several countries as a guest lecturer in her areas of practice.

Ms. Harnois also practised in the public international law field at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague and did her articling in family law with a Montréal firm.

Ms. Harnois has written several articles on family law including La Convention de La Haye du 25 octobre 1980 sur l’enlèvement international d’enfants : la nécessité d’agir de façon rapide et efficace and Débiteurs alimentaires récalcitrants à vos gardes, la planète rétrécit respectively published in Les Développement récents en droit familial of 2008 and 2010. Ms. Harnois also written an article in the Canadian Family Law Quarterly entitled 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction : the Impact of a Refugee Claim or the Grant of Refugee Status on a Hague Return Application. She has also appeared as a guest lecturer at the Quebec Bar Continuing Education Workshops.

Professional and community activities

• Vice President of the Children and Youth law section of the Canadian Bar Association, Québec Division
• Member of the Family Law, Elder Law, Will, Estates and Trusts, and International Law Sections of the Canadian Bar Association
• Member of the American Bar Association
• Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
• Association des avocats et avocates en droit de la famille du Québec
• Association internationale francophone des intervenants auprès des familles séparées (AIFI)
• Volonteer at the SAGE (Service d’avocats de garde en matière familiale)

Publications

• C. Harnois, 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction : the Impact of a Refugee Claim or the Grant of Refugee Status on a Hague Return Application / 121, in the Canadian Family Law Quarterly 38.2, July 121-258 Thomson Reuters, 2019.

Professional Associations
Canadian Bar Association
Association des avocats et avocates en droit de la famille du Québec
Association internationale francophone des intervenants auprès des familles séparées (AIFI)


Professional Activities and Experience
Accolades

• Best Lawyer 2017
• Best Lawyer 2018
• Best Lawyers 2019
• Best Lawyers 2020
• Best Lawyers 2021
• Best Lawyers 2022
• Lexpert 2022
• Best Lawyers 2024

• Eric and Lola : The Supreme Court rules on the rights of de facto spouses in Quebec
• The exercise of custody and access rights in the era of COVID‑19: “There will be no easy answers”
• The Superior Court of Québec rules on de facto spouses and the right to use a residence during legal proceedings