ABOUT

Legal experts in family law, estates, and successions

Founded in 2000, Devine Schachter Polak is one of the largest law firms in Montreal specializing in matrimonial and family law.

 

With years of experience, our team of dedicated lawyers focus on all matters relating to divorce and separation, as well as estates and successions.

 

We know that every situation is different, which is why our firm is devoted to providing you with individualized service and excellent representation. Our goal is to help you move forward with peace of mind and the best solutions for you and your family.

We listen. We assess. We resolve.

TEAM

Donald Devine

Me Donald Devine graduated from McGill University (B.A. 1964, B.C.L. 1968) and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1969.

 

In 1972 he was a founding member of the law firm Pascal Cohen and Devine (later Pascal Garonce Cohen Devine and Leiter) which eventually merged with Mendelsohn Rosentzveig (currently McMillan) in 1989 where he remained a partner for over 15 years. In 2005 he joined Me Linda Schachter and Me Carolyn Polak to form Devine Schachter Polak.

 

Listed as a leading attorney in family law by L’expert and named one of the top 100 lawyers in Canada by National Post, Me Devine has years of experience pleading before the Superior Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

 

Over the years Me Devine has been a member of and has sat on numerous committees, including acting as Chairman of the Comité de liaison avec la Cour supérieure en matières familiales, Treasurer of the Bar Counsel of Montreal (2001-2002), Vice-President of the Lord Reading Law Society, being a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Quebec Bar Association, and the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ), as well as being a founding member of the Association of Collaborative Lawyers of Quebec. He has published numerous articles and has lectured on family law.

 

Me Donald Devine is bilingual.

Linda Schachter

Me Linda Schachter graduated from McGill University in 1990 with a Bachelor degree in both Civil and Common Law, and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1991. Her early years of practice were spent at one of Montreal’s leading corporate firms, where in addition to practicing family law, she gained a strong background in commercial and business matters.

 

Listed as a leading attorney by L’expert and named one of the top 100 lawyers in Canada by the National Post, Me Schachter has years of experience pleading before the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal, and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada. She has extensive experience handling complex family law and estate issues, and has also co-authored LegisPratique: Droit de la famille 2009.

 

Over the years, Me Schachter has sat on numerous committees and is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Comité de liaison avec la Cour supérieure en matières familiales, the Canadian Bar Association, the Quebec Bar Association, the Lord Reading Law Society, the Association of Collaborative Lawyers, the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ), and several non-profit organizations. Currently she is a governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation. She is also a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at universities and various professional organizations.

 

Me Linda Schachter is bilingual.

Carolyn Polak

Me Carolyn Polak graduated from McGill University in the National Program, with a Bachelor degree in both Civil and Common Law and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1986.

 

Her early years of practice were spent at Luterman, Stotland, Davis, where she practiced exclusively in the domain of Family Law. Me. Polak has years of experience pleading before the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal. She is an accredited Family Law Mediator since 1996 and is also an accredited Collaborative Family Lawyer.

 

In addition to her practice, Me. Polak has taught Family Law at the McGill University Faculty of Law and presently teaches collaborative law to members of the Quebec Bar. Me. Polak has over the years been a member of and has sat on numerous committees including the Lord Reading Law Society and the Association of Collaborative Lawyers as well as several non-profit organizations.

 

Me Carolyn Polak is bilingual.

Tamar Ajamian

Me Tamar Ajamian graduated from Université de Montréal in 2007 with a Bachelor in Law (LL.B.) and has been a member of the Quebec Bar and the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ) since 2008.

 

As a partner at Devine Schachter Polak, Me Ajamian’s areas of expertise are family law and estate matters. She has years of trial experience pleading before the Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal, as well as negotiating and resolving complex successions and matrimonial disputes.

 

She is an accredited Family Law Mediator and is also a member of the Association of Family Mediators of Quebec (AMFQ).

 

Me Tamar Ajamian is fluent in English, French, and Armenian.

Aline Kordzian

Me Aline Kordzian graduated from Université de Montréal in 1999 with a Bachelor in Law (LL.B.) and has been a prominent member of the Quebec Bar and a respected member of the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ) since 2003. She successfully completed her stage at L. Schachter & Associates, and in 2002 she began practicing as an associate at Schachter Polak. In 2016, Me Kordzian became a partner at Devine Schachter Polak.

 

Throughout her 14-year tenure Me Kordzian has continuously distinguished herself as one of the most sought-after trial lawyers. She is known for her meticulous attention to detail, her ability to seamlessly grasp complex files while focusing on her client’s ultimate needs and goals. Her area of expertise consists of family law and successions, with years of trial experience pleading before the Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal, as well as negotiating and resolving complex financial disputes, custody matters and estate issues.

 

Me Aline Kordzian is fluent in English, French and Armenian.

Jonathan Shulak

Me Jonathan Shulak, has a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Montreal, and began working for Devine Schachter Polak as a summer student in 2005. After a successful stage, Me Shulak was called to the Quebec Bar in 2006 and thereafter joined the firm as an associate. Throughout the years Me Shulak has earned the respect of his colleagues and clients through his commitment to offering empathetic and professional services, and in 2016 he became a partner in the firm.

 

Over the course of his career, Me Shulak has handled several complex divorce and family law cases with diverse economic stakes. As a result, Me Shulak has experience dealing with multifaceted legal issues relating to family trusts, estates and wills, Mareva orders, and international child abduction issues.

 

As a seasoned litigator Me Shulak frequently appears before the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal of Quebec. He also has experience in alternative dispute resolution.

 

Me Shulak is a member of the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ) as well as a member of the Lord Reading Association.

 

Me Jonathan Shulak is bilingual.

Alain Lancry

Me Alain Lancry was admitted to the Bar of the Province of Québec in 1989.

 

He was a partner in the law firm of Levine Frishman Lancry for over 25 years and is now a partner with the firm of Devine Schachter Polak.

 

Me Lancry has over three decades of experience in the fields of civil and matrimonial law, having pleaded many cases in Youth Court, Superior Court and in the Court of Appeal.

 

Furthermore, Me Lancry is an accredited Member of the Collaborative Law Process in the Province of Québec, was President of the Québec Bar Association’s Committee of Oral Debates for numerous years and was a lecturer at McGill University in civil law for over ten years.

 

Me Lancry is proficient in both French and English.

Ashley Trainor

Me Ashley Trainor is an associate at Devine Schachter Polak, and is a trial lawyer specializing in family law and successions with a background in general civil and corporate litigation. She completed her Bachelors of Civil Law (LL.L.) and Common Law (JD) at the University of Ottawa, and started working at the firm as an articling student in 2010. She was admitted to the Québec Bar in 2011 and the Ontario Bar in 2012.

 

Over the years Me Trainor has sat on numerous committees and is a member of several professional organizations, including the Quebec Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Young Bar Association of Montreal, and the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ). She is also a member of several non-profit organizations, including the St Mary’s Hospital Young Professionals Committee.

 

Me Ashley Trainor is bilingual.

Justine LeBel

Me LeBel obtained her Bachelor in Civil Law from the University of Sherbrooke in 2012, and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 2013.

 

After practicing commercial and estate litigation at a prestigious firm for two years, Me LeBel joined Devine Schachter Polak in 2015, where she has since been practicing family law and successions. Over the years she has represented clients before the Court of Quebec, the Superior Court, and the Court of Appeal in cases pertaining to divorce, separation, child custody, supervision of access, choice of school, deprivation of parental authority, adoption, removal and appointment of a liquidator, contestation of an inventory, application to probate, and contestation of a will and unworthiness to inherit.

 

Me LeBel is a member of the Young Bar Association of Montreal and of the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ).

 

Me Justine LeBel is bilingual.

Salma Kassissia

Me Salma Kassissia graduated from Sherbrooke University with a Bachelor in Law (LL.B.) and was called to the Quebec Bar in 2013. She is a litigation lawyer specializing in family law and alternative dispute resolution. Me Kassissia joined Devine Schachter Polak as an associate in 2018.

 

Me Kassissia is a member of the Quebec Bar Association, the Young Bar Association of Montreal and the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ). She also involves herself in the community by sitting on numerous committees and is a member of several non-profit organizations.

 

Me Salma Kassissia is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Fady Girgis

Me Fady Girgis began studying law at O’Sullivan College, where he acquired his paralegal degree with distinction. He continued his studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, graduating in 2015 with a Bachelor of Law.

 

During his student career, he won multiple prizes, including the Lavery de Billy Prize and the Student Involvement Recognition Prize at O’Sullinvan College, as well as the Best Student Prize in multiple departments of Université du Québec à Montréal, while contributing to the project « La démocratie et la représentativité syndicales face à la liberté d’association en droit québécois, canadien et comparé: antonymies, complémentarités et perspectives nouvelles. »

 

Me Girgis is a member of the Quebec Bar Association, the Young Bar Association of Montreal and the Association of Family Lawyers of Quebec (AAADFQ). After successfully completing his articling at Devine Schachter Polak in 2018, Me Girgis permanently joined our team as an associate.

 

Me Girgis is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.

David Schatia

A native Montrealer, David I. Schatia, Q.C., graduated from Sir George Williams University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1959. He went on to study Law at McGill University, graduating with honors in 1962 and was admitted to the Quebec Bar the following year. In 1991, David was appointed Queen’s Counsel by the Canadian Government.

 

Me. Schatia is a member of the Quebec Bar Association. He was also a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Quebec Bar and sat on the Board of Directors of the Montreal General Hospital.

 

Over many years, Me. Schatia was a member of the NHLPA and active as a player-agent. As well, he has been an active litigator in the field of Family Law, spanning more than 50 years and today acts as counsel to the firm DSP.

 

Me David Schatia is bilingual.

SERVICES

Family Law

Separation
Divorce
Custody/Access Rights
Spousal support
Child support
Marriage Contracts
Lump sum awards
Compensatory allowance
Matrimonial regimes
Family patrimony
Family residence and furnishings
Financial disclosure
Asset valuation
Mediation

Choice of school
Parental alienation
Trusts
Representation of children
Grandparents’ rights
Supervised access rights
Deprivation of parental authority
Child abduction/ Kidnapping
Seizures/Injunctions
Appeals of Judgments
International disputes
Adoption
Paternity
Mareva and Anton Piller orders

Rights of Person

Assisted procreation
Change of designation of sex
Consent to care
Emancipation
Filiation
Name change
Reputation and privacy
Emergency psychiatric intervention

Estates and Wills

Wills and Mandates in case of incapacity
Power of attorney
Curatorship/ Tutorship
Probate of wills
Liquidation and winding up of estates
Contestation of estates
Disqualification of liquidators
Survivor claims

De Facto Spouses

Co-habitation agreements
Financial claims
Unjust enrichment
Right of habitation

Other Areas of Law

Collaborative law
Recognition of foreign judgments
Certificate de coutume
Civil union

Family Law

Separation
Divorce
Custody/Access Rights
Spousal support
Child support
Marriage Contracts
Lump sum awards
Compensatory allowance
Matrimonial regimes
Family patrimony
Family residence and furnishings
Financial disclosure
Asset valuation
Mediation
Choice of school
Parental alienation
Trusts
Representation of children
Grandparents’ rights
Supervised access rights
Deprivation of parental authority
Child abduction/ Kidnapping
Seizures/Injunctions
Appeals of Judgments
International disputes
Adoption
Paternity
Mareva and Anton Piller orders

Rights of Person

Assisted procreation
Change of designation of sex
Consent to care
Emancipation
Filiation
Name change
Reputation and privacy
Emergency psychiatric intervention

Estates and Wills

Wills and Mandates in case of incapacity
Power of attorney
Curatorship/ Tutorship
Probate of wills
Liquidation and winding up of estates
Contestation of estates
Disqualification of liquidators
Survivor claims

De Facto Spouses

Co-habitation agreements
Financial claims
Unjust enrichment
Right of habitation

Other Areas of Law

Collaborative law
Recognition of foreign judgments
Certificate de coutume
Civil union

REFERRALS

Provided for

Important Contacts

Accountants
Actuaries
Alcohol and drug testing
Audio experts
Co-parenting courses
Family therapists
Financial planners
Forensic accountants
Furniture appraisers
Handwriting experts
Investment advisors
Marriage counselors
Notaries
Paternity testing
Private investigators
Psychiatrists
Psychologists
Psycho-legal expertise
Supervised access facilities
Real estate evaluators
Surveyors

Montreal Courthouse:

 

Laval Courthouse:

 

Saint-Jerome Courthouse:

 

Longueuil Courthouse:

 

Valleyfield Courthouse:

 

Court of Appeal (Montreal):

 

Director, Youth Protection:

 

Quebec Bar:

 

Chamber of Notaries:

 

Quebec Pension Plan:

514-393-2721

 

450-686-5011

 

450-431-4407

 

450-646-4010

 

450-370-4006

 

514-393-2022

 

514-896-3100

 

514-954-3400

 

514-879-1793

 

514-873-2433

Provided for

Accountants
Actuaries
Alcohol and drug testing
Audio experts
Co-parenting courses
Family therapists
Financial planners
Forensic accountants
Furniture appraisers
Handwriting experts
Investment advisors
Marriage counselors
Notaries
Paternity testing
Private investigators
Psychiatrists
Psychologists
Psycho-legal expertise
Supervised access facilities
Real estate evaluators
Surveyors

RESOURCES

Laws and Legislation

Divorce Act
Civil Code of Quebec
Code of Civil Procedure
Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
Act to Facilitate the Payment of Support
Youth Protection Act

Forms

Statement of Income and Expenses and Balance Sheet
Sworn Statement under Article 444

PDF

Statement Family Patrimony
Statement of Partnership of Acquests

XLS

Simulation of Partition of Quebec Pension Plan Contributions

PDF

Deduction of Spousal Support at source (CRA)

PDF

Deduction of Spousal Support at source (MRQ)

PDF

CONTACT

Please do not send confidential information or details about your case by email. Do not forward any documents to us. We will not review such information nor can we provide advice until we have accepted you as a client.

 

Please note that any email correspondence to contact the firm is informational only. You will not be considered a client of the firm until we have agreed to act for you in accordance with our usual policies for accepting clients. The content of this website is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. No action with regards to your particular matter should be taken until you have first sought full legal or professional advice from a lawyer fully retained to act on your behalf.

 

Copyright © 2018 Devine Schachter Polak. All rights reserved.
Photography by Johan Jansson