Note: This is a corrected version of an earlier story. Correction appended below.
MONTREAL - She’s a family-law lawyer whose high-profile cases are changing the nature of common-law unions in Quebec and helped legalize same-sex marriages in Canada.
She’s a fierce adversary with a rapid wit and potty mouth who has been called a publicity-seeking pit bull, and far less flattering things by opposing counsel and deadbeat dads.
And now she is set to become Quebec’s version of Judge Judy with her own French-language model of the popular American court show. L’Arbitre (The Arbitrator) will air September on the V network, with Anne-France Goldwater mediating small-claims disputes between separated couples arguing over who gets the big-screen TV and neighbours with broken-fence issues.
“They asked me to audition and I was drooling — I have dogs, I know from drool,” she said from her offices in Westmount yesterday. “Forget the other bozos, I said.” (By “other bozos,” she’s referring to the 20 lawyers, former judges and two ex-ministers of Justice in the running.)
“I was born to do this. I’m your man.”
The producers agreed.
“There’s never a dull moment with this woman,” said Yves Thériault, creator and executive producer of L’Arbitre. “I think of her a bit like Don Cherry — you either love him, or you hate him, but if you hate him, you love to hate him.”
It is both a change of direction and a natural transition for Goldwater, 51, whose cases are often well-publicized.
The most recent involved the breakup of Quebec billionaire “Eric” — the real names can’t be publicized — and Lola, who bore him three children during their seven-year relationship. Lola has asked for a $50-million lump sum and $56,000 a month in support payments, even though common-law partners in Quebec aren’t entitled to alimony by law. Last November, the Quebec Court of Appeal instructed the provincial government to change the family law section of the Civil Code. The government appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case.
Goldwater also fought for the right of her two male clients to be married. In 2004 she won in the Quebec Superior Court. Canada legalized same-sex marriages later that year.
“She has made a terrific contribution to the cause of gay marriage and has effectively challenged family law, and she should be praised,” said Julius Grey, a constitutional lawyer and her former teacher. “There is no question she is not your typical lawyer ... but so what? Are we always supposed to by typical lawyers, completely dispassionate, or is there room for personality?”
Beyond the entertainment value, Goldwater is hoping her 30 years experience as a lawyer mediating disputes can show people how to resolve issues without resorting to the overburdened legal system.
“I love Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy), but I don’t like the direct insults to people. ... My job is not to sit there and be disdainful and say ‘You f---, what are you doing here? ...
I want to transmit, through a show, how to resolve disputes. To get people to reason out why they think the way they think after they have a problem, and get them to see the other side.”
Since Quebecers are more reserved about being publicly humiliated, (and won’t be getting an all-expenses paid trip to California, as Judge Judy’s guests do), L’Arbitre will focus more on humour and resolving issues, and the producers will pay out whatever settlement Goldwater deems fit, up to a maximum of $7,000.
Goldwater will continue to practice law, but is leaving the door open to future possibilities, including doing an English-language version for Canadian television. And who knows, she said, maybe going for the “holy grail.”
“Hmmm, Judy Sheindlin is getting a little long in the tooth,” she said. “I am young and fresh flesh.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Anne-France Goldwater represented Michael Hendricks and René LeBoeuf in their gay marriage case in the Quebec Court of Appeals. Goldwater actually represented them in Quebec Superior Court. The Court of Appeals case was handled by Colin Irving and lawyer Martha McCarthy.
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