2026 Annual Mary Lou Benotto Award for Excellence in Family Law

Nominations are now being Accepted for the 2026 Annual Mary Lou Benotto Award for Excellence in Family Law

This award was established by the Honourable Michael Tulloch, the Chief Justice of Ontario, in recognition of the Honourable Mary Lou Benotto for her exceptional contributions to family law and process innovations.

Selection Criteria:

Each year, this award will be presented to an Ontario lawyer who has distinguished themselves in family law, including but not limited to the context of separation/divorce, adoption, and child protection.

Criteria for selecting the recipient the recipient of the award will include a demonstrated commitment to:

• family law process innovation;
• skillful advocacy either in litigation or in an alternative dispute resolution context;
• civility and professionalism;
• the importance of giving back to the profession and the community by teaching, mentoring and/or pro bono work.

The recipient must be a lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.

The award will be presented annually at the Law Society of Ontario’s Family Law Summit.

The deadline for nominations is February 25, 2026.

Nominations should include the recipient’s up-to-date curriculum vitae and a description of suitability. Nominations may include supporting letters and materials.

Individuals may nominate any eligible recipient by sending a letter of nomination to:  COA.ExecutiveLegalOfficer@ontario.ca with subject line “MLB Award Nomination”.