Goebel, Gwen V
Gwen V Goebel
Practice Areas
Gwen is a partner in the firm and concentrates her practice in family law where she views her role as a balance between strong advocate and a legal coach. She has extensive experience in both litigation and collaborative law and also works in estate litigation, personal injury litigation and professional regulation, with a record of successful representations before the Court of Queen’s Bench, the Court of Queen’s Bench Family Law Division and the Court of Appeal.
Education
Gwen received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Regina in 1989 and her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993. She was called to the Saskatchewan Bar in 1994, having received the Academic Excellence Award for the highest standing at the bar admission course.
Professional Involvement
Committed to continuing education, Gwen is a member of the Collaborative Lawyers of Saskatchewan Inc., the Christian Legal Fellowship and the Canadian Bar Association. She is currently the Chair of the Family Law Section for the provincial CBA branch and has covered various family law issues in publications and as a speaker at seminars presented by the Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc.
Community Involvement
Gwen is involved in her community and her church, focusing on the interests of her children. Gwen is an active member of the Saskatoon Society for Christian Education Inc. being a member of the Elementary Planning Committee at the Saskatoon Christian School.
Key Cases
Gwen successfully represented an out-of-province client in a family property case involving cross-border issues pursuant to recently enacted jurisdiction legislation. Courts and authors in Saskatchewan and other provinces have repeatedly referred to this case. Gwen shared her experience in this very important case as a lecturer to the Canadian Bar Association in 2005 and Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc. conferences in Regina and Saskatoon in 2006.
Recently, Gwen successfully appealed a lower court decision which had held that the passage of time constituted the material change required to vary a long standing custody order. The Court of Appeal agreed that the aging of a child in and of itself does not meet the legal test, thereby settling the law on this issue for Saskatchewan practitioners and parents.