Alison Bennet
Areas of Practice: Family Law - Negotiation, Litigation, Guardianship, Adoptions, Agreements, Intimate Partner Violence, Appeal
Alison uses her practical approach and legal expertise to help resolve family law issues through the use of strategic and solution oriented negotiation and cooperative approaches, and through strong advocacy, inside and outside the courtroom. She has an abundance of experience representing clients at all levels of the Manitoba courts, including the Manitoba Court of Appeal. With over 25 years of experience, she is seasoned in all aspects of family law, from the common place to the complicated.
Since Alison began to practice law, she has dedicated herself to assisting families through the most challenging of circumstances. Alison helps make her clients feel heard and strives to empower them by giving them a voice and supporting them to make informed decisions from a place of confidence, giving them autonomy in the legal process. She guides her clients to look ahead to their future, and the best interests of themselves and their families.
Professional, efficient, and organized, Alison prides herself in her ability to focus her clients on needed information, and provides feedback enabling them to make sound decisions. She strives to find solutions tailored to her clients and is often able to suggest fresh, workable ideas.
Alison grew up on a family farm in a small agricultural community south west of Winnipeg. She attributes her work ethic, and interest in business management to the strong modelling of her family, for which she is grateful.
Alison’s greatest joy and pride is found in her family. Over the years she has enjoyed the bustle of raising their four children, cheering them on at their hockey, soccer, football, softball and other activities and events, managing hockey teams, organizing outdoor hockey tournaments, and volunteering at their schools alongside managing the firm and her law practice and spending meaningful time with her friends and family. She is a nature lover at heart, and enjoys spending time outside admiring the tranquility of big blue skies and open fields, which she attributes to her farm roots.
Education, Training & Certification
Called to the Manitoba Bar: 1996
Bachelor of Law, University of Manitoba, (1995)
Dean’s Honour List 1994, 1995
Bachelor of Arts, University of Manitoba, (1992)
Psychology (Major) and Criminology (Minor)
Professional Memberships, Professional Involvement & Community Volunteerism
Canadian Bar Association
Manitoba Bar Association
Manitoba Bar Association subsections Family Law; Women Lawyers; and Small, Solo and General Practice Lawyer subsections
Standard Order Clauses Committee - Court Committee Member
Joint Family Law Program, presented by The Court of Queen’s Bench, Law Society of Manitoba, and Manitoba Bar Association – Panelist, Spousal Support
“Case Management Best Practices”, Law Society of Manitoba – Presenter
“Accessing the Court for Emergency Motions during Pandemic”, Family Law Subsection – Guest Speaker
Family Law Lawyer’s subcommittee – responsible for suggesting protocols and allowing the opening of access to the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench family division during pandemic
Law(yer) Strong Peer Support Training, 2023
Legal Help Centre – Volunteer
University of Manitoba, Moot Court judge
Community Legal Education Association – Guest Speaker and Presenter (multiple occasions)
Conflict Resolution Course, University of Winnipeg – Guest Speaker (multiple occasions)
Riverview Youth Hockey Tournament Convenor (multiple years)