Maria is a partner at Maleki Barristers. She has practiced family law exclusively since she was called to the Ontario Bar in 2014, after articling at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. Prior to joining Maleki Barristers, Maria worked at prominent family law boutique firms in downtown Toronto. Maria advocates for clients on a wide range of legal issues arising from separation and divorce, including high conflict parenting disputes and complex financial matters. Maria employs a practical approach to family law to negotiate agreements and effectively represent clients at mediation, arbitration, and in Family Court at all stages of family law litigation.
Maria graduated Osgoode Hall Law School with her J.D. in 2013. During law school, Maria co-founded the Osgoode Family Law Association and the Osgoode Peer Support
Centre. She was also the Osgoode Coordinator of the Family Law Project through Pro Bono Students Canada, assisting unrepresented litigants at different family courts across the GTA. In addition, Maria served on the policy committee of Justice for Children and Youth.
Maria also holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University. She has had a longstanding interest in interpersonal relationship dynamics. Her Honours Thesis examined the impact of the dissolution of close personal relationships on subsequent social interactions with strangers. Prior to pursuing her career in law, Maria served as a research assistant at York University and the University of Toronto. She examined different therapeutic models for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and trauma, and worked with community agencies providing trauma-focused therapy to children who had experienced abuse and their caregivers.
Maria is a member of Nellie’s Board of Directors, a Toronto shelter and community organization providing programs and services to support, educate and advocate for women and children. She is also a member of the Advocates’ Society, Canadian Bar Association and Ontario Bar Association, and Toronto Lawyers Association.
In her spare time, Maria enjoys music and spending time with her husband and two daughters exploring the outdoors.
