Fraser MacLean
Lawyer

Recently named ‘Canadian Lawyer’s 2025 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers’ in Canada, Fraser MacLean stands out as a leader in family law.

Fraser is a strategic advocate and a forward-thinking lawyer, committed to helping his clients move forward with their family matters and lives. Honoured by Canadian Lawyer as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada in 2025, Fraser is recognized as an innovator shaping the future of family law in Canada, consistently advocating for his clients in negotiations, mediations and before the courts. Over this time, he has attained a wealth of practical experience, earning a reputation for leadership, dedication, and compassion, always going above and beyond in the practice of law on behalf of his clients.

Fraser has appeared in all levels of court in British Columbia, including the BC Court of Appeal. He has a long list of reported judgments that speak to his skill and expertise in handling complex litigation matters. Throughout his career, Fraser has worked on various high-profile cases spanning national, international, and local levels.

Fraser was lead counsel in the landmark decision pertaining to costs and the harm of artificial intelligence (AI), the first case in Canada of its nature. In Zhang v. Chen, 2024 BCSC 285, the case involved the father’s application to have parenting time with his children overseas. After discovering the fake cases generated by Chat GPT, the father’s application was dismissed, with costs in favour of Fraser’s client.

As lead counsel in an ultra-high net worth case Zhang v. Chen, 2023 BCSC 2206 involving up to $70-90 million in assets, Fraser successfully obtained one of the highest interim support awards in BC history for his client.

Fraser was co-counsel in S.S.C.M. v. A.C.W, 2024 BCSC 1694, a complex interjurisdictional parenting dispute, where he successfully argued in having the Court refuse to recognize foreign orders from Texas, USA, on the basis it was contrary to public policy and the best interest of the children, while also obtaining a 100% special costs award.

Fraser was lead counsel in a 25-day parental alienation trial, successfully obtaining various relief for his client including compensatory parenting time, a $5,000 fine and police enforcement for wrongful denial of parenting, family systems therapy and the appointment of a parenting coordinator. See S.T.M v. C.G.H., 2023 BCPC 110 and S.T.M. v. C.G.H., 2023 BCPC 182.

Fraser was co-counsel in K.R. v. J.R., 2022 BCSC 1856, where he successfully represented his client in a 30-day high-net-worth trial. The result saw the husband paying zero in spousal support despite a long-term marriage with three children, while also receiving a substantial amount in retroactive child support dating back to 2016. In Cho v. Kim, 2023 BCSC 780, Fraser set aside a final order obtained at Summary Trial.

He was co-counsel on C.J.H. v. Q.T., 2021 BCSC 976, involving a significant retroactive child support award for a MacLean Law client following a successful international relocation during Covid-19.

He was lead counsel in Bhimani v. Beninteso, 2020 BCCA 174, in which the underlying appeal from a dismissal of a claim for division of family property and the imposition of a fine for non-compliance with disclosure obligations was dismissed.

Fraser served as co-counsel of a five-day trial at the BC Supreme Court, which successfully resulted in the reapportionment of family property for a MacLean Law client (see Dennis v Gill, 2018 BCSC 1533).

A sought-after family law resource, Fraser is a frequent guest lecturer at TRU Law on subjects such as spousal support and case wins in high net worth family law.

At his alma mater, Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law, Fraser has helped set up the MacLean Law Prize in Family Law, and the Doug Eastwood Q.C. MacLean Law scholarship.

In his spare time, Fraser is an avid sports enthusiast. He played hockey for the TRU Law Hockey team and enjoys boxing, golf, and travel. Fraser is always looking to experience new countries and cultures.

PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Speaker at the Canadian Legal Summit
• Using Artificial Intelligence Safely in Family Law – Read the Article
• Expert Q&A on Generative AI and Hallucination Risk – Read the Article
• TRU Law family law class guest lecturer
• County of Carleton Law Association – Family Law Institute – COVID 19: Parenting Challenges and Determining Income During the Pandemic
• Pacific Business & Law Institute – Grey Divorce and Planning for the Future – High Family Property Awards and High Net Worth Spousal Support

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