2026 – It’s a new year – what lies ahead
As we step into the new year, we reflect on the work we have accomplished together and the work that still lies ahead. Women subjected to intimate partner violence continue to face complex challenges, especially within the family court system, the core focus of Luke’s Place’s mission. With your support, we look forward to 2026 as a year of growth, innovation, and a more profound impact across all areas of our work.
Women’s Direct Service
Family court can be a confusing and frightening experience, especially for women who have left abusive relationships. At Luke’s Place, we walk with survivors at every step of the process, ensuring they do not face the system alone.
In the coming year, we will continue to strengthen our services, including:
- Family Court Support Work: Legal information, safety planning, and accompaniment to court and lawyer appointments.
- Legal Clinic: Access to a family law lawyer for summary legal advice, support in preparing court forms, and guidance on preparing for court.
- Legal Information Sessions: Virtual sessions that provide general information to help women understand their rights and navigate family law.
- Family Law Resource Room: A safe, accessible space with computers and internet access where women can complete court documents and attend virtual hearings.
In 2025, Luke’s Place supported 1,147 women, and we anticipate that number will increase in 2026 as more women seek our assistance.
Knowledge Mobilization – training and sharing tools
A core part of our mission is ensuring that service providers, legal professionals, and communities have the resources and training they need to respond safely and effectively to intimate partner violence. Over the past year, this work has expanded significantly.
Resources
On December 5, 2025, Luke’s Place launched its updated Tech Safety Toolkit, redesigned to reflect current platforms, emerging technologies, and the evolving realities women face in 2026. This resource helps women and their advocates better understand digital risks and strengthen tech-related safety planning.
At the same time that we launched our updated Tech Safety Toolkit, we developed and launched a resource called Tech Abuse and Family Court Decisions to support women and their advocates in collecting evidence related to tech abuse in family court.
Luke’s Place also developed a Community Resource Toolkit in partnership with the Region of Durham for friends, family, and neighbours who want to help someone subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV). Inside you will find:
- What to do if someone is in danger
- How to listen and support someone safely
- Where to find help for legal issues and safety planning
Other Resources
Luke’s Place also offers a comprehensive suite of resources addressing the intersection of family law and violence against women, supporting both survivors and service providers. You can access our full suite of resources here.
Training
We remain committed to delivering high-quality training to service providers and lawyers working with women of intimate partner violence. In 2025, we expanded our reach by:
- Enhancing our training for family law lawyers
- Taking our flagship “After She Leaves” training on the road, offering in-person sessions in diverse communities across Ontario.
Luke’s Place created a three-part community webinar series developed in partnership with the Region of Durham. The webinar series covers:
- What IPV looks like – understanding the signs and impact of intimate partner violence.
- Intimate Partner Violence and Family Court – Navigating family court while supporting survivors.
- Being an Ally: Community Resources for Supporting Survivors – Practical ways the community can provide support.
Advocacy
This past year, Luke’s Place continued to be a strong advocate for survivors, pushing for family law reforms that prioritize women’s safety, lived experiences, and access to justice.
We amplified the voices of survivors in consultations on parenting and legal system barriers, strengthened our call for improved training for family court professionals, and championed survivor-centered approaches to law and policy reform.
We will continue to follow the following bills in the coming year:
The challenges facing women leaving abusive relationships are significant and growing. But so is our commitment to addressing them. As we move into 2026, we are inspired by the strength of survivors, the dedication of our partners, the generosity of our supporters, and the commitment of our municipalities.
Learn more about our advocacy efforts here.
Thank you for standing with us. Together, we will continue to build safer futures for women and their children.
