We have explored a number of issues related to this question in other postings (See: The role of VAW in custody and access cases and What’s the best interests of the child test?), but we have not examined specifically the…
Category: For service providers
How can a woman make the court understand the impact on her children of the abuse she has been subjected to?
Posted in For service providers Tagged with: best interests of the child, children's exposure to abuse
How can I accurately assess risks my client is facing from her former partner?
Your role as a woman’s advocate will require you to engage in safety planning with the women you support. Safety planning is, in some ways, the other side of risk assessment: the more information you have about the women’s risk,…
What should I do if a woman tells me she plans to violate the custody order because she has serious concerns for the safety of the child?
When facing legal and ethical challenges, there are a variety of strategies that will help service providers manage the situation. Here are some other situations that could raise similar legal and ethical challenges: A client or former client calls to…
What is financial abuse?
You may have been subjected to financial abuse during your relationship, and it may be continuing now that you have left. This kind of abuse is common, and can take many forms, including: Your partner controls the money and makes…
Posted in For service providers, For women, Frequently asked questions Tagged with: financial abuse, post separation violence
What is a section 30 custody assessment?
Section 30 of the Children’s Law Reform Act allows a judge to order a custody and access assessment in certain circumstances. As you will see in the discussion below, section 30 assessments are somewhat different than assessments conducted by the…
Posted in Case law, For service providers Tagged with: clinical issue, Office of the Children's Lawyer, psychological, section 30 assessment
Are accommodations are available at family court for a woman who has PTSD?
The courts, like all government and public institutions and agencies, are required to comply with Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, which is intended to ensure that all people with disabilities have full and equal access to all public…
Posted in For service providers, Frequently asked questions Tagged with: accessibility, accommodation, disability, mental health, PTSD, trauma
New Luke’s Place toolkit for agencies providing family law support services
Does your agency provide women with: family law information support for preparing for court and managing legal bullying court and lawyer appointment accompaniments? If so, would you like to increase your capacity to deliver these services? Or, do you wish…
Posted in For service providers, Luke's Place activities, New resources Tagged with: family law information, providing support to women, service providers
What is the Hague Convention and how can it help if my ex-partner takes our children out of Canada?
The Hague Convention is a tool to assist in having children returned who have been wrongfully removed from one jurisdiction that has signed the Convention to another that has also signed it. It is an international treaty, the full name…
Posted in For service providers, For women, Frequently asked questions Tagged with: child abduction, Hague convention
How should I work with VWAP?
If you are a woman’s advocate who focuses on family law issues, it’s helpful to connect clients to your local Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) if an abusive partner is facing criminal charges. Keep in mind that: VWAP workers are…
Posted in For service providers, Frequently asked questions Tagged with: criminal court, Victim Witness Assistance Program, VWAP
DomesticShelters.org spotlight on Luke’s Place: The only center of its kind in Canada and the U.S.
DomesticShelters.org is the largest searchable directory of domestic violence services in Canada and the US. This site is full of helpful tools and information for people who are subjected to or are working to end intimate partner abuse. On December…
