Frequently asked questions
What does the revised Divorce Act say about parenting plans?
The changes to the Divorce Act give parenting plans a more formal role than they have had in the past, so it is worth discussing them with any of your clients who are using the Divorce Act to resolve post-separation parenting issues. Parenting plans can also be a useful tool for parents who need a…
Read moreWhat are the rights of grandparents who want access to their grandchildren?
Grandparents in Ontario have some legal rights to go to family court if they want to spend time with their grandchildren.
Read moreWomen’s experience with CAS
Child protection authorities exist to protect children from abuse and neglect. Also known as CAS, historically, their focus has been on situations in which the abuse or neglect has been directed at children themselves. Under provincial legislation, the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, child protection authorities have the mandate to intervene when they deem…
Read moreJust how much financial information does a woman have to share when she leaves an abusive partner?
Financial abuse Many abusive relationships involve an element of financial control or abuse. For example, the abuser may: Monitor the woman’s spending Control all the money and give her an allowance Require her to justify her spending Insist that only his name be on bank accounts, investments, credit cards, etc. Not allow the woman to…
Read moreIt doesn’t end when she leaves: Post-separation abuse
Why doesn’t she leave? Many people, including judges and lawyers, believe that when a woman leaves an abusive partner, he will stop abusing her. Sadly, this is rarely the case. Women with abusive partners realize this. Knowing the abuser will continue the violence often prevents them from leaving. Staying with him means a woman knows…
Read moreManaging back to school decisions during the pandemic with an abusive ex-partner: Tips for frontline workers
Decision-making with an abusive ex-partner is never an easy or straightforward process. Even when the ex-partner has had little involvement in making decisions or planning for the children, many of them have plenty of ideas about what they think the mother should or should not do. For women with school-age children, decisions about education are…
Read moreTowards Reconciliation: A tipsheet for working supportively with Indigenous clients
Becoming fully competent in working in the spirit of reconciliation is a process. This tip sheet is intended to provide you with ideas to think about and for you, your colleagues and your organization to work towards over time. Community 1) I know something about the territory and Indigenous communities where I work and live,…
Read moreWebinar: Restraining orders and managing post-separation abuse
Family violence continues and often escalates post-separation. This webinar explores post-separation abuse and strategies for managing it, including restraining orders and safety planning. What is a restraining order? How would someone get one? This webinar answers those questions and more. This webinar is the latest in a series on family law issues when there’s family…
Read moreDifferences between religious/cultural family laws and Canadian civil family law
There are significant differences between some cultural or religious family law and the civil family laws in Canada. It is important for women to know about these differences before they make any decisions about how they want to organize their intimate relationships or how they want to resolve the issues that arise when those relationships…
Read moreWebinar: What is the best interests of the child test in family law?
In Canada, all decisions about post-separation arrangements for children are made using the best interests of the child test. Both Ontario’s Children’s Law Reform Act and the federal Divorce Act set out the criteria judges are to use when applying the test. This webinar explains what each of those criteria are and mean and discusses…
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