Legal news & strategy
Sample language for court orders to limit tech abuse involving children
Involving children in abuse of their mother after separation is a common tactic of manipulative ex-partners. Many use the children as pawns, drawing them into adult issues, bribing and/or threatening them to try to win their favour or using them to spy on their mother. One tool abusers use to involve children is communication technology.…
Read moreSupporting women to access family law supports during COVID-19
September 3/20 Update: We have gathered together links to current information about a number of important issues related to the operation of the Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) as of September 2nd. Please note: If you work in a community where family court operates as part of the Ontario Court of Justice, this information may not…
Read moreInformation about the Durham Region Courthouse: Virtual court appearances
From Justice Fryer. Please distribute widely. The following information applies to the Durham Region Courthouse, located in Oshawa: Until further notice, all court appearances are to be presumptively held virtually by Zoom as set out in the Notice to the Profession dated July 26, 2020. If it is felt that an in-person hearing would be…
Read moreJust who should deliver family legal services in Ontario?
In late June, the Law Society of Ontario released a consultation paper on the Family Legal Services Provider Licence, seeking input from stakeholders about the components of the licensing framework as well as contextual information to help determine “the effectiveness of the licence in addressing access to justice needs.” This paper is the result of…
Read moreTechnology can create problems as well as solve them
COVID-19 has shone a light on many issues across the province/country/world: issues that existed before the pandemic and that will remain with us after it is over. We have learned (and continue to learn) a great deal during this experience, and we can use that learning as we move through and past the pandemic. In…
Read moreThe Smarter and Stronger Justice Act could jeopardize access to justice for women fleeing abuse
Our Legal Director, Pamela Cross, appeared before Standing Committee on Justice Policy – Bill 161: The Stronger and Smarter Justice Act on June 10, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak with you about this Bill. Luke’s Place Support and Resource Centre, where I am the Legal Director, provides…
Read moreWebinar: Supporting women who live in rural and remote communities
Women living in rural and remote communities face unique challenges when they decide to leave an abusive relationship, including distance, lack of services, isolation and limited access to lawyers. This webinar presents tips and strategies for supporting women who are facing these and other barriers, with a focus on women’s emotional and physical safety. This…
Read moreWill Canada’s new Divorce Act keep women and children fleeing abuse safe? The gaps – Part 3/3
The revised Divorce Act, coming into effect on July 1, 2020, offers both pros and cons for survivors of family violence. The pros outweigh the cons, and create the potential for parents who have left an abusive relationship and who use the federal statute to establish parenting arrangements to be better served by the law…
Read moreWill Canada’s new Divorce Act keep women and children fleeing abuse safe? The cons – Part 2/3
While the amended Divorce Act will, without question, materially improve the situation of those fleeing abuse (if they use the Divorce Act to resolve parenting issues), it is not perfect. This article explores two criteria in the best interests test, the decision-making provisions and the emphasis on out of court dispute resolution, all of which…
Read moreWill Canada’s new Divorce Act keep women and children fleeing abuse safe? The pros – Part 1/3
As we continue to find our way through the strange new world of life in a pandemic, it is easy to lose sight of things that seemed important to us just a few months ago. The significantly revised Divorce Act, passed by the federal government in June 2019 and coming into effect on July 1,…
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