Supporting survivors through urgent family court matters: Emergency motions toolkit and online course
When a woman and her children are facing an immediate safety concern, the legal system can feel overwhelming. In urgent situations, timely access to the right legal tools can make a critical difference.
An emergency motion can be a vital step towards ensuring the safety of women and children subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV). An emergency motion allows a woman to ask the court for a temporary order to address an urgent crisis. These orders are typically requested when there are serious concerns about a woman’s or her children’s immediate safety or well-being.
As women often apply to the family court during a crisis, they are not uncommonly overwhelmed by the number of forms and the amount of information required to complete them. Because these situations are often stressful and time-sensitive, service providers play an important role in helping women understand their options and navigate the process.
To support advocates working with survivors, Luke’s Place created the Emergency Motions Toolkit, offering clear, practical guidance on preparing effective emergency motions for a range of situations. Updated in 2022, the toolkit includes:
- Emergency contacts and safety planning tips
- Step-by-step guidance on applying for an emergency motion
- Commentary on key court forms
- A family history questionnaire
- Instructions for unrepresented women filing motions
The toolkit also provides guidance on:
- When an emergency motion may be appropriate
- The required forms and how to complete them
- The information needed to support an emergency motion
- The steps in the process and how to prepare women for it
Building on the toolkit, Luke’s Place has developed a NEW Emergency Motions course designed to help Ontario service providers understand how to support survivors of intimate partner violence when an urgent family court order may be needed.
Using the Emergency Motions Toolkit as its foundation, the course combines practical learning tools, including realistic crisis scenarios, guiding checklists, and interactive activities to test your understanding.
Participants will learn about:
- What emergency motions are and when they may be used
- The legal procedures and court forms involved
- The role of a service provider during the application process
- An overview of the court process
- What happens after a judge makes a decision
Who is this course for?
This training is designed for Ontario service providers who support survivors of intimate partner violence.
This course assumes participants already have a general understanding of family law and family court processes. For those new to this area, our course After She Leaves is recommended as a prerequisite.
Course format
The Emergency Motions course is:
- Self-directed and asynchronous
- Comprised of six modules
- Approximately three hours to complete
Learning materials include:
- Captioned videos
- Short quizzes
- Downloadable resources
- Transcripts for all narration
- Access to the Emergency Motions Toolkit
- Participants who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion.
Registration and access
- Once the course is purchased, processing takes approximately one to two weeks. Participants will then receive an email with instructions for accessing the course.
- Fee: $90
Free access for FCSW partners
- This course is available free of charge to Luke’s Place Family Court Support Worker (FCSW) partners and women’s organizations working with survivors of intimate partner violence.
- If you would like to find out whether your organization is part of this network, please contact training@lukesplace.ca using your workplace email address.
- Learn more about our Emergency Motions Toolkit and register for the Emergency Motions course today.