As a Valentine to all service providers in this sector, Luke’s Place offers a narrated presentation on managing work-related stress.
Stress is an inherent part of the work we do. While you cannot control the presence of stress, you can control the impact it has on you.
In the presentation we…
In situations of extreme urgency, a woman may be able to bring an ex parte motion. In this process, her partner is not served with the documents and the judge makes a decision the same day as the woman files her Notice of Motion, Affidavit and other documents (for example,
Women who have experienced abuse often need orders more quickly than the regular family court process provides them. Motions are a way for people to ask the court for short-term orders on any of the issues that have been raised in the Application or Answer. These orders are usually called interim or temporary and run for a specific period of time.
In Part 1 of this FAQ, I explored some of the reasons why many women find it hard to talk about their experiences of abuse as well as why they need to share this information. This week, I’ll provide tips for supporting women so they can disclose abuse.
Your job to help a woman open up about her experience starts well before you meet with her and extends beyond the end of your meeting.
Service providers, lawyers and other professionals working with women who have experienced abuse often assist women in recording their history of abuse for court documentation and safety planning. Both of these responsibilities require women to talk to you about the abuse they have experienced but, as we all know, this is not always easy for women.
Mediation is one form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that women may be encouraged to use during their family court process. In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on the use of ADR to resolve family law differences and disputes.
In some family law cases, ADR can be better than going to court.
Service providers often provide women with information about family law and the family court process, which is of critical importance but is distinct and different from giving legal advice. Workers must be clear with the client that they are providing information only, not legal advice.
This is, as you are already well aware,
This resource draws heavily from “Privilege, Confidentiality, Third Parties Attending Interviews, Duty to Report, and Exceptions” prepared by Gerard J. Michaud, Lawyer Manager, Family Law Service Centre (Peel), August 16, 2012. Many thanks to Luke’s Place volunteer lawyer Emilie Garant, who researched the case law and legal commentaries relied on in this resource.
The case of Patterson v Powell 2014 ONSC 1419 addresses the issue of police enforcement clauses in custody and access orders. Justice Pazaratz is not inclined to include these clauses.
The enforceability of family court orders is a serious issue for many of the women with whom we work.
Many of the women we work with become involved with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer (the OCL). This FAQ provides some background information about the OCL, how it can become involved in a custody and access dispute and the role it plays and then suggests some tips to support women who are dealing with the OCL.
