SUPPORTING CLIENTS DEALING WITH FAMILY LAW ISSUES OCASI SPRING 2010: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
Dec 15, 2014
SUPPORTING CLIENTS DEALING WITH FAMILY LAW ISSUES
OCASI SPRING 2010:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
WORKSHOP PRESENTED BY:Shankari Balendra, Settlement
CounselorAccess Alliance Multicultural Health &
Community ServicesT: 416 693 8677 ext 401E: [email protected]
Lisa Cirillo, Legal & Project Coordinator
FLEW (Family Law Education for Women)T 416 961 8101 x 302 E: [email protected]
WORKSHOP OUTLINE: Welcome and Introductions Goals and objectives Format / Q & As What is “family law”? Introduction to FLEW and FLEW library How these materials can help you
support your clients
WHO’S IN THE ROOM?
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR TODAY’S SESSION?
WORKSHOP FORMAT Presentation, short small group
discussion and report back Guidelines for discussion Please share your expertise! Questions and input welcome!
FAMILY LAW:What issues are included under the umbrella of family law?
COMMON FAMILY LAW ISSUES:
ChildrenSupportProtectionHousingProperty
ALL WOMEN. ONE FAMILY LAW.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.www.onefamilylaw.ca
FLEW: Family Law Education for Women
WHAT IS FLEW? Provincial public legal education
(“PLE”) project Funded by the government of Ontario
through office of OWDGOAL: to provide accessible
information to women in Ontario to assist them in understanding their family law rights and how they can exercise them
emphasis on reaching women who are vulnerable and isolated
WHY WOMEN? Anyone is welcome to refer to and use our
materials Women continue to be disproportionately
impacted by family breakdown: More women-led single parent families Women more likely to have significant
decline in std of living on separation Women more likely to experience
violence at the hands of their intimate partner
Materials are attempt to recognize this increased vulnerability and need
WHAT FLEW IS NOT FLEW is not a direct service agency
and cannot provide individual legal advice or representation
Materials are a starting place for women
They are not a substitute for individual legal advice and representation
They are not self-help tools
WHO IS FLEW? managed by a consortium of women’s
and community agencies Number of agencies involved, and
level of involvement ,has changed over time
Have recently moved into second stage of project, focused on outreach and distribution
Project currently directed by an Advisory Council of 5 community agencies
FLEW ADVISORY COUNCIL Canadian Council of Muslim Women
(CCMW) Community Legal Education Ontario
(CLEO) Metropolitan Action Committee on
Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC)
Springtide Resources YWCA Toronto
HOW CAN FLEW HELP?FLEW has developed a large library of public legal education materials for women, to assist them in understanding their rights under Ontario family law.
Two “streams” of materials:1. Core materials – a series of plain
language booklets dealing with 12 key areas under family law:
2. Specialized materials – materials for specific communities of women
CORE FLEW MATERIALS1. Alternative Dispute
Resolution & Family Law
2. Child Protection &
Family Law
3. Child Support
4. Criminal and Family Law
5. Custody and Access
6. Family Law for
Immigrant, Refugee and
Non-Status Women
7. Domestic Contracts
8. Family Law Arbitration
9. Finding Help with your
Family Law Problem
10. How Property is
Divided in Family Law
11. Marriage and Divorce
12. Spousal Support
FLEW CORE MATERIALS, CONT’D.
Materials are available in 13
languages: English, French, Arabic,
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional),
Farsi, Somali, Spanish, Punjabi, Urdu
and Tamil.
BRAND NEW: Russian and Korean
SPECIALIZED MATERIALS Funded partnerships with community
agencies to adapt core materials for specific communities of women
Target audiences for these materials: Aboriginal women Jewish women* Muslim women* Christian women* Immigrant domestic caregivers Francophone women
ALTERNATIVE FORMATSFLEW materials are available in multiple alternative formats to increase their accessibility for women with disabilities and Deaf women:
Large printBrailleAudio CDs – with text and audio filesDVDs of materials in ASL
HOW TO ORDER MATERIALS All of the FLEW materials can be viewed and
downloaded from our website at www.onefamilylaw.ca
Can order hard copies free of charge
Order on-line or via telephone 416 326 5300 (Toronto) 1 800 668 9938 (free across
Canada) 416 325 3408 (TTY) 1 800 268 7095 (TTY)
www.onefamilylaw.ca
HOW TO USE FLEW MATERIALS• Settlement workers• Outreach workers• Community engagement workers
FLEW MATERIALS
Booklets Audio & video (ASL) Leaflets Posters Postcards
USE OF MATERIALS
In your session with client
USE OF MATERIALS
In your session with client – view / listen online
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSIONS
WORK SHOPS
RESOURCE CENTER
INFORMATION SHARING
Community programs
SMALL GROUP WORKThink about how you might use these materials in your work.
Share ideas within your small group and appoint someone to report back to the larger group.
REPORT BACK & IDEA SHARING
WHERE TO GO FOR LEGAL INFORMATION? FLEW: www.onefamilylaw.ca
CLEO: www.cleo.on.ca
NFF: www.neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca
Ministry of Attorney General (www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca)
Ontario Women’s Justice Network (http://www.owjn.org/)
Department of Justice (http://www.justice.gc.ca)
WHERE TO GO FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE?
1. Legal Aid Ontario Certificate to retain private bar lawyer 2 hour DV consultation Duty counsel in courts Family Law Information Centres (FLIC)
2. LSUC’s Lawyer Referral Service regular line: 1-900-565-4577 emergency line: 1 (800) 268-8326
THANK YOU!