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 CoordinatorFLEW (Family Law Education for Women)T 416 961 8101 x 302 E: [email protected]
WORKSHOP OUTLINE:Welcome and IntroductionsGoals and objectivesFormat / Q & AsWhat is “family law”? Introduction to FLEW and FLEW libraryHow these materials can help you
support your clients
WHO’S IN THE ROOM?
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR TODAY’S SESSION?
WORKSHOP FORMATPresentation, short small group
discussion and report backGuidelines for discussionPlease 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 OWD GOAL: 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 NOTFLEW 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 COUNCILCanadian Council of Muslim Women
(CCMW)Community Legal Education Ontario
(CLEO)Metropolitan Action Committee on
Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC)
Springtide ResourcesYWCA 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 Law2. Child Protection &
Family Law3. Child Support4. Criminal and Family Law5. Custody and Access6. Family Law for
Immigrant, Refugee and Non-Status Women
7. Domestic Contracts8. Family Law Arbitration9. Finding Help with your
Family Law Problem10. How Property is
Divided in Family Law11. 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!