A6: Supporting Clients Dealing with Family Law Issues
Level: Introductory
Access to legal information, while not a substitute for legal representation, is a crucial first step in the process of asserting rights. This workshop will provide participants with an introduction and overview of common family law legal issues and terminology. This understanding will assist workers in supporting their clients experiencing family breakdown. Participants will gain a general understanding of key legal concepts and terminology in family law, including important impending legislative changes.
Following a general introduction, we will examine the resources developed by one project – Family Law Education for Women (FLEW) – to assist women in understanding their rights and responsibilities under Canadian public family law.
The session will also address different ways to make these resources accessible and significant to their clients. Using the resources in a proactive way with individual clients and in networking, outreach and community engagement activities will be presented and analyzed with participants.
Participants will learn about the extensive library of public legal education materials produced by FLEW, as well as other legal resources that are available to assist their clients. Copies of materials will be available for distribution.
Lisa Cirillo is the Legal and Project Coordinator of FLEW (Family Law Education for Women). Prior to joining FLEW, Lisa was a Staff Lawyer at Downtown Legal Services, the University of Toronto’s student legal aid clinic. Lisa has also worked as litigation counsel at ARCH (Advocacy and Resource Centre for Persons with Disabilities) and as counsel to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Lisa is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. She lives in Parkdale with her spouse and three children and is currently pursuing her LLM, with a focus on family law.
Shankari Balendra is a settlement worker at Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services. Access Alliance works to promote health and well-being and improve access to services for immigrants and refugees in Toronto by addressing medical, social, economic and environmental issues.
