Come join the Family Lawyers Association for our annual social, the October Sizzle!
Tickets are $50.00 early bird, $60.00 at the door, and include one drink, appetizers and desserts – music and dancing also included.
Judges, friends, support stuff, spouses, partners and others, significant or not, are welcome to join the fun!
Email FLA Board members Anne Calpin at , or Gary Gottlieb at , for more information. Tickets can also be purchased online. Click here to download the flyer!
Purchase Tickets!
The New Professional’s Group of the AFCC-O has developed a new professional development initiative to bring together young family law professionals (lawyers and mental health professionals in their first few years of practice) to examine and discuss interdisciplinary and collaborate approaches to family justice.
Have you ever wondered what advice judges would provide to the family law professionals involved in their cases? This year we invite our new professionals (and seasoned veterans) to join us for a special panel discussion by members of the Ontario judiciary. This unique session will provide practical suggestions and tips in the areas of: written and oral advocacy; do’s and don’ts at conferences and motions; dealing with lawyers and self-represented litigants; and tips to achieving success as a family law professional.
When: Thursday, October 19, 2017, 1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Where: YMCA Centre – 20 Grosvenor Street, Toronto, ON
Click here to download the flyer!
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Ontario chapter (AFCC-O) is holding it’s ninth annual conference on the 19th (afternoon and evening) and 20th of October (all day).
The Pre-Conference Institute, entitled Addiction in Family Breakdown: The Challenge and Complexities” will be held on October 19, 2017 from 2:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The panel will explore the multi-dimensional issues that arise in cases involving addictions, and the impact of addictions on the family law and child protection justice systems.
The Annual Conference, entitled Breaking Down Barriers: Targeting Resources to Meet Families’ Needs, will be held as a full-day event on October 20, 2017. The agenda explores the challenge of addressing our clients’ high needs within the context of limited resources, providing you with practical and creative solutions to complex problems.
Click here to download the flyer!
This session will provide an important update and discussion on openness in adoption in child protection cases, including the different statutory pathways to openness in adoption, important best practices in openness applications, and drafting openness agreements. There will also be a discussion of the benefits of openness and some flies in the ointment.
Where: 311 Jarvis Street
When: Monday, October 2, 2017
From: 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
This program contains 1.5 hours of substantive CPD. Application for professionalism accreditation pending.
Click here to download the flyer!
There is a new access to justice initiative called The Family Law Workshop, which answers Justice Bonkalo’s challenge to lawyers to do a better job of providing alternative (and more affordable) service options for the many family law clients who are unrepresented in family court. The Family Law Workshop provides family law information in an affordable small group format designed for self-reps, clients already working with a lawyer or non-lawyer professionals who work with family law clients. The goal is to provide a new low cost way to become more informed and, as a result, empowered to make better decisions. The challenge is to connect with the clients who desperately need this type of service.
The upcoming workshop, Understanding Family Law (Thursday Sept 28, 6-8 pm), is taking place in the west end of the city at Swansea Town Hall. It is designed for everyone and anyone, including self-reps, clients with lawyers and non-lawyer professionals who work with family law clients. Click here to download the flyer.
When: Thursday, 28 September 2017
From: 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Where: Swansea Town Hall (95 Lavinia Ave, Toronto, ON M6S 3H9)
Cost: $75.00 early bird, $85.00 regular
When: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
From: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (program starts at 5:00 p.m. sharp)
Where: NORTH YORK MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HALL – 5110 Yonge Street (west end of Lower Level – across from the North York Public Library)
Entrance: $20.00 (cash only please)
CPD: This program may be claimed for 1.0 Substantive and 0.5 Professionalism hours towards total CPD requirements.
The use of focused hearings, otherwise known as Rule 1 hearings, are becoming increasingly popular with
lawyers, litigants, and judges. Focused hearings are now commonplace in our courts. A focused hearing can be
a creative way to ensure that litigants in the family and child protection justice systems have access to a just
process that can effectively and affordably decide their cases. This program will provide you with the tools you
need to prepare for and conduct a focused hearing, including providing answers to the following questions:
• When should you ask for a focused hearing in a domestic or child protection case?
• How do you ask for a focused hearing?
• When should you resist a request for a focused hearing and how do you do so?
• What are the options in setting up a focused hearing and how do you decide what options are right for
your case?
• How do you prepare for a focused hearing?
• How is conducting a focused hearing different than a traditional unlimited trial?
• How do you handle self-represented parties?
• What are the evidentiary rules at a focused hearing?
• How do you manage documentary evidence at a focused hearing?
Chair: The Honourable Justice Roselyn Zisman, Ontario Court of Justice
Speakers: Sheila MacKinnon, Family Law Lawyer
Rachel Buhler, Counsel, Catholic Children’s Aid Society
Paul Cooper, Family Law Lawyer
Project Managers: Karen Ksienski & David Miller
Click here to download the flyer!