AFCC Ontario Events

AFCC-O Ottawa Group Evening forum, High Conflict: Consulting or Court Room?

For lawyers, social workers, psychologists, mediators and interested professionals

Explore whether a high conflict case is a legal problem or a mental health one. Determine the best avenue for cases to be managed. Discuss how the court room and mental health services can collaborate.

Chair: Brian Burke, family lawyer, AFCC-O president 2018-2019

Panel: Marta Siemiarczuk, family lawyer

Justice Mark Shelston, ON Superior Court of Justice, Family Court Branch

Arthur Leonoff, psychologist and mediator

1.5 substantive hours toward CPD credits

Admission is without charge, but space is limited. Please RSVP to admin@ocfr.ca

Social Event follows the educational program, gathering at the Clocktower Pub, 200 Elgin St., ON.

Download below flyer for more details of this event:

AFCC-O Ottawa Nov 13-18 event

Our Annual Walsh Family Law Moot & Negotiation Competition is on March 9, 2019

The 2019 event will begin with a reception on March 8th, attendance is by invitation only.

Details can be found about these events on our Walsh Family Law Event webpage at this link:

https://afccontario.ca/walsh-moot/

Save the date to attend our Annual Walsh Family Law Moot & Negotiation Competition

The 2019 event will begin with a reception on March 8th.

Details can be found about these events on our Walsh Family Law Event webpage at this link:

https://afccontario.ca/walsh-moot/

LOCATIONS FOR EVENTS AS FOLLOWS:

Appellate Moot – The Ontario Court of Appeal, Osgoode Hall

Negotiation Competition – The Law Society of Ontario

Both are located at 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N5

Parenting Issues in Family Law: Working with Assessors, Mediators and Other Family Professionals

Christine Kim, RSW, Accredited Family Mediator (OAFM);
Dr. Shely Polak, RSW, Accredited Family Mediator (OAFM);
Julie Hannaford, Lawyer; and
Justice Wendy Malcolm, Senior Advisory Family Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Parenting issues in family law are often best resolved through an interdisciplinary approach. This year, we invite our new professionals (and seasoned veterans) to join us for a special panel discussion on an issue that affects everyone. This unique session will provide attendees with multiple valuable perspectives, designed to provide those working in family law matters with guidance on best practices for involving children.

Visit our 2018 AFCC-O 10th Anniversary Conference webpage for details and registration information.

Supporting Adopted Youth to Maintain Openness Connections with Birth Family and Communities

Elizabeth McCarty, Counsel, Office of the Children’s Lawyer;
Jennifer Gallagher, Counsel, Office of the Children’s Lawyer;
Pat Convery, Executive Director, Adoption Council of Ontario;
Maryanne King, Adoption Practitioner, Accredited Family Mediator (OAFM); and
Tara Noble, Registered Social Worker & Grief Counsellor.

Adopted children and youth benefit when they are able to maintain positive connections with their birth family members and maintain cultural connections. These relationships can be complex and difficult to navigate for youth and their adoptive and birth families. Everyone involved needs education, guidance and support along the way. The best defence is a good offence. This conference will review the benefits and challenges of openness arrangements and the legal framework of openness in Ontario. You will learn how to help families build supportive plans that can address
conflict resolution, grief and loss, social media and potential legal issues through an adoption lens. You will also hear directly from adopted youth as they discuss:
• the importance of children’s voices in openness planning; and
• the significance of continued connections to family and community for youth as they transition to adoptive homes.
Learn how you can transfer your clinical and legal skills gleaned from working with high conflict families to now assist in planning and providing guidance to families and youth trying to navigate these increasingly complex but important relationships.

Visit our 2018 AFCC-O 10th Anniversary Conference webpage for details and registration information

AFCC-O Chapter Reception to follow AFCC Conference.

Location: Washington, DC USA

Details of this event will be available soon, or email us at info@afccontario if you wish to attend!

SAVE THIS DATE!

Details to follow soon……

Parenting Plans, Court Orders in the Highest Conflict Cases

For lawyers, social workers, psychologists, mediators and interested professionals

• How to identify and respond to the highest conflict cases. (Who are the highest conflict litigants and how can they be helped? Are their former partners and child protected?)
• What is the role for mental health intervention, and the role of the court in encouraging/educating or mandating mental health involvement
• Safety concerns for professionals, parents and children
• Reducing conflict through Parenting Co-ordination or mediation
• Responses including role for CAS and supervised visitation or exchange
• Role of family lawyers: firefighters or arsonists?

Chair: Ms. Karla McGrath, Queen’s Family Law Clinic

With: Justice Wendy Malcolm, Leslie Kendall – lawyer, mediator and parenting co-ordinator. Additional panelists to be confirmed include mental health professional, child protection lawyer, and an access supervisor.

This program is eligible for 1.5 substantive hours toward CPD requirements.

Faculty of Law, Queen’s University, MacDonald Hall 001. Admission is without charge, but space is limited. Register by sending an email to: kingstonafcco@gmail.com

Social event to follow at Queen’s Grad Club, 162 Barrie St., Kingston, ON with munchies provided by AFCC-O.

Download flyer below

AFCC-O Kingston Notice June 11 2018

CHILD PROTECTION LAW NEEDS YOU!

Find out how you can make a difference fighting for families.

Hosted by the AFCC-O New Child Protection Lawyers Working Group.

Law students, new lawyers and other interested persons are invited to attend a session about going into child protection law. For anyone looking for a career in public interest law and litigation, child protection law is an often over-looked area where lawyers can advance the interests of vulnerable clients and make meaningful differences in the lives of children and families.

Our speakers have worked as parents’ counsel and counsel for children, as well as counsel for children’s aid societies.  They will be discussing the kinds of cases they have dealt with, what you can expect as counsel, how to look for opportunities in the field, and the practical aspects of establishing a practice.  We anticipate that this will be an inspiring and informative session, with the perspective of practitioners and the Bench. There will also be opportunity to meet and ask question informally after the session is over.  If you have any interest at all in this field of law, this will be a very valuable session to attend!

Speakers:

Justice Manjusha Pawagi sits on the Ontario Court of Justice at 311 Jarvis, where she hears domestic, child protection and criminal matters. Prior to her appointment to the Bench, she worked as counsel for the Toronto Children’s Aid Society and the Office of the Children’s Lawyer.

Renatta Austin is a lawyer in private practice who regularly acts for clients in child welfare and criminal proceedings.  Prior to setting up her practice, she worked for the City of Toronto.  Called in 2013, she had set up her own practice by 2015.  Her practice has thrived and she has developed a reputation for her commitment to providing services to families in marginalised communities.

Tammy Law is a family lawyer with extensive experience in child protection.  She has argued at all levels of court, most recently before the Supreme Court of Canada. She has worked as parent’s counsel, counsel for children, and society counsel.  She is the interim president of the Ontario Association of Child Protection Lawyers (Toronto Chapter).

Details:

Location: 400 University Avenue, 18^th Floor Boardroom.  The closest station is St. Patrick subway station.  Parking is expensive, but the lot underneath City Hall is more reasonably priced.

The session will run from 4 pm – 5:30 pm, followed by informal drinks at the Duke of Cornwall Pub, located downstairs at 400 University Avenue.  There is no cost to attend the session.

For questions, or to RSVP, please contact Stephanie Giannandrea at stephanie@mccarthyco.ca

Windsor full day program

Presenters: Philip Epstein, Justice Lene Madsen, Dr. Dan Ashbourne, Justice Gerri Wong, Honourable Mary Jo Nolan, Ian R. Fisher, George McFadyen, Mary Fox, Jennifer Suzor, Janet Whitehead, Zane Handysides and more

Cost includes light breakfast and lunch:

AFCC-O Members and New Professionals (under 5 years) $50

Non-members $75

Register by Email: jocelyn@familylawspecialist.ca

Download Flyer below:

Windsor-Settlement Focused Practice March 23-18