Single Event

In this engaging session, video interviews of adult children of divorce will be presented along with commentary from the Honourable Justice Andrea Himel (Superior Court of Justice – Newmarket), Maxine M. Kerr (family law lawyer and mediator) and Dr. Shely Polak (PhD, MSW, RSW, Acc.FM). The session will include discussions around the impact of conflict, and the long-lasting effects of divorce on children. Dispute resolution options will also be presented and discussed.

Participants will leave with practical tips and strategies that are designed to assist families during challenging times. The program will conclude with open dialogue, bridging the gap between lawyers and mediators, to allow for a integrated process for families.

Registration Deadline: January 19 at 5:00 p.m.

Access link and presentation materials will be sent to registrants within 24 hours of the event.

Join panelists Haley Gaber-Katz (JFCS counsel), Ricardo Theoduloz (MSW), Carrie Hoffelnar (CAST), and the Honourable Justice Sherr as they discuss these crossover cases and how we can best serve children harmed by conflict.

1.     What are the impacts of conflict on children? How can we tell when conflict has risen to the level of emotional harm where the child is in need of protection?
2.     How does a Children’s Aid Society view emotional harm? High conflict? How to speak so they will listen? How can they speak so other professionals can hear them?
3.     How do judges identify children who are being impacted by conflict to a degree that makes the impact a protection concern?  How effectively do CAS’ approach emotional harm from high conflict? Parent’s counsel? What works and what doesn’t?

Deadline to Register: December 13

Access link and presentation materials will be sent to registrants within 24 hours of the event.

L’aliénation parentale et le refus (justifié ou non) d’un enfant d’avoir des contacts avec un parent sont des sujets de discussion « tendance » dans l’univers du droit familial. Notre panel d’experts composé d’une juge, une avocate du Bureau de l’avocat des enfants et une experte en santé mentale analyseront un scénario de faits où les enfants refusent les contacts avec un parent, soulevant ainsi des allégations d’aliénation parentale. Les panélistes examineront les problématiques soulevées dans ce scénario selon leur perspective distincte et offriront des conseils pratiques pour les professionnels impliqués dans des situations similaires.

Des faits seront ensuite ajoutés au scénario et les panélistes expliqueront si leur analyse et approche doit être modifiée. Le scénario sera fourni aux participants à l’avance pour allouer plus de temps d’analyse aux panélistes. Les participants sont vivement encouragés à lire et à se familiariser avec les scénarios, car ils ne seront pas relus au début de la formation.

Date limite pour s’inscrire : Le dimanche 15 novembre 2021 à 12h

Les informations pour accéder au webinaire et les documents additionnels seront distribués la veille de l’évènement

NATIONAL SELF REPRESENTED LITIGANTS PROJECT

Dayna Cornwall, Project Manager, National Self Represented Litigants Project

The core of the work of the National Self-Represented Litigants Project is to advocate for better and deeper understanding of the needs, motivations and challenges of self-represented litigants. They are committed to:

• Collaboration to enhance the responsiveness of the Canadian justice system to self-represented litigants (SRLs) and their direct participation in the change process, and continuing dialogue among all stakeholders who include SRLs, lawyers, judges and court services staff.

• The development of practical, focused, and accessible resources to assist self-represented litigants and to enhance understanding and co-operation among SRLs, lawyers, judges and court services staff, and to information and resource-sharing among all interested and affected parties.

This presentation will focus on the research on emerging areas of special interest to those affected by the SRL phenomenon, including jurisprudence, court and legal information services, and changes in legal practice to meet SRL needs (unbundling, coaching).

A joint presentation of AFCC-O and Simcoe County Law Association

Presenters
Professor Nicholas Bala, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
Justice Andrea Himel, SCJ, Newmarket
Deborah Alton, Reflection Centre

Moderator
Ashley H. McInnis, B.A., LL.B. Stewart, Esten LLP

Eligible for 1.5 hours substantive credit

Presenters

Justice Freya Kristjanson, Superior Court of Justice

Caterina Tempesta, Senior Counsel, Office of the Children’s Lawyer

Anamika Baijnath, MSW, RSW, Senior Policy Analyst, Ontario Association of Social Workers

It has been 30 years since Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.  Many of its core principles are applicable in the family law context, and compel us to shift our approach to providing services to children and families, viewing children as rights-holders and not merely passive subjects of decision-making.  Our panelists will:

• review key aspects of the UNCRC and its status in Canadian law;

• focusing on the child’s right to freely express views, discuss ways to promote children’s meaningful participation in family law matters;

• discuss other aspects of family law that engage children’s rights, such as issues of privacy and consent;

• suggest how family justice participants can usefully approach challenging family law cases by applying a children’s rights lens;

• explore how professionals working with children can build a child-centred, rights- based practice, and empower children and youth to participate in decisions about their lives and their care arrangements; and

• offer practical suggestions for counsel on how to use the UNCRC as an effective advocacy tool

This program contains 15 minutes of Professionalism Content and one hour and fifteen minutes of Substantive Content.

 a joint presentation of AFCC-O and York Region Law Association

Eligible for 1.5 hours of substantive credit

Speakers

Professor Nicholas Bala
Archana Medhekar
Aaron Franks

Moderators

Dr. Shely Polak
Justice Andrea Himel

The parenting provisions of Canada’s Divorce Act (Bill C-78) and Ontario’s Children’s Law Reform Act (Bill 207) are being amended, with new provisions in effect as of March 1, 2021. The reforms introduce new parenting terminology, and encourage the use of parenting plans and non-court family dispute resolution. The new laws include provisions to better recognize family violence and better address parental relocation. The reforms have significant implications for all who work in the family justice field, as they are intended to affect both practice in the courts and the “culture of divorce”

Our esteemed panel will share their opinions in response to the following questions:

• Will the legislative changes have a significant impact family law professionals and our clients?
• How can we reconcile parenting plans with the Court’s duty to make “orders”?
• What factors may be most significant in relocation cases?
• Will it be more/less difficult for parents to relocate – within Ontario, nationally, internationally?
• How will domestic violence considerations affect outcomes?
• What is the role for family law professionals in identifying and responding to risk?