This program delivers a range of family law advocacy services including legal information, referral, advocacy and assistance to individuals in the community. The Family Law Advocate Program covers primarily family law, including child protection, with some assistance in other overlapping matters (e.g. immigration, criminal, etc.). Some other areas of Family Law covered are:
- Guardianship and parenting time
- Parental responsibilities
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Divorce
- Assistance with drafting separation agreements and consent orders
- Protection orders
- Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP)
- Mobility/relocation
- Property, debts – up to 20k, emergency asset restraint
- Matrimonial property on reserve – identify issues and refer to appropriate service
- Child protection
The Advocate supports dispute resolution from the outset by educating clients regarding the nature of collaborative values and the availability of dispute resolution services in the family justice system. The Advocate, while making it clear to clients that judicial resolution is available when needed, helps clients to prepare for dispute resolution if this is an option. This focus on dispute resolution is preparing our community for the introduction of Consensual Dispute Resolution which will be introduced by the Ministry of the Attorney General in the next few years. The advocate will screen for cases where dispute resolution is not an appropriate option (e.g. where there is an acute power imbalance, violence, or high-conflict) but is aware that this screening is also performed by trained mediators in the field.
For more information on how this program may be able to assist you, please call and ask to schedule an appointment with our Family Law Advocate, Trudy Wale.
Funding Sources
