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News & Updates

FDRIO’s Annual General Meeting

Posted on December 2, 2020 at 2:50 pm / 0

Our Chair, Neil Maisel, opened up the meeting with a summary of the exceptional year we have had – including the entertaining humour we’ve all come to expect of Neil! FDRIO has, despite the pandemic, had an unexpected good year, a welcomed success considering the world changed back in March: Our membership increased by 25% because of the highly regarded events and programs we offer our members. We plan to continue on this trajectory for the year ahead! Our innovative unConference was moved to a virtual event offering an excellent program that was very well attended. We hosted a Town Hall open to all family dispute resolution…

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FDR Updates, News & Updates

FDRIO Response to Family Legal Services Provider Licence

Posted on December 2, 2020 at 12:57 pm / 0

The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) released a consultation paper on a proposed licensing model for a Family Legal Services Provider (FLSP) licence and invited stakeholders to provide comment.  Over the past 4 months, a committee of FDRIO members has been meeting to analyze the proposed model and form an informed and comprehensive response from FDRIO.  We are thankful to the members of the committee who gave their time, energy and expertise to ensure that the response from FDRIO was representative of our membership.  The FDRIO submission is posted on the website and can be accessed here. was last modified:…

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News & Updates

Cliff’s Notes: The Importance of Screening for Intimate Partner Abus

Clifford Nelson
Posted on November 4, 2020 at 12:30 pm / 0

Every time I write these “Notes” I often find several cases on which I might comment, but I can only cover a few. This time, I have chosen to focus on just one case because of its importance to the work we do. The Importance of Screening for Intimate Partner Abus On July 21, 2020, the Discipline Committee of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers released a decision about a social worker who failed to properly screen for intimate partner abuse. The decision is reported as Ontario College of Social Workers v. S. 2020 On first…

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News & Updates

Case Law Review: Moore v Sweet and Life Insurance: Implications for Family Dispute Resolution Professionals

Ian M. Hull & Nick Esterbauer
Posted on November 4, 2020 at 11:30 am / 0

For many Canadians, whether the purpose is to fund payment of anticipated estate liabilities, to assist in the financial support of one’s dependants, to honour support payment obligations, to equalize the distribution of an estate between multiple children, or to provide a direct benefit to one or more designated beneficiaries, life insurance policies represent an important component of an estate plan. If the beneficiary designation of a policy cannot be honoured following the insured’s death, this may result in the complete frustration of his or her testamentary wishes and prevent the estate plan from being implemented in the manner that…

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News & Updates

Book Review “Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions of Modern Motherhood” (Demeter Press)

Dr. Linda Ennis
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 4:52 pm / 0

Dr. Linda Ennis, who is moderating a panel on “Differentiating Between Coaches & Mental Health Professionals” at the upcoming FDRIO conference, shares one of her books with us today on “intensive mothering”. She will be offering an online course on this subject on Dec 10th-11th, which will elaborate upon how it impacts the parenting process throughout marriage and divorce (drlindaennis.com). It is recommended that this book on intensive mothering be read in conjunction with her book entitled “After the Happily Ever After: Empowering Women & Mothers In Relationships” (Demeter Press) to fully understand the role of mothers and parents in…

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News & Updates

Foundations to Mastery Conference Highlights of the Experts – Keynote: Moya Teklu

An Interview by Kayla Stephenson
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 4:43 pm / 0

As you have already heard, the FDRIO conference is on November 16, 2020 and Moya Teklu is our keynote speaker this year, she will be discussing “Addressing Anti-Black Racism.” We have heard a lot about what she has done for the Judges, Justices of the Peace, Lawyers, Adjudicators and regulators across the province and country – over the past several weeks.  I was luckily able to get some of Moya`s time to get to know her a bit more. 1.   We understand that you have experience and expertise in delivering anti-oppression and anti-racism training to members of the justice…

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News & Updates

And Introducing our Health Break – Susan Harris

An Interview by Anne Marie Predko
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 4:31 pm / 0

1. Can you tell us a bit about mindfulness meditation and how you came to develop expertise in its teaching?  Mindfulness is a universal human capacity that can be enhanced through mind/heart training. This training can be expressed as mindfulness meditation. Its development is best articulated in Buddhist teachings. One definition of mindfulness that I enjoy is from the Zen master, Thich Nhat Hahn. “Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and alive, body and mind united. I drink water and I know I am drinking water”.  Like most folks, I came to practice mindfulness because of my own…

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News & Updates

Race and Religion vs Child Marriage in the United States

Shabina Begum
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 4:06 pm / 0

“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” Toni Morrison, Beloved We live in a time where women are more liberated than ever, but have we truly claimed ownership of that freed self? Are we truly free or are we just benefitting from the freedom that our mothers gave us? While our sisters stood in solidarity, are we now watching our daughters get tied down in shackles, entering marriages when their bodies can barely take the burden of bearing children? Why are we standing back and allowing issues like child and forced marriage to exist…

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News & Updates

An Update from the Office of the Children’s Lawyer

Elizabeth McCarty
Posted on November 3, 2020 at 3:16 pm / 0

Legislation and case law in Ontario recognize the importance of a child’s right to have a voice in decisions that are being made about their lives, reflecting Canada’s obligations under The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Office of the Children’s Lawyer (OCL) has a significant role in placing that voice at the center of decision making in the family justice system. Our ability to offer this assistance, however, was and continues to be, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Expectedly, in the early months of the pandemic there were far fewer referrals to the OCL as…

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News & Updates

The COVID-19 Crisis as a Catalyst for Change: Advancing Ontario Family Justice  

Joanna Radbord, LSM
Posted on September 14, 2020 at 2:06 pm / 0

Originally published in the Ontario Family Law Reporter, Volume 34, Release 1 © LexisNexis Canada Inc. 2020 In mid-March 2020, life changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools closed. The courts suspended regular operations. People lost their jobs. Guidelines were published about who lives and who dies when there are not enough ventilators to go around.  We were forced to pause. We paused the relentless busyness of waking, working, sleeping, and starting the cycle again. We stopped, read the news, spent some time with our children. We thought about how our life might well be shorter than expected. With a…

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FDR Updates, News & Updates

What’s Going on in The Family Courts?

Kayla M. Stephenson
Posted on September 10, 2020 at 5:17 pm / 0

With COVID-19 still lingering, what will be happening with the family court processes now and what will happen going forward? This is a tough time for everyone especially for those involved in the court system. Here`s a condensed version of what`s happening in family court right now.  All hearings are being heard on Zoom or JVN (Justice Video Network) with the justice, counsel and clients attending remotely. Court clerks assist with set up and arrangement of files in the courtroom; for judges clerks are the only staff – along with office staff – in the buildings.  The Courthouses are now…

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FDR Updates, News & Updates

Court Orders In-Person School Attendance

Posted on September 10, 2020 at 2:12 pm / 0

On August 25, 2020, newly minted Justice the Honourable Andrea Himel faced a question on the minds of many parents – should a nine-year-old boy attend school or continue online learning at home? The parents of the child, W. C., were both working at home, and there were no other children in their households. The partner of the father is working in an essential service position in the community. There are no underlying medical conditions for anyone in either household, and W.C. is a generally healthy child. Himel J. had some wisdom to impart to the parents calling the urgency…

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FDR Updates, News & Updates

Mediation Internships – Tips for New Candidates; Opportunities for Supervisors

Sylvia Basso
Posted on September 10, 2020 at 2:03 pm / 0

So, you have completed all of your mediation training courses and want to build a practice as a recognized professional in family mediation. What are the requirements for practical experience? What does it cost? Where do you find experiential learning opportunities? Many who recently completed foundational mediation training have found that internship opportunities are difficult to come by, and the pandemic exacerbated this challenge by reducing the demand for court-connected services through the spring and summer. But change may lead to innovation and the dramatic shift from in person to online mediation, has the potential to create more internship opportunities…

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FDR Updates, News & Updates

Cooperative Communication through Constructive Conflict Management Coaching

Katharine Rajczak
Posted on September 10, 2020 at 1:37 pm / 0

After practising primarily as a family law trial lawyer for over twenty years and having recently completed my Masters of Fine Art in Voice Training and Coaching at the Royal Central school of Speech and Drama in the UK, I am now limiting my practice to mediation, parenting coordination, and communication coaching. What a joy it is to be able to “pivot” and refocus my energy in a supportive, rather than adversarial way at this stage of my life and career.  Coaching Self-Awareness In family law, we meet our clients when they are in a heightened state of anxiety, fear,…

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