New Family Law resources have recently been released by the Justice Department as part of their free online legal training resources for professionals, Justice Canada Changes to Family Laws. Along with a family violence toolkit, three new free and accredited courses are available to help lawyers understand the 2021 amendments to the Divorce Act:

Parenting under the new Divorce Act 

This course provides an overview of the amendments to the Divorce Act related to parenting including the new parenting terminology and best interests of the child criteria. It is intended to help legal advisers understand the child-focused approach of the Divorce Act’s parenting provisions and the impact of family violence on parenting arrangements.

Relocation under the Divorce Act  

This course is designed to increase legal advisers’ knowledge and understanding of the new change of residence and relocation framework in the Divorce Act.  It focuses on the procedures people must follow in relation to moves and the principles a court will apply in making a decision about a child’s relocation. 

 Family dispute resolution and duties for parties to a proceeding and legal advisers under the new Divorce Act

This online course focuses on family dispute resolution and the new duties for parties and legal advisers under the Divorce Act. This course will also address the amendments to the Act that encourage parties to use family dispute resolution processes and family justice services.

To access all the accredited courses click here.


The HELP Toolkit: Identifying and Responding to Family Violence for Family Law Legal Advisers 

This free Toolkit offers practical training to ensure that legal advisers can identify and respond to family violence in their family law cases.

The HELP toolkit is comprised of four sections:

    • HAVE an initial discussion about family violence
    • EXPLORE immediate risks and safety concerns
    • LEARN more about the family violence to help you determine what to recommend to your client
    • PROMOTE safety throughout the family law case

Each of these sections is covered in depth, along with a legal response guide and supplemental materials to assist practitioners. The Toolkit is based on new and existing research on family violence in the family law context.

The HELP Toolkit: Identifying and Responding to Family Violence for Family Law Legal Advisers can be accessed through the Department of Justice Canada website by clicking here.

To access all of the resources offered by Justice Canada Changes to Family Laws click here.

Please note: The library will be closing early on Friday, December 13th at 11:00AM for a special event.  Regular library service will resume Monday, December 16th at 8:30AM.