1. Access to Justice in Canada
Access to justice is a serious problem in Canada for several reasons:
1. many people cannot afford legal services;
2. not enough judges;
3. not enough courthouses;
4. need for streamlining of many legal processes.
See for example, Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters, “Access to Civil and Family Justice: A Roadmap for Change”, online: (October 2013) Canadian Forum on Civil Justice <https://www.cfcj-fcjc.org/sites/default/files/docs/2013/AC_Report_English_Final.pdf>
2. PLEIS Family Law NB Website
One way of increasing access to justice is the use of “self-help” resources and websites, which provide information and step-by-step guides on completing court forms and how to navigate the judicial system. One of my favorite such websites is the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS) Website, which houses a plethora of useful information on various areas of the law. Here is a link to PLEIS’ main page. In addition to the links on the main page, PLEIS has a website dedicated to family law information. Here is a link to the PLEIS family law page. This website has “how-to” guides on filling out Court forms, videos from experienced family law practitioners and information about training sessions and courses available in your area. I have presented at a few of these sessions and bumped into course attendees years later, who mentioned how helpful they found the information.
While websites like the PLEIS website and the Family Law NB website should not be a complete substitute for competent legal advice, they may help you to gather information and narrow down issues before speaking to a lawyer. Also, I have had people attend my office with some of their divorce forms already filled out. This saves them time and money because our office staff can review these documents and make suggestions for revisions without having to start from scratch.
3. Social Media Options
I am a big believer in social media. If used correctly, one can personalize the information taken in and keep up to date on current events. I would highly recommend anyone interested in learning about Family Law (or any other area for that matter) should follow PLEIS on Facebook and Twitter for courses in your area and general information. Also, take a look around their website, as it is truly a wealth of information to get you started!