TORONTO — Act to End Violence Against Women has recently opened a free legal information service for Jewish women over age 18 and living in the GTA who have experienced abuse.
Penny Krowitz, executive director of Act to End Violence Against Women, said the service helps women navigate the legal system in Ontario by providing legal support workers, community education, pro bono summary advice, referrals to lawyers and community resources.
The legal support workers have been trained to understand family law in Ontario, she said. “They do not offer legal advice, however, and the intent is not to replace a lawyer or advice from a lawyer.
“The workers help women understand the family law process, explore their rights and responsibilities and identify their legal issues, and provide moral and emotional support.”
Krowitz said that women experience many barriers when trying to access the legal system. “They need to find a lawyer who is sensitive to abuse and understands its many nuances, and [they need] to have the funds to pay a lawyer.
“Many abused women are immobilized, and often stay in the relationship because they are frightened and are afraid to explore their options. That’s where our service comes in.”
The stories of abused women are always complex, she said. “Our workers – some speak Hebrew and Russian – help a woman unpack her story and identify her priorities. Children are often used as pawns in the legal game, and I can’t even begin to imagine all the stories out there.
“[The workers] will also accompany a woman to court or to the lawyer, and they develop a list of resources available to her. There is nothing in the Jewish community that provides a holistic information service.”
A number of lawyers have agreed to give pro bono summary advice, and have spoken to the workers about such issues as custody, access and stress, she said.
Krowitz said that when setting up the clinic, they sent out a questionnaire to a number of family lawyers in the Greater Toronto Area to determine whether they were willing to participate in the clinic, and to screen them for their knowledge of domestic violence.
The service has a reciprocal agreement with The Barbra Schlifer Clinic, which offers legal help, counselling and language interpretation to women who have experienced violence. “They also started off as a volunteer service.”
Women’s shelters are pleased that the service has started up, Krowitz said, because it is challenging to get information out to the women who need it.
The “complex and detailed” project took about a year and a half to get off the ground, she said.
The service, by appointment only, is housed in the Thornhill offices of Act to End Violence Against Women. It is funded with grants from sources including the Carole & Howard Tanenbaum Charitable Family Foundation and the Law Foundation of Ontario. For more information, call 905-695-5374 or go to [email protected].