Increasing access to family justice through comprehensive entry points and inclusivity : Amélioration de l'accèss à la justice familiale grâce à des points d'entrée globaux et à l'inclusivité : rapport final

The Law Commission of Ontario has focused its assessment of and recommendations with respect to the family law system in Ontario on the need to increase inclusivity in the justice system, to acknowledge and respond to Ontario's pluralist character, and to address the continuing problems of affordability and multifaceted problems that face families in crisis. We assess the current system against benchmarks, make suggestions about changes to further satisfy the benchmarks and recommend the development of multidisciplinary, multifunction centres or comprehensive services at the early stages when people in family disputes seek assistance about whether they have a legal problem and if so, how they might most effectively proceed. Over the past few years, there has been considerable study and reform of the family law system. Yet problems of complexity and difficulties for unrepresented litigants in particular remain. We recognize the considerable work that has already been done by the government, the courts, academics and community organizations, build on it and advance it by bringing the nuance of diversity and the emphasis on comprehensive services to the forefront of formal legal services.