The relationship between women who have experienced violence and the family law system is complex and has been a focus of attention for women's equity organizations, frontline violence against women (VAW) workers, advocates and the Ontario government for many years. Over the last eight years, there have been significant legislative, policy and process changes in family law and in criminal and immigration law that directly impact women who have experienced violence. Increasingly women can find themselves in both family court and criminal court at the same time. They can also find themselves dealing with other institutional impacts once they are part of the family court system (e.g. being investigated by child welfare, being required to do mandatory counseling services, having to access income supports from Ontario Works, etc.). Like many reforms, these changes are intended to improve the situation, but have unintended consequences.