Self-representation in the family court: is justice for all in Canada?

Abstract

This research study examines the experience of self-represented litigants (SRLs) in family court and their challenges accessing justice. It focuses on barriers that women litigants experience in accessing justice and explores how the process of self-representation affects their health and finances. Despite the growing corpus of literature in recent years on the theme, few studies have been done from the social work perspective. Grounded in structural social work and anti-oppressive approaches, his qualitative research focuses on analyzing the stories of three women who are or have been SRLs in the family court. Data collected from one-on-one narrative interviews are utilized to analyze the issue from a social work perspective. Most current literature is concerned with the lack of legal aid in addressing the issue. Findings of this study are expected to facilitate deeper debates and influence policy change.