Ontario law society is considering options to maintain this legal service pathway
Fanshawe College has notified the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) of its decision to cease providing the Family Legal Services Provider (FLSP) program upon the conclusion of the presently enrolled batch.
In its news release, the law society clarified that the college’s plans for its program offerings, not the FLSP initiative’s merits, influenced the choice to stop providing the FLSP program.
Given this change, the law society is considering possible ways to maintain a quality and sustainable family law services pathway that reflects the current demands of members of the public. The LSO will give updates once more information is available.
The law society noted that it is cooperating with the college to continue assisting enrolled students in finishing the FLSP program and fulfilling the eligibility requirements to take the FLSP exam.
In its news release, the law society confirmed its commitment to the FLSP initiative.
The LSO also acknowledged its mandate to advance access to justice for Ontarians and its role as a regulator to help paralegals pursuing FLSP authorization comply with the relevant learning, competence, and professional conduct standards.
The law society established the FLSP initiative to help promote access to legal services for Ontarians and increase the options available to those who need guidance navigating family law matters.
According to information from the LSO’s website, paralegals with FLSP authorization can provide some legal services to clients involved in family law matters, pursuant to ss. 6(2.1) and (2.2) of By-Law 4.
In some situations, FLSPs can help clients:
Here are some other recent news stories involving the regulator.
According to its 2024 annual report, the law society continued developing its FLSP program during the reporting period, with Fanshawe College serving as the sole provider.
At an October 2024 convocation, the law society’s benchers voted to expand the scope of services paralegals could offer in family law matters.
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