Fundraising campaign will boost access to the Ontario family courts and make up a $400,000 shortfall
Toronto, ON – Epstein Cole LLP, Canada’s premier family law firm, together with firm founder Philip M. Epstein Q.C., have made a combined gift of $150,000 to the Pro Bono Students Canada Campaign for Family Justice. The Campaign for Family Justice will save and expand Pro Bono Students Canada’s Family Law Project, a vital court service that is at risk of closure. The Campaign’s fundraising goal of $650,000 will preserve the program and allow it to expand to additional Ontario courts.
Thanks to the efforts of Epstein Cole LLP, the Campaign’s Law Firm Champion, and Mr. Epstein, Campaign Chair, the Campaign for Family Justice has raised $320,000 to date. “As a family lawyer,” says Mr. Epstein, “I know too well a relationship breakdown can be one of the most difficult times in a person’s life, particularly when there are children involved. For poor and low-income Ontarians who can’t afford a lawyer, the stress is often unbearable.”
PBSC trains law students to support low-to-middle-income earners who do not qualify for legal aid. Students assist clients in filling out their court forms and helping them navigate the complex court system. The Family Law Project operates in seven Ontario Courthouses. It is widely considered to be a vital resource for people in a time of crisis, while enhancing the administration of an overburdened family court system. The project has the added benefit of introducing law students to family law, and instilling the pro bono ethic in the next generation of lawyers. Last year, 110 Ontario students fanned out across Ontario to assist almost 2,000 low-income clients.
Read the full media release.
Read Nikki Gershbain's oped in The Toronto Star.
