Hosted by Alberta Association of Professional Paralegals (AAPP) in Alberta from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm on April 14, 2026

Link: https://aapp.wildapricot.org/widget/event-6610646

Speaker: Ellen R. Gutowski, PhD, CPsych, University of Toronto Assistant Professor

"At the vulnerable time of separation, many survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) enter into family courts in search of protection for themselves and their children. However, they may instead face a distressing court process in which they must confront the person who abused them. As many survivors have no choice but to engage in the family court system to address matters such as divorce and child custody, this legal institution serves as an important gatekeeper to safety. Thus, it is essential to understand why survivors often report negative experiences. A growing number of studies point to legal abuse -- abusive partners’ use of court processes to enact coercive control -- as an overlooked, yet critical mechanism through which survivors and their children are harmed during family court processes. This presentation will provide an overview of the author’s existing research on legal abuse and discuss several implications of this research for practice."