The following resources provide information about the Law Society of Ontario's Family Law Action Plan, its Family Legal Services Provider initiative for paralegals, the paralegal's scope of practice within the family law area, and links to historical information.
Law Society of Ontario, Family Legal Service Provider Initiative: A family law service provider (FLSP) is able to assist clients, in certain circumstances, with process navigation in family court, completing applications for joint and uncontested divorces, and preparing and arguing motions to change child support based on the payor’s “line 15000/T4 slip” income and excluding special and extraordinary expenses. FLSPs will also be able to respond to support enforcement proceedings, file domestic contracts and prepare change of name applications. This webpage is the home page for the FLSP initiative. It outlines the permissible scope of FLSPs, answers frequently asked questions for FLSPs and those interested in becoming an FLSP, and provides other helpful resources regarding the FLSP initiative.
Fanshawe College, Family Legal Services Provider Program: The Law Society of Ontario has partnered with Fanshawe College to deliver the Family Legal Services Provider program. Completion of the program allows paralegals to provide certain legal services in family law matters.
Law Society of Ontario, Family Law Action Plan: The Family Law Action Plan was approved by the Law Society of Ontario in December 2017 to improve access to justice for Ontario families. It was pursuant to the Family Law Action Plan that the Family Legal Services Provider credential was developed.
By-law 4 Licensing: This by-law, among other things,
prescribes the classes of licence that may be issued, the scope of activities authorized under each class of licence and the terms, conditions, limitations or restrictions imposed on each class of licence
governs the licensing of persons to practise law in Ontario as barristers and solicitors and the licensing of persons to provide legal services in Ontario
These links trace the history of the Family Legal Services Provider initiative, beginning with the Bonkalo Report in 2016, through various Law Society of Ontario reports, and ending with the motion to amend By-law 4 Licensing and the Paralegal Rules of Conduct.
Ministry of the Attorney General, Justice Annemarie E. Bonkalo, Report, “Family Legal Services Review” (December 31, 2016), from the Wayback Machine: The “Family Legal Service Review,” also known as the “Bonkalo Report,” was commissioned by the Law Society of Upper Canada to review the provision of family legal services by persons other than lawyers. The Bonkalo Report recommended, among other things, creating a special licence allowing paralegals to provide certain types of family legal services.
Government of Ontario, Attorney General of Ontario, Bulletin, “Improving Access to Justice for Families: Making the Family Court System Easier to Navigate” (March 06, 2017): This Bulletin sought public feedback on the “Family Legal Service Review.”
Law Society of Upper Canada, Access to Justice Committee, Report to Convocation, Decision, Family Law Action Plan (December 1, 2017), from the Wayback Machine: This Report proposes a motion to approve the Law Society of Ontario’s commitments in response to the “Family Legal Services Review” by Justice Bonkalo, including to develop a licence for licensed paralegals to provide certain legal services in family law matters. This Family Law Action Plan was approved on December 1, 2017.
Law Society of Ontario, Access to Justice Committee, Report on Family Legal Services Provider Licence (January 21, 2022) from the Wayback Machine: This Report describes four models for a family legal services provider licence and proposes a family legal services provider licence as described in its recommended model. This Report was initially meant for the February 24, 2022 Convocation, but was removed from the agenda when it was clear that there was no judiciary support for the recommended model.
Treasurer’s Report to the Access to Justice Committee, For Information, Report on Family Legal Service Provider Licence (November 9, 2022): This Report informs the Access to Justice Committee and Convocation about the proposal by the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice regarding their preferred scope of practice for a Family Legal Service Provider licence, which is similar to the narrow model from the Report on Family Legal Services Provider Licence. This report was approved by Convocation on December 1, 2022.
Law Society of Ontario, Report to Convocation, For Decision, Paralegal Standing Committee, By-Law and Rule Amendments to Enable the Family Legal Services Provider Initiative (October 31, 2024): This Report proposes a motion to amend the Law Society's By-Law 4 and Paralegal Rules of Conduct to enable the Family Legal Services Provider initiative. Convocation approved the motion on October 31, 2024 (Minutes of Convocation, Thursday, 31st October, 2024).
Law Society of Ontario, Report to Convocation, For Decision, Paralegal Standing Committee, Revised By-Law and Rule Amendments to Operationalize the Family Legal Services Provider (FLSP) Initiative (June 25, 2025): This Report proposes a motion to amend the Law Society's By-Law 4 and Paralegal Rules of Conduct to operationalize the Family Legal Services Provider initiative within the family court system and ensure regulatory consistency across instruments governing paralegals’ scope of family legal services. Convocation approved the motion on June 25, 2025.