You Can’t Say That in Court!

S2 Episode 6: How Safe are Courthouses?

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Past research from Rise highlighted how attending court in person can be unsafe for survivors of violence. In this episode, we move into the next phase of that work, sharing both general trends and specific findings from Rise’s latest research. We discuss what has changed, what risks remain, and what these findings reveal about survivor safety, access, and accountability within the family law system.
Additional Reading Materials:
Court House Safety Report: Access, Safety, and Regional Context: A Comprehensive Assessment of BC Court Locations  
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
PRODUCTION: By Nithasha PremKumar
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC.
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

S2 Episode 5: Protection Order Optimism

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, we zoom out to examine the growing failures of protection orders and the real‑world consequences for survivors. Drawing from Rise's protection order and housing research, the speakers explore how these legal tools are becoming harder to access, more limited in scope, and increasingly shaped by myths about risk, credibility, and “good” victimhood. We place these experiences in a wider context, showing that the problems in BC are not isolated, but part of a systemic pattern echoed across jurisdictions. The episode also begins to look forward, previewing calls for a more specialized, coordinated, and trauma‑informed approach, highlighting recent government policy signals that suggest meaningful reform may finally be on the horizon.
Additional Reading Materials:
Rise report: Protection Orders in BC and the Urgent Need for a Specialized Process and Coordinated Reform
Link to Law Commission of Ontario report: Improving Protection Orders in Family, Child Protection, and Civil Law
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
PRODUCTION: By Nithasha PremKumar
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC.
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

S2 Episode 4: How Protection Orders Fail Survivors

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, we continue our exploration of the challenges survivors face when leaving abusive relationships by examining the legal protections designed to keep them safe, and why these tools often fall short. We break down the landscape of criminal protection orders, including how they're meant to be customized but frequently lack meaningful survivor input, and how their effectiveness is often tied to the status of criminal proceedings. We then turn to family law protection orders, unpacking the promise of the 2013 Family Law Act reforms and the realities that have followed. Throughout the conversation, the speakers name the myths and stereotypes that persist across these systems and the enforcement challenges that leave survivors without the protection they need. This episode sets the stage for our next conversation, where we'll explore recommendations for a more coordinated, specialized approach to protection orders.
Additional Reading Materials:
Rise’s report: Protection Orders in BC and the Urgent Need for a Specialized Process and Coordinated Reform
 
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
PRODUCTION: By Nithasha PremKumar
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC.
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

S2 Episode 3: How Systems Fail Survivors

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, we take a look at the challenges survivors face when seeking help from the very systems meant to protect them. We unpack how hospitals and emergency rooms respond in moments of crisis, explore the complexities and gaps within police and criminal justice system interactions, and examine the often‑overlooked pressures within child protection responses. Throughout the conversation, we also name and acknowledge the barriers such as colonialism, racism, and ableism that shape these systems and can impact survivor experiences. This episode invites listeners to reflect on how systemic barriers show up, and what it takes to create responses that are truly supportive, equitable, and trauma‑informed.
 
Additional Reading Materials:
Kim Stanton's June 2025 Final Report - Independent Systemic Review: The British Columbia Legal System's Treatment of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence
Kim Stanton's June 2025 Final Report - Executive Summary
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
PRODUCTION: By Nithasha PremKumar
 
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

S2 Episode 2: Should I have Just Stayed - Part 2

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In the second episode of Season 2, we dive deeper into the critical housing barriers with our internal guest speaker, Haley Hrymak, as she discusses the financial barriers after leaving an abusive relationship and the disconnect between Family Law remedies & housing realities.
Additional Reading Materials:
• Rise Full Report: Should I Have Just Stayed? Improving Family Law Remedies for Survivors During BC’s Housing Crisis
• For Lawyers: Housing Crisis and Coercive Control — Rise Professional Legal Education
• Dr. Kim Stanton's June 2025 Final Report - Independent Systemic Review: The British Columbia Legal System's Treatment of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence
• Dr. Kim Stanton's June 2025 Final Report - Executive Summary
 
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
PRODUCTION: By Nithasha PremKumar
 
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

S2 Episode 1: Should I have Just Stayed - Part 1

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In the first episode of Season 2, we dive into the critical housing barriers faced by people experiencing family violence. Our internal guest speaker, Haley Hrymak, helps illuminate how housing challenges directly intersect with survivor safety.
Haley’s research report, “Should I Have Just Stayed”, explores the complex experiences of survivors navigating both housing instability and the family law system. In this episode, we unpack key themes from the report—financial insecurity, ongoing housing crisis, and coercive controlling behaviours, highlighting how these factors shape a survivor’s choices and overall well-being.
Join us as we shed light on the realities survivors face, the systemic gaps that worsen their situations, and the urgent need for trauma‑informed, survivor‑centered housing solutions.
ADDITIONAL READING: 
Should I Have Just Stayed?” Improving Family Law Remedies for Survivors During BC’s Housing Crisis
For Lawyers: Housing Crisis and Coercive Control — Rise Professional Legal Education
 
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: Melanie Ligale
PRODUCTION: Nithasha PremKumar
 
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC.
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

Episode 19: Dr. Stanton's Recommendations for the Legal System

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this final episode of Season 1, we talk about Dr. Kim Stanton’s report on how the BC legal system handles intimate partner and sexual violence. The report looks at why progress has been slow and offers over 20 recommendations for real change. We highlight main topics like better collaboration, courthouse safety, fair pay for support workers, and ending harmful myths. Dr. Stanton’s work provides a strong roadmap for improving the justice system.
Learn more:
BC Government Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/about-bcs-justice-system/justice-reform-initiatives/systemic-review
Dr. Kim Stanton's Report: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/about-bc-justice-system/justice-reform-initiatives/systemic-review/dr_kim_stantons_june_2025_final_report_-_independent_systemic_review__the_british_columbia_legal_systems_treatment_of_intimate_partner_violence_and_sexual_violence.pdf
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

Episode 18: Protecting Yourself Against Tech Facilitated Violence

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, we talk about technology-facilitated abuse which is when tech or online tools are used to control, harass, or track a partner. We share examples like location tracking, email hacking, and misuse of cloud storage, and offer simple safety tips like changing passwords and resetting devices. As we near the end of the season, we highlight ways to stay safe and where to find support.
Learn more about the resources at:
BCSTH Technology Safety - https://bcsth.ca/project/technology-safety/ Women’s Shelters Canada Tech Safety - https://techsafety.ca/
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

Episode 17: Family Law in BC: Finding a good fit with a family lawyer

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Finding the right family lawyer in BC can be tough. In this episode, we talk about why it is hard, the difference between legal aid and private lawyers, and how to find someone who is a good fit for you.
Learn more in our guide, How do I Choose A Family Lawyer?: https://www.womenslegalcentre.ca/publications/how-to-choose-a-family-lawyer 
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC.
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre

Episode 16: Family Law in BC: Support Workers are Working Overtime

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Support workers are a key part of BC’s family law system, but they are underpaid, overworked, and undertrained for the legal demands they are facing. From victim services to outreach and housing, they are filling critical gaps left by inaccessible legal services. In this episode, we talk about funding problems, legal challenges, and why long-term support and training are so important.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Everything that we have said today is not legal advice. If you or someone you know needs legal advice, please consult with a lawyer.
TRIGGER WARNING: Our podcast series will discuss difficult topics such as gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Please be aware that this is a thread that is woven throughout all the episodes, and we hope you will take care of yourselves however you need.
MUSIC: Song "Crushing", performed by Reveille (license purchased for use)
GRAPHICS: By Melanie Ligale
This episode is made possible the generous contribution by Women and Gender Equality Canada, Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Rise is a community legal centre providing accessible legal services to self-identified women and gender diverse people in British Columbia since 2016. Our programs and services are aimed at providing limited legal services to economically disadvantaged clients, who are self-representing in their family law matters in BC.
For more information on our organization, visit Rise Women's Legal Centre