Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7 11 \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP T here is a big problem in Canada's family law courts and a Calgary family lawyer and the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law are trying to do something about it. The problem is that too many people who do not qualify for legal aid but can- not possibly afford the $500 an hour a family lawyer might typically charge are being forced to rep- resent themselves. That creates delays and backlogs that add further stress on people already undergoing the pain of a separa- tion, a divorce, a custody battle or some other family crisis. Tony Young is a seasoned Calgary family lawyer. He is quick to point to the contributions of others, but the fact is that, along with University of Calgary Law dean Ian Holloway, he is the point man in a bold experiment at U of C. It involves the creation of a so-called family law incu- bator. As far as Young knows, it is the first such operation in Canada and if it works it could revolutionize the practice of family law across the country. A full-time executive director has been hired for the incubator. This fall, in its first year of operation, the pro- gram plans to take in four articling students, in part to compensate for the general lack of articling positions in family law. "Nobody wants to see this project as a backwater for law students who couldn't get articles," says Young. "We envision it as a beacon of excel- lence. It's going to be what people aspire to do. It will be top students who want the finest training." Young says the arti- cling students will be able to stay with the program for up to a year after they are called to the bar. Members of the public who use the service must pay. But Young hopes that by housing the project in a modest office at the university's downtown Calgary campus and relying on agile technology, costs can be kept significantly below the market. But there is pressure. "We want the program to be self-sustaining in 18 to Calgary law school launches family law incubator W E S T Continued on page 12 Tony Young Hello point B Your search for legal information and insight just got easier. Lexis Advance ® Quicklaw ® Intuitive design Exceptional content Productivity tools Anywhere access lexisnexis.ca/VYkVcXZ ntitled-2 1 2017-01-18 4:22 PM

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