When residents put family law into practice
Participants in Domain's webinar programs don't just attend sessions — they apply what they've learned to real situations. These are case studies, documents, and analyses created by residents of Orléans working through actual legal challenges.
What participants have built
Each project below reflects a distinct legal question. The work is practical, not academic — these are documents and analyses that participants have actually used or shared with family members.
Separation agreement checklist
A participant who had recently separated built a structured checklist covering Ontario's standard separation agreement requirements — property division, support obligations, and parenting arrangements. She shared it with her sister who was going through the same process.
Parenting plan comparison
Two webinar attendees collaborated on a side-by-side breakdown of shared and sole custody arrangements under Canadian federal guidelines. The comparison outlines decision-making authority, schedule templates, and common dispute clauses — formatted clearly enough for non-lawyers to read.
Spousal support scenario analysis
A participant mapped out four spousal support scenarios using the federal Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, showing how duration and amount vary depending on marriage length and income gap. Each scenario includes a plain-language explanation of how the formula works.
From the people who did the work
Three participants describe what it was like to take on a real project during the program. These are their words, edited only for length.
I came in knowing almost nothing about how custody arrangements are structured in Ontario. Building the parenting plan comparison forced me to read the actual guidelines rather than just listen to someone explain them. When my own situation got complicated six months later, I already had the structure in my head.
Parenting Plans
The spousal support project took me longer than I expected. The guidelines are more nuanced than a formula — length of marriage, roles during the marriage, income potential after. I ran four completely different scenarios before I understood why two cases that look similar can end up with very different outcomes.
Spousal Support
My checklist project started as a personal exercise. I was worried I'd forget something important in my own separation. By the time I finished it, I had a document clear enough to hand to my lawyer at the first meeting. She said it saved us probably an hour of back-and-forth.
Separation AgreementsHow projects are structured in the program
Each cohort follows the same four-phase project structure. The goal is to make abstract legal concepts stick by applying them to a documented real-world scenario.
Pick a real scenario
Participants choose a legal situation drawn from their own experience or community. The scenario must be specific enough to apply actual Ontario or federal family law provisions.
Map the legal framework
Relevant statutes, guidelines, or case precedents are identified and linked to the scenario. Participants cite sections by number, not just by topic — precision matters at this stage.
Draft the document
The finished output varies by project type — a checklist, a comparison table, a scenario analysis. Format is chosen to match how the information would actually be used outside the program.
Group review session
Each project is reviewed live in a small group session. Participants raise gaps, ask scenario questions, and suggest practical additions. The final version often differs significantly from the first draft.