Two ways I can help
For the hearing
An expert report
A written, independent opinion on whether coercive control is present in your case and what it has done to the people involved. Family, civil and criminal cases, anywhere in Canada. Billed by the hour, with an estimate before I start.
I have prepared these for people representing themselves and for lawyers on both sides, and I give evidence on them as an expert witness when a case goes ahead.
Before you decide
A one-hour case consultation
Not sure a report will help, or whether what you’re living with is coercive control at all? Bring what you have — a rough timeline, the messages that worry you, where your case is now. In an hour I’ll tell you what I see, what matters, and whether a report is worth it.
$300, booked online. If a report follows, the consultation fee is credited against it.
Who you’d be working with
Elizabeth Joy Dubois, MSW, RSW
A Registered Social Worker who has spent her career working with people living through intimate partner violence and coercive control, and who now prepares independent expert reports on it for the courts. An expert witness in Ontario family and criminal proceedings. RISA-certified. Works for either side, with a lawyer or without one.
More about the practice →In plain terms
What coercive control is
One person taking over another person’s life, a piece at a time: who they see, where they go, what they spend, what they’re allowed to think of themselves, how they parent. Rarely one dramatic incident. Usually hundreds of small ones that only make sense together.
In May 2026 the Supreme Court of Canada recognised it as a wrong in its own right (Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia). A Criminal Code offence follows by June 2028. Family courts must already consider it when deciding about children.
What the Supreme Court decided, and what it changes →Free · No email needed
Organising your own account
A workbook for getting years onto paper: what happened, in date order, in your own words, with your records beside it. Work through it privately, at your own pace, before you speak to a lawyer, duty counsel or me. Print it if a paper copy is safer than a file on your phone.
Want more guidance? Short self-paced courses: Your Account, In Order walks you through the workbook step by step, Writing Your Family Court Affidavit shows you how to turn it into sworn evidence, Your Case Conference prepares you for your first meeting with a judge, and Communicating Safely With Your Ex helps with the messages and handovers you're dealing with now.
For lawyers: six questions to ask before you commission an expert.
Tell me about your case
A few lines is enough: where your case is, what’s coming up, and what you’re worried about. I read every enquiry myself and reply personally. If email isn’t safe for you, say so and tell me the best way to reach you.
Send an enquiryNo lawyer, or waiting for one? Start here. There are also free guides for anyone going through this, and online courses for professionals.
