To support Winnipeg’s diverse communities, Healthy Muslim Families (HMF) held a free family law clinic. This initiative was tailored to provide legal guidance and support for newcomers and immigrants seeking legal advice.

Humaira Jaleel, executive director at Healthy Muslim Families, explained that many women were approaching them and asking questions due to challenges in their marriages. 

“Some of them were looking for advice and information on divorce processes, custody challenges, and those kinds of things, and obviously, we did not have that knowledge, so we could only provide services up to a certain level. We understood that this was a need in the community. So that is why we established this family clinic, which helped us provide legal services. The family law clinics have been happening since February, and we do them every week on Thursday evening so people can get appointments and come and get free advice from a lawyer.”          

These clinics’ primary goal is to ensure accessibility to legal advice, empowering individuals to understand their rights and responsibilities within the legal framework of Canada. Providing a platform for legal consultation and advice, Healthy Muslim Families bridges the gap to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their background, had access to legal guidance.

Jaleel said these clinics are open to everyone, not just the Mulsim community. 

“When people come here, they are just thinking about what are my options? As immigrants, we know that anything that happens is tied to our immigration status, so sometimes people have just come here a couple of years ago. They were sponsored by their spouse, and then they want to know if they divorce, does that mean their permanent residency will be cancelled, or will they have to go back? Obviously, that’s not true, but because people who are arriving in Canada are not familiar with the laws, there are a lot of misconceptions out there, so the first thing that we do is give them reasonable information.”

– Zuher Almusre, U Multicultural