Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel Before. During. After. When thinking about how a sexual assault affects a survivor, some people might tend to focus on these latter two periods. They may think that the actual moments of sexual violence would be when the trauma begins and consider the aftermath to be when a survivor reflects on what occurred, possibly experiences symptoms post-traumatic stress disorder, and finds way to heal. For LGBTQ+ sexual assault survivors, the “before” is often critical to how they will experience the “during” and “after.” As members of a marginalized group tha ..read more

Paddling Towards a Brighter Future According to a study conducted in 2019 by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, an estimated 1.2 million children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness.[1] Wait times for counseling and therapy can often be long, especially for children and youth.[2] Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, wait times of six months to one year were commonplace in Ontario.[3] In the pandemic’s wake, the longest wait for community mental health child and youth services could reach 919 days (about 2 and a half years).[4] Additionally, the average wait times for counseling ..read more

Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel LGBTQ2S+ Pride means many different things to many different people, but one of the most important messages this month-long celebration communicates is love – love of yourself and love for each other in all our diversity. For a community that has been historically marginalized and suffered (and still suffers) a great deal of hate from some parts of society, feeling the power of love during Pride can be restorative and nourishing to the soul. Unfortunately, many members of the LGBTQ2S+ community have (or will at some point in their lives) experience sex ..read more

Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel When thinking of how sexual abuse and sexual assault can affect the brain, I find a certain analogy can be very helpful to illustrate the dramatic affect these crimes can have during a person’s whole life. Imagine the human brain as a tree. A young sapling (infancy and early childhood) beginning its growth is very fragile as it lays down roots (the foundation for future development). The first few shoots and branches show themselves and the young tree soon draws on its environment to help it grow. When given ideal growth conditions, trees can produce m ..read more

Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel CONTENT WARNING: This blog discusses some of the most sensitive topics in our society today, including sexual assault and abuse. We understand that these realities may be difficult for many people to discuss. We encourage you to care for your safety and well-being. If you ever feel unsafe, please call 911.   When you were a child, someone asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” What did you answer? There are many jobs out there, but kids will often mention a few favourites: a doctor, a construction worker, a veterinarian, a firefigh ..read more

Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel CONTENT WARNING: This blog discusses some of the most sensitive topics in our society today, including sexual assault and abuse. We understand that these realities may be difficult for many people to discuss. We encourage you to care for your safety and well-being. If you ever feel unsafe, please call 911.   “What should I do? What would you do?” are questions survivors of sexual abuse often ask when they first consider coming forward. The healing process after experiencing sexual violence will look different for each individual. Many survivors need a ..read more

Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel & Lawyer CONTENT WARNING: This blog discusses some of the most sensitive topics in our society today, including sexual assault and abuse. We understand that these realities may be difficult for many people to discuss. We encourage you to care for your safety and well-being. If you ever feel unsafe, please call 911. We’ve all received them. As much as they are an annoyance, it’s hard not to feel a little sorry for telemarketers calling random numbers in hopes of making a sale. For every receptive person on the other line, there are probably dozens, if no ..read more

Written By: Simona Jellinek, Counsel & Lawyer CONTENT WARNING: This blog discusses some of the most sensitive topics in our society today, including sexual assault and abuse. We understand that these realities may be difficult for many people to discuss. We encourage you to care for your safety and well-being. If you ever feel unsafe, please call 911. If you were asked to picture the face of someone who has experienced sexual abuse or a sexual assault, who would come to mind? You may think of well-known cases of institutional sexual abuse that have come to light in recent years. Perhaps th ..read more

It is an honour to represent our clients and their families to help them through their healing journey and ultimately come to a resolution. We are grateful to have played a part. Their stories of resiliency inspire us to continue advocating on behalf of injured victims. This is CJM and Family’s Story: The Gluckstein Team have mastered the ability to remain “down-to-Earth” while maintaining professionalism. No one wants to go through the physical injuries and damage an accident can cause; however, where there is emotional damage at play it is even more difficult. After the physical tr ..read more

Written By: Jan Marin, Senior Associate & Lawyer Proving that a doctor owes a duty of care to their patient is a fundamental part of a medical malpractice case. Where there is no duty of care, there can be no liability for damages. Establishing that a doctor who is providing medical treatment to their patient has a duty of care to that person seems deceptively simple. But what about a future patient who does not yet exist? A recent case before the Ontario Court of Appeal has prompted much discussion and debate over whether a fertility doctor owes a duty of care to both the person being tre ..read more