Finding a lawyer

You do not have to hire a lawyer to help you with your family law issues. But, only a lawyer can give you legal advice. This means they can explain what the law says, how it applies to your situation, and what your options are.

You and your partner should not have the same lawyer because you may have different rights and responsibilities.

Unbundled services

Some lawyers provide “unbundled services”. This means you pay a lawyer to help you with part of your case. For example, you might only hire a lawyer to prepare your documents, or to represent you at a motion or conference.

Unbundled services are also called limited scope services or legal coaching.

You can find directories of lawyers that offer unbundled services through:

Ontario’s Family Law Limited Scope Services Project: visit familylawlss.ca and click on “Find a lawyer”.
The National Self-Represented Litigants Project: visit representingyourselfcanada.com and click on “Initiatives”, and then “National Directory”.

Law Society of Ontario

The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has a directory of all lawyers who can practice law in Ontario. You can search the directory by area of law, name, city, postal code, or language spoken. Visit lso.ca and click on “Public Resources”, and then “Finding a Lawyer or Paralegal”. You can also call 416-947-3300 or 1-800-668-7380.

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