If you cannot afford a lawyer
Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) offers free legal help on certain family law issues to people with low incomes. This includes:
- Legal aid certificates
You can apply for a legal aid certificate to get LAO to pay a lawyer to represent you in court for a certain number of hours. And you can use LAO’s online tool to find a lawyer who accepts certificates. Visit legalaid.on.ca/lawyers. - Lawyers at family courts Talk to duty counsel for help on the day of your court hearing. They may be able to give legal advice, explain the court process, or help you work out a settlement. They cannot represent you at trial.Talk to advice counsel for general information. If your income is low enough, they may be able to give you free legal advice.
- Metro Toronto Family Law Services There are 8 locations where you can talk to a lawyer, get information about other legal aid services, and, in some cases, prepare court documents. Call 416-696-2992.
- Family Law Service Centres
There are 8 centres in Ontario with staff lawyers and legal workers who can help prepare court documents, provide referral information, and help with applications for a legal aid certificate. - Family Law Offices There are 3 offices located in Kenora, Ottawa, and Thunder Bay with lawyers and paralegals who help with family court cases and accept legal aid certificates.
- Law school clinics Each law school in Ontario has a legal aid clinic staffed by law students who are supervised by lawyers. These clinics are located in Kingston, London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Windsor.
For more information about these services, visit legalaid.on.ca or call 416-979-1446, 1-800-668-8258, or the Bell Relay Service at 1-800-855-0511.
Pro Bono Students Canada – Family Justice Centre
The Family Justice Centre is staffed by law students who are supervised by family law lawyers. People with low incomes who do not have a lawyer can get summary legal advice and help with court forms. Visit probonostudents.ca/family-justice-centre or call 647-952-3354.
Previous page Next page