The legal system in Canada is complex. It is advisable to seek professional legal advice for legal matters. In this section, you will learn about legal services that are available to you, with a focus in Ontario. Other provinces provide similar programs as well. Click here for legal aid programs for each province.
If you need help to pay for a lawyer you might be eligible for financial help from Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). LAO provides legal help for financially eligible low-income Ontarians, providing high-quality legal services in family law; refugee and immigration law; criminal law and mental health law. If you qualify and have a legal matter that the program covers, you need to apply for the Legal Aid certificate. When you contact a lawyer, it is important to say you have applied for or have received Legal Aid services. Not all lawyers accept Legal Aid certificates.
Community Legal Clinics (CLCs) can give you free or low-cost legal information, advice and representation. CLCs offer a variety of legal services, including:
CLCs provide services in specific areas of law, such as landlord-tenant disputes, employment law, refugee and immigration law, and more. Contact your local CLC to find out if they deal with the area of law that you need. If they do not, they will try to refer you to an agency that does.
JusticeNet is a not-for-profit organization that helps people access legal services when their income is too high to qualify for legal aid, but too low to afford standard legal fees. The legal professionals listed with the JusticeNet charge at a reduced rate.
Click on the links or watch the videos to learn more about how you can get legal advice and services for free through the legal aid program in Canada.