Searching for Community Legal Services

• duty counsel (legal aid lawyer in an Ontario courthouse) - criminal, refugee and immigration, family or youth courts, mental health
• summary legal advice for family law (criminal matters referred to local services)
• certificate program for complex cases
• poverty law, civil services - delivered through community legal aid clinics
• referrals to other social assistance agencies

• Criminal Duty Counsel - 36 Wyndham St S (Ontario Court of Justice Criminal Division)
• Family Duty Counsel - 74 Woolwich St (Ontario Court of Justice, Family and Superior Court of Justice, County of Wellington Courthouse)

• Youth Restorative Justice Program
• Victim Offender Reconciliation Program
• restorative justice programs for schools

• land drainage
• marketing boards
• crop insurance
• licensing issues
• farm property classification
• treatment of agricultural employees
• disputes under various statutes

• help resolve disputes about farm practices (nuisance complaints about odour, noise, dust, flies, light, smoke or vibration)
• reduce the need for Board hearings
• also used for conflicts between farm practices and municipal by-laws

• information on the family court process
• assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid)
• debriefing with clients following family court appearances
• referral to specialized services and supports in the community
• safety planning
• court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate

• court-based mediation (on-site), free to those on the day they are on court lists (this service, onsite, is not currently offered, anticipated for the future)
• off-site mediation services (parenting plans, child support, spousal support, property issues), with fees set on a sliding scale, currently offered both in person and distance mediation
• information about local family law related services
• mandatory information programs
• family law mediation for divorce, separation, child custody and access, child and spousal support, property division
• alternate dispute resolution

• Family Centred Programs: FGDM is a culturally-sensitive process that gives the extended family and friends of children at risk of abuse and neglect, an opportunity to develop a long-term care plan that addresses the child protection concerns and works to strengthen the family
  
  Family Centred Conflict Resolution: Through different conflict resolution processes, CJI supports the family to effectively resolve conflict.
  
• Conflict Coaching: "Walk the Talk": Conflict Competence for Families: "Walk the Talk" assists caregivers to learn conflict resolution, communication and problem-solving skills. These skills are useful in promoting better relationships with children, partners, ex-partners and others, all serving to strengthen families.
  
• Caregiver and Teen Conflict Resolution: Through different conflict resolution process and conflict coaching groups, CJI supports the family to effectively resolve conflict.
  

• information on the family court process
• assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid)
• debriefing with clients following family court appearances
• referral to specialized services and supports in the community
• safety planning
• court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate

• Offers individual counselling to all genders (16 years of age and older) in both Kitchener and Cambridge
• 24 Hour Support Line and support groups, advocacy, referrals, and accompaniments for women to the hospital, police, and courthouse

• Information on the family court process
• Assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid)
• Referral to specialized services and supports in the community
• Safety planning
• Court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate

• Counselling
• Advocacy
• Crisis support
• Safety planning
• Related accompaniments
• Practical assistance
• Support through legal processes
• Support with obtaining housing
• Connections to community supports
• Public education and outreach

• Criminal legal issues
• Family legal issues
• Refugee and immigration legal issues
• Domestic violence
• Mental health legal issues

The family mediator helps the separating partners identify issues that they need to sort through and to work out their own solution

• a free service available on site at Milton Family Court to help parties resolve their family law matter
• the parties have to have commenced a court proceeding
• there are no property issues mediated on site (property is referred to the offsite mediation service)
• helps to coordinate the Mandatory Information Program in this court

A free legal clinic with volunteer lawyers from across Halton Region, on a rotating schedule, in the following areas:

• family law
• immigration law
• criminal law

Free legal advocacy workers offer emotional and practical support navigating the family law and court system

This listing gives an overview of legislation, community legal clinics, legal information services, how to find a lawyer or paralegal, Powers of Attorney, and is also an index to related listings in this directory:

LEGISLATION:

City of Burlington By-laws
Town of Halton Hills By-laws
Town of Milton By-laws
Town of Oakville By-laws

Ontario law: see Government of Ontario e-Laws

• laws viewed on, downloaded or printed from e-Laws are official copies of the law

Federal law: see Government of Canada Justice Laws website

• consolidated Acts and regulations on the Justice Laws Website are official, and can be used for evidentiary purposes

COMMUNITY LEGAL CLINICS:

Legal Aid Ontario (see full listing here)

• funds 79 legal clinics that provide free services for people with low income (see below for those serving Halton)
• clinics provide legal help for problems relating to basic needs: income, housing, and human rights
• services include representation in courts and tribunals, legal advice, law reform activities, and referrals to other sources of assistance

Community-based Clinics:

Halton Community Legal Services (see full listing here) provides help with:

• social assistance (Ontario Works (OW), Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Canada pension matters, etc.)
• housing matters (disputes between tenants and landlords, evictions, etc.)
• various employment matters (wrongful dismissal, workers compensation, etc.)

The Women's Centre of Halton Legal Clinic (see full listing here) provides help with:

• family law
• immigration law
• criminal law

Specialty and Ethnolinguistic Clinics:

Provide services in a specific area of law or to a particular community, such as:

• Indigenous communities
• Black and other racialized communities
• the elderly, children and youth
• injured workers and those living with disabilities

In addition to providing legal services to individuals, several specialty clinics also advocate on behalf of the particular community they serve, including:

Aboriginal Legal Services (see full listing here):

• offers legal help, legal education, and community development to Aboriginal people

Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (see full listing here):

• provides direct legal services to low-income seniors, public legal education, and law reform

Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (see full listing here):

• works to improve human rights and justice in housing for low-income Ontarians through legal advice and representation, law reform, community organizing, training, and education

ARCH Disability Law Centre (see full listing here):

• offers information, summary advice and referrals, and representation in systemic cases for people with disabilities

Black Legal Action Centre (see full listing here):

• delivers legal aid to low or no income Black Ontarians

Canadian Environmental Law Association (see full listing here):

• provides legal services to individuals and groups with environmental legal problems, and seeks to improve environmental protection through legislation

Centre for Spanish-Speaking Peoples (see full listing here):

• provides summary advice and assistance, with particular emphasis on immigration matters, tenants' and workers' rights, to the Spanish-speaking community

Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (see full listing here):

• offers legal advice and representation to low-income, non-English speaking members of the Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian communities

HALCO - HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (see full listing here):

• provides free legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS

Human Rights Legal Support Centre (see full listing here)

• provides Legal advice and support, including possible representation and application assistance for applicants to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

IAVGO - Industrial Accident Victims Group of Ontario (see full listing here):

• provides legal advice and representation to injured workers

Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic (see full listing here):

• provides information and advice, and represents injured workers

Justice for Children and Youth (see full listing here):

• offers information, summary advice, referrals, and representation to children and young people under 18 years of age, and to homeless and unstably housed young people under 25

Landlord's Self Help Centre (see full listing here):

• provides information and summary advice to small-scale landlords

South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (see full listing here):

• provides advice and representation to low-income South Asians

Workers' Health & Safety Legal Clinic (see full listing here):

• takes on health and safety cases, workers' compensation cases, human rights cases, and employment standards reprisal cases, if they relate to core mandate, for workers who do not have union representation

LEGAL INFORMATION SERVICES:

When looking at legal information online, it's of primary importance to ensure it applies to the law in Ontario

Canadian Bar Association, Pro Bono Initiatives

• lawyers in the CBA Immigration Law Section provide services, without charge, to individuals in relation to selected temporary public policies of IRCC
• services may include legal consultations and advice

Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) (see full listing here)

• provides clear, accurate, and practical legal rights education and information to help people understand and exercise their legal rights

Your Legal Rights shares legal information resources produced by nonprofit organizations across Ontario and also contains recent legal information webinars produced by CLEO

Steps to Justice gives reliable and practical information on common legal problems including:

• step-by-step information to help you work through legal problems
• practical tools, such as checklists, fillable forms, and self-help guides
• referral information for legal and social services across Ontario
• live chat and email support

Family Law Information Centre

• services are available in family courts across Ontario, including the Milton Courthouse (see full listing here)
• information about separation and divorce and related family law issues, family justice services, alternative forms of dispute resolution, local community resources and court processes

Legal Line (see full listing here):

• online information on 48 areas of law
• also provide referrals for legal advice and services

Pro Bono Ontario (see full listing here)

• offers a free legal advice line and connects volunteer lawyers with Ontarians who cannot afford a lawyer
• helps with civil court (no family or criminal law), employment, housing, consumer issues, and creating Powers of Attorney

REDUCED-COST LEGAL SERVICES:

JusticeNet (see full listing here)

• not-for-profit service helping people in need of legal expertise, whose income is too high to access legal aid and too low to afford standard legal fees

TO FIND A LAWYER OR PARALEGAL:

Law Society of Upper Canada, Referral Service (see full listing here)

• online service that gives the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will provide a free consultation of up to 30 minutes to help determine rights and options
• search the Lawyer and Paralegal Directory by name, city, postal code, area of law, and language
• search the Directory of Certified Specialists by specialty area for lawyers who provide specialist assistance in complex matters and to facilitate referrals

TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A LAWYER OR PARALEGAL:

Law Society of Upper Canada Lawyer Complaints Services (see here)

CRIMINAL RECORD EXPUNGEMENT ASSISTANCE:

Pardons Canada (see full listing here)

• non-profit organization assisting individuals in obtaining pardons, record suspensions and US entry waivers

POWERS OF ATTORNEY:

A legal document that gives someone you trust the right to make financial or health care decisions for you

• there are two types: Personal Care (decisions about health care, housing and other aspects of personal life) and Property (decisions about financial affairs)
• for more information see the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General website
• make a Powers of Attorney by downloading the Publications Ontario kit or using the CLEO web tool

Major Services:

• 24 hour crisis lines for abused women
• HWP Chat provides online support, Mon-Sun 24 hrs, from a training Violence Against Women Counsellor
• safe shelter accommodation, food, and basic personal items for a maximum of 8 weeks for abused women and their dependent children
• individual and/or supportive group counselling at the shelter
• community agency information and referral when necessary
• court support for interim custody and restraining orders
• children's services
• emergency transportation to shelter, if necessary
• depart planning
• SafePet Program
• advocacy and public education around ending violence against women
• transitional support program
• accepts donations of goods for those in the shelter and those moving from the shelter to permanent housing (see list of needs here)

Family Court Support Worker Program

Facilitates a victim's understanding of and passage through the familly court system.

Support provided includes:

• information on the family court process
• assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid)
• debriefing with clients following family court appearances
• referral to specialized services and supports in the community
• safety planning
• court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate

Schools programs

• EngageMENt 'male ally' program is a conversation-based 8-week program led by a male facilitator that guides male students through discussion around popular and sports culture, through a gender lens, and discusses what 'healthy masculinity' means, wrapping up by planning an experiential or service learning initiative (participants may receive up to 15 volunteer hours toward their Community Involvement requirement)

Provides a place of sanctuary, safety, and support for women (and their children) with a variety of programs.

Family Court Support Worker Program

Facilitates a victim's understanding of and passage through the family court system. Support provided includes:

• information on the family court process
• assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid,
• debriefing with clients following family court appearances
• referral to specialized services and supports in the community
• safety planning
• court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate

Transitional Housing and Support Program

• Helps women and their children access services to establish violence and abuse-free lives in the community.

Second Stage Services

• Offers furnished, affordable housing to both single women and women with children for up to one year. Supports are geared to creating greater physical, emotional, and financial stability in the aftermath of violence and abuse.

Provides a place of sanctuary, safety, and support for women (and their children) with a variety of programs.

Family Court Support Worker Program

Facilitates a victim's understanding of and passage through the family court system. Support provided includes:

• information on the family court process
• assistance in preparing for family court proceedings (documenting history of abuse, accessing Legal Aid,
• debriefing with clients following family court appearances
• referral to specialized services and supports in the community
• safety planning
• court accompaniment to proceedings when appropriate

Transitional Housing and Support Program

• Helps women and their children access services to establish violence and abuse-free lives in the community.

Second Stage Services

• Offers furnished, affordable housing to both single women and women with children for up to one year. Supports are geared to creating greater physical, emotional, and financial stability in the aftermath of violence and abuse.