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Looking for legal information or advice?

OJEN is an education non-profit. While many of our staff are lawyers, we cannot provide you with legal advice or help you with a specific legal problem. Our resources contain general information about the law for people in Ontario, Canada. They are not intended to be used as legal advice for any specific legal problem.

If you are looking for legal information and you are  under 18 years old, we recommend Your Legal Rights created by Justice for Children and Youth, which provides legal services to youth under 18 and homeless youth under 25.

If you are looking for information that applies to adults, or general legal information within the province of Ontario, we recommend Steps to Justice, created by Community Legal Education Ontario.

If you need legal advice, you can find a lawyer using the Law Society Lawyer Referral Service. They will connect you with a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will speak with you for up to 30 minutes for free. If you can’t afford to hire a lawyer, you may qualify for free legal help from Legal Aid Ontario.

Steps to Justice

Steps to Justice, led by CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario) gives comprehensive online information on common legal problems that people experience in family, housing, employment and other areas of law.

Community Legal Education Ontario

Community Legal Education Ontario produces free legal information in print and online, in English and French and other languages, on many topics including legal rights with police, housing and social assistance.

Getting legal help

Legal Aid Ontario

Legal Aid Ontario provides legal assistance for low-income people. Ontario’s Community Legal Clinics are funded by Legal Aid Ontario to provide legal services in several areas of law.

  • Website: https://www.legalaid.on.ca
  • Tel: Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258
  • Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) for help in over 300 languages.
  • Areas of law served: Criminal, Family, Mental Health, Refugee and immigration, Legal Clinics

Justice for Children and Youth

Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY) is a legal aid clinic that serves low-income children and youth under 18 and homeless youth under 25. JFCY also offers summary legal advice, information and assistance to young people, parents (in education matters), professionals and community groups across Ontario.

  • Website: jfcy.org
  • Twitter: @JFCY
  • Tel: 416-920-1633 Toll Free: 1-866-999-JFCY (5329)

Aboriginal Legal Services

The Legal Clinic is a community legal aid clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, which provides free legal assistance to low income Aboriginal people living in the greater Toronto area.

The Legal Clinic serves people in a variety of areas including: Housing, ODSP/OW, Indian Act Matters, Canada Pension, Disability, Police Complaints, Criminal Injuries Compensation, and Human Rights. Referrals to Lawyers on other matters including criminal and family law can be arranged.

  • Website: https://www.aboriginallegal.ca/
  • Tel: 1-416-408-4041
  • Email: info@aboriginallegal.ca Email intake requests will not be accepted.
  • Office Hours: Monday – Friday | 9 am – 5 pm Saturday Sundays & Holidays | Closed
  • Tel: 1- 416-408-3967 Fax: 1-416-408-1568 | Toll Free: 1-844-633-2886

Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC)

BLAC offers a diverse range of legal services and advice on issues related to education, employment, housing, human rights, government support, and other topics.

  • Website: blacklegalactioncentre.ca
  • Twitter: @BLAC_Ontario
  • Tel: 416-597-5831 Toll free: 1-877-736-9406
  • TTY line: 1-800-855-0511

 Human Rights Legal Support Centre

The HRLSC provides free confidential legal services, including representation at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, to people who have experienced discrimination based on the grounds and social areas covered by the Ontario Human Rights Code. Our service is province wide. The HRLSC has an Indigenous Services program that provides culturally safe service to clients who identify as Indigenous and who request Indigenous service.

  • Website: https://hrlsc.on.ca/
  • Tel: (416) 597-4900
  • Toll Free: 1-866-625-5179
  • TTY: (416) 597-4903
  • TTY Toll Free: 1-866 612-8627 Press 6 for Indigenous Service

Individuals who are unable to communicate by telephone because of a Human Rights Code protected reason such as disability can e-mail accommodation@hrlsc.on.ca. with request for accommodation in the subject line.

JusticeNet

JusticeNet is a 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. Clients who have a low income should contact Legal Aid Ontario to determine eligibility before applying for this program.

Law Society of Ontario (LSO)

The Law Society of Ontario has a referral service that provides the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will provide a free consultation of up to 30 minutes to help you determine your rights and options.

  • Website: https://lsrs.lso.ca/lsrs/welcome
  • Tel: 416-947-3300 Toll-free: 1-800-668-7380
  • TTY: 416-644-4886

Getting help in the courtroom: Duty Counsel Services                           

Duty Counsel are lawyers assigned to courts to provide free assistance to people who do not have a lawyer. If a person qualifies and needs legal help on their day of court, they can talk to a duty counsel lawyer at the courthouse.

Duty counsel can:

  • give people advice and information
  • tell people about their legal rights and what they have to do
  • tell someone how the court process works
  • in some cases, help someone with their documents
  • in some cases, represent someone

Look for the duty counsel office at your courthouse.

If you have difficulties in finding a duty counsel office using this directory, please contact the Client service centre at 416-979-1446 or toll-free 1-800-668-8258.

Complaints

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

To complain about racial profiling or discrimination, contact the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Ombudsman Ontario

The Ontario Ombudsman is an independent and impartial Officer of the Legislature who resolves complaints about government and public sector bodies.

Law Enforcement Complaints Agency

Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA) – formerly known as the Office of the Independent

Police Review Director (OIPRD) – is responsible for receiving, managing and overseeing public complaints about misconduct of police officers.

LECA accepts complaints about the conduct of the following:

  • All municipal, regional, and provincial (OPP) police officers;
  • Special Constables employed by the Niagara Parks Commission;
  • Peace Officers in the Legislative Protective Service; and
  • First Nations police officers if the police service opts into the CSPA.
  • As a civilian arm’s-length agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, LECA’s decisions are independent from the Ontario government, the police, and the community.
  • Website: https://leca.ca/

Other Resources

211 Centralized Resource for Services

211 Centralized Resource for Services is a helpline and online database of available community and social services.

Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC)

The Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) represents the collective interests of 29 Friendship Centres in cities and towns across the province.  Friendship Centres are places for community members and Indigenous people living in urban spaces to gather, connect with one another and receive culturally based services.

To find out where you can access your local Indigenous Friendship Centre please visit: 

Provincial Youth Outreach Workers Program

The primary goal of the Provincial Youth Outreach Worker Program is to link young people in the community with a worker who can help link them to programs, services and opportunities for healthy development. Youth Outreach Workers meet youth where they are in life and help connect them to services and resources for employment, education, legal needs, housing, health concerns and other needs.

Website: https://www.ontario.ca/document/mccss-service-objectives-child-welfare-protection/services-delivered-youth-outreach-worker