Glossary
In Criminal Law
The cost of hiring a lawyer privately. A lawyer usually requires a retainer fee to be paid before they begin working on your case.
In Housing Law
A rented place to live where the residents can get at least 2 care services, most of them are at least 65 years old, and there are at least 6 residents (not counting anyone related to the landlord). Retirement homes are considered care homes, and people who pay rent there are tenants. They are also covered by many other rules in a law called the Retirement Homes Act.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Elder abuse, Health and Disability, Long‑term care
In Ontario, retirement homes are licensed, privately owned places where at least 6 people live. These people are not related to the operator or landlord of the home. The residents:
- rent a place to live, and
- pay for care and services to support their daily lives.
Retirement homes do not get money from the government. Residents pay the full cost of their housing and any care services they get from the home. All residents of retirement homes are tenants and have the same rights as tenants living in rental apartments. Retirement homes are regulated by the Retirement Homes Act and the Residential Tenancies Act.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Elder abuse, Health and Disability, Long‑term care
The Retirement Home Regulatory Authority is an independent organization set up by the Ontario government. Its purpose is to license and regulate retirement homes so they comply with the Retirement Homes Act. It has a duty to help protect retirement home residents from being harmed.
In Family Law
Retroactive support is child support or spousal support that you should have received before you started your court case, but did not get.
In Wills and Powers of Attorney
When a will or Power of Attorney is cancelled or revoked, it’s no longer valid. It’s as if you never made it. If you do certain things, your will or Power of Attorney is automatically revoked. For example, your will is revoked if you destroy it. And your Power of Attorney is revoked if you make a Notice of Revocation or a new Power of Attorney.
In Housing Law, Tenant applications to the Landlord and Tenant Board, Settling your case, Hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board , How to apply to the LTB, Issues the LTB can deal with
The Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (RHEU) is a service run by the government of Ontario. The RHEU tries to make sure landlords and tenants follow the law.
In serious situations, the RHEU might hold a formal investigation. If the RHEU charges the landlord or tenant, that person must go to court. The court could order the landlord or tenant to pay a fine.
A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is a special account you can use to save money for your retirement. It is sometimes also called an RSP or Retirement Savings Plan.
You might get some tax benefits by saving money in this type of account. There are also rules you must follow to put money in the account.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Elder abuse, Domestic violence
A safety plan is a list of actions that someone can take to avoid dangerous situations or if they’re in danger.
Safety plans usually include ways for someone to stay safe:
- when they’re in a dangerous, risky, or abusive relationship,
- when they’re planning to leave, and
- after they leave the relationship.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Elder abuse, Debt and Consumer Rights, Scams
Scams and frauds are crimes where people lie, cheat, use someone else’s personal information, or break the law to get money or something for themselves.
Common examples are identity theft, credit card fraud, email and online fraud, and phone and door-to-door sales scams.