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Programs and services across Ontario - Child support
Programs and services across Ontario - Child support
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LAO has services for people with low incomes who have family law problems. This includes:
- family duty counsel who can give you free legal advice if you don’t have a lawyer on the day of your hearing
- a free telephone line that lets you talk to a lawyer for up to 20 minutes to get information and general advice
- a legal aid certificate program if you have a low income and if your legal issue is one that LAO covers
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If you get a legal aid certificate, this means that LAO pays a lawyer to work for you. To get a certificate you must show that you have a low income by giving information about your income, property, and savings.
And, your legal issue must be one that LAO covers. You may get a certificate for some legal issues about:
- domestic violence
- family law
- criminal law
- immigration law
- refugee law
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Family duty counsel give free legal advice to people who don’t have a lawyer on the day of their hearing and who have a low income. Family duty counsel are paid for by LAO and are at every family law court.
They can't represent you at a trial, but they can:
- give legal advice and information about the court process
- help work out an agreement
- review and help prepare court documents
- help in the courtroom for certain things like asking for your case to be postponed, and at child protection hearings and hearings related to child and spousal support
- help in hearings before a trial for issues like custody, access, child protection, or support, when the issues are not complicated
- make referrals to other sources of help, such as mediation or finding your own lawyer
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The FRO collects, distributes, and enforces child and spousal support payments in court orders and other domestic contracts filed with the court. It collects money directly from the person who has to pay and pays it to the person who is supposed to get the support.
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During the COVID-19 situation, family mediation services are being provided remotely.
Family mediation services are available at family court locations in Ontario. Even if you don't have a court case, you can get up to 8 hours of mediation for a fee based on your income. If you have a court case, you can get up to 2 hours of mediation for free at court.
You don't need to be referred to mediation by a judge. Mediation is a voluntary process that all parties must agree to use, to try and resolve issues such as:
- how and when to separate
- custody and access
- child support
- spousal support
- dividing property
For more information, go to the Family Law Information Centre at the courthouse and speak with the Information and Referral Coordinator.
FLIC’s are available in every court in Ontario that deals with family law. All have free pamphlets. Many have staff who can:
- tell you about community and legal services
- explain the court process
- tell you about ways to solve legal issues without going to court
Some FLICs have advice lawyers at certain times. These are lawyers paid by Legal Aid Ontario to answer questions, give general legal advice, and review legal documents on family law issues.
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There are family law service centres that help people who have a low income. The legal professionals at the centres give information, and help with custody, access, child support, and domestic violence. They can’t represent you in court, but they can help with court documents, support orders, and procedural motions.
Check the list of centres to see where they are and when they are open.
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The Law Society of Ontario has on online Law Society Referral Service that gives you the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will give free legal advice for up to 30 minutes in any area of law.
If you can’t wait for a legal representative to call you back, or if you don’t have a call-back number, email lsrs@lso.ca. Or, if you’re in crisis or in custody, call 1-855-947-5255 or 416-947-5255, Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Website
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The Ontario Legal Information Centre offers a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer to anyone in Ontario by telephone or in person at their Ottawa office in any area of law in English or French. You may have to leave a message, and a lawyer will call you back.
The directory lists all lawyers and paralegals licensed to give legal services in Ontario. You can search by name, address or postal code, language, and area of law. You can also search for services offered in French and for unbundled services.
Website
The website has a directory of family law lawyers that provide unbundled services. You can search by location, name, and language.
Unbundled services can also be called limited scope services, unbundled legal services, or legal coaching.This means you pay a lawyer to help you with part of your case, for example:
- Legal advice: meeting with a lawyer to get advice on what your legal options are
- Preparing documents: a lawyer prepares your documents, for example, a court application or a separation agreement
- Appearances: a lawyer represents you in legal situations, for example, at a court hearing, or at a case conference
- Coaching: a lawyer guides you through the court process, or explains how to submit evidence
Website
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JusticeNet helps people find a legal professional if their income is too high to get legal aid but too low to afford legal fees. If your net family income is less than $59,000, they refer you to an online directory of lawyers, paralegals, and mediators who provide help at reduced rates.
JusticeNet is a non-profit organization. You must register and pay a $25 fee to use their website. They may return the fee if you don’t find a professional to work with.