Advocacy North for Elders and Seniors is a program run by community legal clinics in Northern Ontario. They offer legal help and advice to elders and seniors who have low incomes and are dealing with legal issues related to their age.  

They offer free and confidential help and advice in these areas: 

• retirement homes and long-term care homes 
• consent and capacity 
• wills and powers of attorney  
• elder abuse  
• consumer rights including scams 

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides a range of services to people suffering from mental health issues. This includes:

• assessment
• brief interventions
• inpatient programs
• day hospital services
• continuing care
• outpatient services
• family support

JFCY is a legal clinic that helps people who are younger than 18. They can give 30 minutes of free legal advice by phone in many areas of law including criminal, education, and human rights.

They can also help people younger than 25 who:

• came to Canada as children and have problems related to immigration status, or
• are homeless

For immigration law issues, contact JFCY’s Childhood Arrivals Support & Advocacy program. Parents can call if they’re having problems registering their child in school because of their immigration status.

If you have a legal aid certificate and are looking for a lawyer who accepts certificates, you can use LAO’s online tool. It lets you look for a lawyer by location, area of law, and language. You can also search for a lawyer with experience in domestic violence cases.

The Law Society of Ontario has an 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 cannot wait for a lawyer or paralegal to call you back, or if you do not have a call-back number, email lsrs@lso.ca. 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.