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

Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY) gives free legal help to children and youth in Ontario. JFCY serves

• children under age 18
• youth under age 25 who are experiencing homelessness
• youth under age 25 who arrived in Canada as children and who have issues with their immigration status
• parents of children with immigration issues that need to be registered for school
• people and community groups who work with young people

JFCY provides services in many areas of children’s law. For example, youth criminal justice, education, mental health, human rights, provincial offences, and immigration.

JFCY offers 30 minutes of free legal advice over the phone. They may be able to give you more help or refer you to another organization, depending on your situation.

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 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.