Services in Ontario
Leaving your partner
Legal aid clinics
Legal Aid Ontario funds legal clinics across Ontario to provide free legal services to people with low incomes.
Community legal clinics serve people who live in their area. Some community legal clinics help with immigration and refugee problems. Search online for the clinic in your area using your postal code.
Speciality legal clinics provide services to specific groups of people. The following specialty clinics offer immigration help to the groups they serve:
- Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples
- South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
- Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
- Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto
- HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
- Justice for Children and Youth
These law school clinics help people in Toronto with some refugee and immigration issues:
Website
legalaid.on.ca/services/legal-clinicsContact Information
Phone: 416-979-1446 Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258 TTY: 711Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY)
JFCY is a legal clinic that provides services to people in Ontario who are younger than 18 years. JFCY can give 30 minutes of free legal advice by phone in many areas of law including criminal, education, immigration, and human rights.
They can also help people in Ontario younger than 25 years who are homeless.
Childhood Arrivals Support and Advocacy Centre of Canada (CASA)
CASA helps people who came to Canada as a child or youth with their immigration law issues. CASA offers legal advice, representation, information, and referrals to those who:
- are under the age of 25
- live in Ontario
- arrived in Canada as a child or youth
- do not have immigration status or have temporary immigration status in Canada
- have no income or a low income
Email CASA to schedule an appointment at: info@casacentre.ca.
Website
casacentre.ca/Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) – Domestic violence services
LAO offers 2 hours of free advice with a lawyer to people who have experienced domestic violence and need immediate legal help. You can get legal advice about family law, refugee and immigration law, or both. Ask your local shelter or community legal clinic if they offer this service or call LAO to find out more.
LAO might also pay for a lawyer to help you if you’ve been charged with assault while trying to defend yourself against your abusive partner.
Website
legalaid.on.ca/services/domestic-abuseContact Information
Phone: 416-979-1446 Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258 TTY: 711Muslim Legal Support Centre
The Muslim Legal Support Centre (MLSC) is a legal clinic for Muslims who have low to modest incomes. MLSC offers free legal advice and other services in these areas:
- immigration
- family
- employment
- human rights
- housing
- criminal
To ask for legal help, you can complete MLSC’s intake form. Or you can call 416-350-2914 and leave a message for someone to call you back. MLSC also has free legal information sessions.
ABLE2 – Reach Legal Referral Services
If you live in the Ottawa or Champlain region and have a disability, ABLE2’s Reach Legal Referral Services may be able to help. They can refer you to a lawyer or paralegal for up to 3 hours of free legal advice in any area of law. But they cannot help with urgent legal issues.
If ABLE2 cannot help, they may refer you to community resources.
Book a meeting online, or call 613-761-9522 extension 452 or 453. You can also email reachlegalreferral@able2.org.
Website
able2.org/programs/reach-legal-servicesContact Information
Phone: 613-761-9522 extension 452 or 453