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Programs and services across Ontario - Partner abuse
Programs and services across Ontario - Partner abuse
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) - Domestic violence services
Contact Information
LAO offers 2 hours of free advice with a lawyer to people who have experienced domestic violence and need immediate legal help. 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.
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) - Restraining order certificates
Contact Information
LAO offers up to 6 hours of free legal help to people who have experienced domestic violence and want a restraining order only. If you want a restraining order and other family law orders, you have to apply for a regular legal aid certificate. Call LAO to find out more.
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
Website
Contact Information
The clinic offers free legal, interpretation, and counselling services to women who are survivors of violence. They offer legal help in the areas of family, criminal, immigration, and refugee law.
Law Society Referral Service
Website
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.
Ontario Legal Information Centre
Website
Contact Information
The 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.
Assaulted Women's Helpline
Website
Contact Information
The helpline is a 24-hour telephone and TTY crisis line for women who have experienced abuse. It helps women in over 200 languages, and offers counselling, support, information, and referrals to legal and community services.
You can call them or text #SAFE (#7233) on a Bell, Rogers, Fido, or Telus mobile phone.
Fem'aide
Website
Contact Information
This helpline is a 24-hour telephone service for Francophone women who have experienced abuse. It gives support, information, and referrals to legal and community services.
Family Law Information Centres (FLIC)
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.
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) - Family law service centres (FLSCs)
Contact Information
There are centres in some family law courts 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.
Distress and Crisis Ontario
Website
Distress and Crisis Ontario has a list of distress centres across the province that help people who are lonely, depressed, or suicidal. The centres are usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Many centres also have programs for survivors of suicide, support services for young people, telephone programs for seniors and vulnerable people, and mental health crisis lines.
ShelterSafe
Website
ShelterSafe.ca is an online resource to help women and their children looking for safety from violence and abuse. Use their clickable map to find the nearest shelter.