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Programs and services across Ontario - Partner abuse
Programs and services across Ontario - Partner abuse
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Family Court Support Workers help people who have experienced domestic violence and are involved in the family court process. Their services are free of charge and are available in every family court in Ontario.
They don’t give legal advice, but they can do things like:
- give information about the family court process
- help you get ready for court
- refer you to other community services and supports
- help with safety planning, such as getting to and from court safely
Services are confidential, and are available in English, French, and other languages if you ask for it.
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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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.
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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.