4. Get legal help
Question & Answer
Do I need a Power of Attorney for Personal Care?Many people make a , Power of Attorney for Property, and a will at the same time.
You can name the same person or people as your attorney for personal care, attorney for property, and or executor of your will. But you need a separate document for each.
Talk to an estates lawyer for legal advice or help.
If you have a low income, some community legal clinics may be able to give you free legal advice about your Powers of Attorney.
See here for a list of legal clinics that help with wills and Powers of Attorney.
If you have a low income and live in the Kingston area, you may be able to get help from the Queen's University Elder Law Clinic. Or, if you have a low income and live in Windsor and Essex County, you might be able to get help from the University of Windsor's Community Legal Aid.
If you live in Northern Ontario and have a low income, you might be able to get help from Advocacy North for Elders and Seniors.
The 519 Legal Advice Clinic provides advice on wills and Powers of Attorney for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
The Law Society Referral Service can give you the name of a lawyer who you can talk to for up to 30 minutes for free.
Pro Bono Ontario's free legal advice hotline can give you up to 30 minutes of free legal advice about creating Powers of Attorney. Call 1-855-255-7256.
The Ontario Legal Information Centre can give you up to 30 minutes with a lawyer over the telephone or in person. Call 1-844-343-7462 to speak with a lawyer about Powers of Attorney in English or French. You may have to leave a message.
If you're not eligible to get help from a community legal clinic and cannot afford to hire a lawyer, there are services such as Axess Law that offer legal services at lower rates.
JusticeNet is a not-for-profit organization that can help people find legal services when their income is too high for legal aid and too low to afford legal fees. Their website has a list of lawyers, paralegals, and mediators who charge reduced fees based on your income and the size of your family. You must register and pay a small fee to use their services.
