• Law Society of Upper Canada
  • The Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) offers public legal information, including How do I find a lawyer or a paralegal?.
  • The Law Society of Upper Canada offers public legal information, including how to find a lawyer. The Law Society of Upper Canada also offers a Lawyer Referral Service that parties can call to get the name of a lawyer who will provide up to one half hour of verbal consultation for free. While the legal consultation is provided at no cost, there is a $6.00 fixed charge for each call to the Referral Service.
  • The Law Society of Upper Canada's Lawyer and Paralegal Directory allows you to search for lawyers and paralegals by name, city or postal code.
  • LSUC's Client Service Centre can help if you are looking for information about whether a lawyer is still practising, and in what area of the law, or if you are looking for a certain lawyer's files (e.g. if you are looking for a will and the lawyer who prepared it has retired).
• Child Advocacy Project
  • The Child Advocacy Project provides free legal services, in certain areas (for example school disputes), to eligible families who cannot afford a lawyer. More…
  • It is a free service of Pro Bono Law Ontario.
• More...

A lawyer is in the best position to advise you about your legal rights and responsibilities. Court staff cannot provide you with any legal advice. They also cannot fill out forms for you. More…

• Legal Aid Ontario
  • Legal Aid is available to low-income individuals. If you qualify, you may be entitled to a certificate from Legal Aid to help you pay the costs of a lawyer. Legal aid is available for a variety of legal problems, including criminal matters, family disputes, immigration and refugee hearings and poverty law issues such as landlord/tenant disputes, disability support and family benefits payments. More…
  • Frequently asked questions about legal aid.
• Pro Bono Law Ontario
  • A charitable organization that promotes access to justice in Ontario by creating and promoting opportunities for lawyers to provide pro bono (free) legal services to persons of limited means. More…
• Law Help Ontario
  • Provides court-based, self-help centres for people representing themselves in court (self-represented litigants) who can't afford a lawyer. More…
  • The site includes an interactive and user-friendly system for low-income users who need help creating legal forms and understanding legal information.
• Appeals Assistance Project
  • Relies on a roster of qualified volunteer lawyers who represent litigants in appeal cases. More…
• More...

• Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO)
  • CLEO is a community legal clinic dedicated to providing low-income and disadvantaged people in Ontario with the legal information they need to understand and exercise their legal rights. More…
  • CLEONet has resources, news and events produced and submitted by community organizations and legal clinics across Ontario.
  • CLEONet also offers over a thousand resources produced by organizations across Ontario on legal topics affecting low-income and disadvantaged communities.
• Legal Line
  • Legal Line provides free legal information to Canadians through its website, telephone and fax-on-demand systems. 1,000 topics are covered in 35 areas of law. More…
• Human Rights Legal Support Centre
  • Provides legal help to people in communities across Ontario who believe they have been discriminated against, and may want to file an application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. More…
• Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN)
  • OJEN promotes understanding, education and openness in the justice system.

Whether you are an accused, a surety or counsel, there are many ways to request interpretation services in Ontario's courts.

Section 14 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the right to the assistance of an interpreter for people who don't understand or speak English or French. The Ministry of the Attorney General's Court Services Division provides court interpretation services in:

• Any language required in criminal and child protection matters
• Any language in civil, family and Small Claims Court matters, if the litigant has been given a fee waiver certificate
• French in all civil, family and Small Claims Court matters
• Sign language in all Small Claims Court matters, and
• Any language when it is ordered by the court.

To make sure that interpretation services are available when you need them, you should ask for an interpreter as soon as you know you will need one. Requesting an interpreter ahead of time allows court staff time to make arrangements for the date and time required.

• When requesting an interpreter, you should provide the following information
  • Language of interpretation
  • Who is requesting interpretation services? An accused? A surety? Counsel? (full name needed, ICON number if relevant)
  • Type of appearance [e.g. bail, trial]
  • Date and time interpretation is needed
  • Court location
  • Any other relevant information.
• If you are an accused in a criminal matter:
  • Often, Duty counsel or your lawyer will ask for an interpreter during a first appearance when it is clear that interpretation services will be needed. This will be done on the court record and the court clerk will file the request and forward it to the court office.
  • If Duty counsel or your lawyer does not ask for an interpreter and you know you will need one, alert the judge or justice of the peace, Duty counsel or your lawyer. This should be done on the record.
• If you are a surety in a criminal matter who:
  • Requires an interpreter when appearing in court, you should ask your lawyer to request interpretation services from the court.
  • If going to the courthouse to end your obligation, you should call the court office to ensure that an interpreter will be available for you.
• If you are counsel in a criminal matter:
  • When possible, give court staff as much notice as possible for interpreter requests.
  • Ensure the court clerk has recorded the request to forward to the court office, if you are requesting interpretation services in court.
  • Phone the court office and speak to the Interpreter Coordinator or designated staff to file a request, if you are requesting services prior to a court appearance. Be prepared to give all relevant information to the assignment. You may also be required to fill out a written request.

• e-Laws is a database of Ontario's statutes and regulations, both consolidated and source law. More…

• The Government of Canada's Justice Laws website is your online source for consolidated Acts and regulations of Canada. More…

• CanLII is a non-profit organization managed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. CanLII's goal is to make Canadian law accessible for free on the Internet. More…