Legal Assistance

Legal Aid

http://legalaid.on.ca/en/

Contact:

1-800-668-8258 (toll free) Monday - Friday 8am to 5pm

416-979-1446 in the GTA (offers aid in 120 languages)

Program Description

The Ontario Legal Aid program provides the following services:

• telephone advice
• duty council at court
• specialty clinics (tenant rights, immigration, human rights, income law - ODSP, Ontario Works, Pensions, etc)
• student legal services
• family law services
• mental health legal services

For complete information about the Ontario legal aid program: https://legalaid.on.ca/en/getting/typesofhelp.asp

This program also provides dditional services for members of Vulnerable Communities (Aboriginal, Black, African Canadian, Francophone, experiencing domestic violence or from a racialized community).

Eligibility Requirements

You must be financially eligble to qualify for most services, and your legal matter must be one that Legal Aid Ontario covers. For more detailed information about the financial eligibility requirements: https://legalaid.on.ca/en/getting/eligibility.asp

If you have assets, (home or property) or receive a financial settlement you may be asked to repay some or all of the legal aid that you receive.

North Peel and Dufferin Community Legal Services

https://www.northpeeldufferinjustice.ca/

Tel: 905-455-0160

Hours: Mon - Fri from 9 am - 5 pm

Program Description:

• Free legal services for low income residents of Brampton, Caledon & Dufferin County, funding through Legal Aid.
• Telephone translation support available for 200 languages.
• Staff can support with Ontario Works, Canada Pension Plan, Ontario Disability Support Program, Housing Law, Immigration Law, Employment Law.
• Provides information about: Abuse and Family Violence, Criminal Law, Debt and Consumer Rights, Family Law, French Language Rights, Health and Disability, Human Rights, Refugee Law, Lawyers and Paralegals, or Tribunals and Courts.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full range of supports are available to people living on a low income. However, they may be able to provide some summary advice even if your income is higher than our limits, so call them.
• Full financial eligibility requirements can be found at the following link:

https://www.northpeeldufferinjustice.ca/how-we-can-help/financial-eligibility/

Steps to Justice

https://stepstojustice.ca/

Program Description

Provides reliable and practical information about common legal problems. The site also provides Multilingual Legal Information

https://www.cleo.on.ca/en/resources-and-publications/pubs?language=en&field_legal_topic_tid_i18n=104

Eligibility Requirements

Ontario resident

Justice Ontario

https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/justice-ont/index.php

1-866-252-0104 for legal information in over 170 different languages

Program Description

Justice Ontario, your one-stop source for questions about Ontario's legal system, including:

• Finding a lawyer
• Tickets and fines
• Lawsuits and disputes
• Family and criminal law
• Human rights, and
• Wills and Estates

Eligibility Requirements

Ontario Resident

Family Law Information Centres (FLIC)

https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/infoctr.php

Locations in Brampton: 7755 Hurontario Street and 7765 Hurontario Street

Program Description

• FLIC services are available in family courts across Ontario. At the FLIC you can find information about separation and divorce and related family law issues, family justice services, alternative forms of dispute resolution, local community resources and court processes.
• Information and Referral Coordinators (IRCs) are available at designated times to help you understand your needs and to make referrals to appropriate services. IRCs can give you information about family mediation and other ways to solve your issues without going to court.

Eligibility Requirements

Anyone can access FLIC services and speak to a Coordinator.

Bail and Transition Supports

https://johnhoward.on.ca/peel-halton-dufferin/services/bail-verification-supervision-program/

Program Description

• Supports for students who are in custody and do not have family support to assist them to leave the custody situation.
• Counselling and supports to reduce recidivism.

Eligibility Requirements

• Persons who are also in custody for offences where continued custody is not mandated, (including youth in the care of CAS).
• Residents of the Peel, Halton, or Dufferin regions.

Mental Health Diversion and Case Management

Canadian Mental Health Association: http://cmhapeeldufferin.ca/programs-services/mental-health-and-justice/

Elizabeth Fry: http://efrypeelhalton.ca/

John Howard Society: https://johnhoward.on.ca/peel-halton-dufferin/services/bail-verification-supervision-program/

Program Description

• There are services and supports for persons with diagnosed mental illness who are in conflict with the law. If the court has been made aware of the illness, the Canadian Mental Health Association provides support. (Families should be made aware of this so that they can make informed decisions about disclosing mental illness diagnoses in order for appropriate services to become involved.)
• Thursdays are the day of the week when Mental Health Diversion cases are dealt with at the Brampton Courthouse and CMHA is involved in these. CMHA will get connected to defendants there and typically an appointment will be booked within 3 weeks, (but the appointment will actually be sometime in the future).

Eligibility Requirements

• Clients must have a mental health condition

Dual Diagnosis Justice Case Management

Program Description

• For persons with developmental disabilities and mental illness, there are also specialized case management supports. Whether or not the person has previously registered with Community Living, families can contact their local Community Living.
• The Community Networks of Specialized Care can also provide Dual Diagnosis Justice Case Management - Community Living agencies can connect families with that option for support.

Eligibility Requirements

• Clients must have a developmental delay.

Surety Information

Information about to help to make an informed decision about whether or not to act in the capacity of a surety, or how to relinquish responsibility for being a surety for someone, can be found at the following links:

• Ministry of the Attorney General https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/sureties.php

• Steps to Justice https://stepstojustice.ca/questions/criminal-law/ive-been-asked-be-surety-what-should-i-know-about-my-rights-and

Punjabi Community Health Services

http://pchs4u.com/

Call: (905) 677-0889

Locations in Brampton and Malton

Program Description:

• Legal Advice is provided at PCHS offices in conjunction with SALCO

Eligibility Requirements:

• Serves anyone who speaks English or any of the South Asian Languages