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Family law problems – Other help

View our “Family Law Resource Guide” with links for those living in our service areas, outlining where to find help with various family law issues. The links below are also found in this printable guide.

Legal advice

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO)

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) provides legal help for family law problems if you are eligible for their services. See their COVID-19 page for temporary changes to services.

LAO provides legal advice, information and referrals over the phone, as well as Legal Aid certificates (if you are financially eligible) that you can take to a private lawyer to represent you (see their lawyer search page to find a lawyer near you who accepts certificates).  They also provide 2 hours of free legal advice for domestic violence survivors (no financial eligibility requirements). See their domestic violence page for details.

As of November 2022, the in-person Family Law Information Centres (FLIC) are now open again (see Belleville flyer for current local hours in Belleville).  These are usually at the courthouse and you can speak to a lawyer in person to get advice about your case.  (See the Cobourg Flyer for Northumberland County residents, effective July 4, 2023).  All FLIC hours/locations are listed in our Family Law Resource Guide.

You may be able to get help with these family law problems if you qualify financially:

  • divorce and separation
  • child custody and access
  • support payment
  • Children’s Aid matters

Queen’s Family Law Clinic

The Queen’s Family Law Clinic is funded by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) in partnership with the Queen’s University Faculty of Law, with additional support from the class of Law’81.  They help people with low income, including some who don’t qualify for assistance from Legal Aid.  They also help self-representing family court litigants. See their website for all the services offered.

Luke’s Place

Luke’s Place offers free legal advice to women in the Durham region but during COVID-19 they are also giving advice to women throughout Ontario through their virtual clinic.

Mediation

You may be eligible for free family law mediation services if you are involved in an ongoing family law case.  More information may be obtained at the Family Law Information Centre (FLIC) on the day you are scheduled for court:

  • Hastings FLIC – 15 Bridge Street West, Main Floor, Belleville
  • Lennox & Addington FLIC – 41 Dundas Street West, 2nd floor, Napanee

Or by contacting:

  • Hastings/Prince Edward County:  Vicky Visca & Associates, 1-855-275-6328 or 613-969-9949
  • Lennox & Addington:  Thompson Mediation, 613-540-3444

You may also get off-site mediation services for a cost.  Your fee is calculated on a sliding scale.

Find a mediator near you.

Private bar lawyers

  • Law Society Referral Service offers a free 30-minute consultation with a lawyer.
  • Justice Net is a not-for-profit service offering legal services for reduced fees if your income is too high for legal aid and too low to afford standard legal fees. Call to see if there is a lawyer in your area.
  • Ontario’s Family Law Limited Scope Services Project has a directory of lawyers who provide unbundled legal services and may be able to provide specific services you need.

Representing Yourself

Steps to Justice Family Law Guided Pathways offers step by step, detailed information on filling out many family law forms.

Ontario Court of Justice offers a guide to Representing Yourself at Your Family Law Trial.

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP) offers many resources and guides for self-represented litigants in family or civil court.  See their COVID-19 resources for self-represented litigants.

The Canadian Judicial Council has 3 handbooks (family, civil and criminal law) intended as helpful guides for people who are navigating the justice system without a lawyer to prepare and present their legal case.

Pro Bono Ontario offers assistance to some self-represented litigants. Call 1-855-255-7256.

Other sources of help

Ontario works offices: Family support unit services

Ontario Works (OW) helps people on OW get and enforce support agreements and/or orders.

Family responsibility office

The Family Responsibility Office helps enforce child and spousal support agreements and orders.

Credit & financial counselling services

Resolve Counselling Services helps with money management, creditor advocacy and debt management. They also provide a Family Court Support Worker in the Napanee area.

Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) offices

Your MPP can help with Family Responsibility Office matters.  See our MP/MPP page for the MPPs in our service area.

Supervised access services

These organizations provide a safe place for supervised visits and exchanges.

Compensation for costs for victims of violent crime

The Victim Quick Response Program + (VQRP+) offers some financial help to individuals seeking compensation for costs that result from being a victim of crime in Ontario.  In Hastings, Prince Edward or Lennox & Addington Counties, or Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, contact Victim Services at https://www.victimserviceshpela.com/ (or call 1-866-680-9972) or Indigenous Victim Services at http://mbq-tmt.org/social-services/indigenous-victim-services/ (or call 613-438-3517).  After hours call 1-343-363-0318.

Domestic violence support

See our Domestic violence emergencies page or our Family Law Resource Guides for a list of local shelters and help for victims of domestic violence.

Help for the Deaf

The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) can schedule an interpreter and/or Communication Access RealTime Translation (CART) services for court dates and /or meetings with a lawyer. They also provide support counsellors.