You may have trouble finding a family law lawyer in your community, especially if you have a legal aid certificate.
Tips for finding a lawyer in rural and remote areas:
- Contact Legal Aid Ontario to find out if you are eligible for any of their services. You can get some of this information from the LAO website. You can also talk to someone at LAO by calling 1-800-668-8258.
- Even if you have not yet left your partner, consider meeting with a lawyer to talk through your legal options.
- Once you have met with a lawyer, that lawyer is not permitted to meet with your partner because that would be a conflict of interest.
- If there is a women’s shelter in your area, the staff may be able to suggest lawyers who have expertise with cases involving violence and abuse.
When you meet with a lawyer, find out:
- Whether they practise family law
- Whether they accept legal aid certificates
- What their hourly rate is
- What their retainer is (this is the amount of money you pay the lawyer upfront)
- Whether they can take your case
- What your legal options, rights and responsibilities are
Get more information about working with a lawyer in our Lawyers section.