Services in Ontario - Marriage and common‑law relationships

ServiceOntario is a central place to find out about services provided by the Ontario government. For example, with ServiceOntario, you can:

• apply for or renew a health card
• register your child’s birth
• change your name
• apply for a marriage certificate or birth certificate
• apply for a driver’s licence and renew a license or plate sticker

If you were adopted in Ontario or your child was placed for adoption, you might be able to get information from your birth and adoption records through ServiceOntario.

Use their Service Finder to see if the service you need is offered online or if you need to go to a ServiceOntario office.

The Law Society of Ontario has on online Law Society Referral Service that gives you the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who will give free legal advice for up to 30 minutes in any area of law.

If you can’t wait for a legal representative to call you back, or if you don’t have a call-back number, email lsrs@lso.ca. Or, if you’re in crisis or in custody, call 1-855-947-5255 or 416-947-5255, Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Ontario Legal Information Centre offers a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer to anyone in Ontario by telephone or in person at their Ottawa office in any area of law in English or French. You may have to leave a message, and a lawyer will call you back.

The directory lists all lawyers and paralegals licensed to give legal services in Ontario. You can search by name, address or postal code, language, and area of law. You can also search for services offered in French and for unbundled services.

The website has a directory of family law lawyers that provide unbundled services. You can search by location, name, and language.

Unbundled services can also be called limited scope services, unbundled legal services, or legal coaching.This means you pay a lawyer to help you with part of your case, for example: 

• Legal advice: meeting with a lawyer to get advice on what your legal options are
• Preparing documents: a lawyer prepares your documents, for example, a court application or a separation agreement
• Appearances: a lawyer represents you in legal situations, for example, at a court hearing, or at a case conference
• Coaching: a lawyer guides you through the court process, or explains how to submit evidence

The Advice and Settlement Counsel (ASC) provides people who don’t have a lawyer with 1 hour of advice with a lawyer for $200 plus HST. The service can help you:

• prepare for a court attendance, case conference, or motion
• negotiate consents when both parties are present
• give advice about potential settlements, drafting agreements, and court procedures
• give advice on a consent you have negotiated with a Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO) or at mediation, court conference, or motion
• prepare “to do” lists so that you understand what steps need to be taken next

To use the ASC, you can check their calendar to see which lawyers are available. All lawyers spend at least 50% of their practice in family law and have at least 5 years experience. You will also be required to complete a form that confirms your identity, sign a consent, pay the fee, and sign a retainer agreement that explains the service you are getting. You will be charged extra for any time over 1 hour.

JusticeNet helps people find a legal professional if their income is too high to get legal aid but too low to afford legal fees. If your net family income is less than $59,000, they refer you to an online directory of lawyers, paralegals, and mediators who provide help at reduced rates.  

JusticeNet is a non-profit organization. You must register and pay a $25 fee to use their website. They may return the fee if you don’t find a professional to work with.