Talk to a lawyer or legal worker
Question & Answer
Where can I get help and advice about my rights as a worker?A lawyer or legal worker may be able to:
- help you understand which laws apply to you
- explain your legal rights and responsibilities
- let you know how long a legal process might take
- help you make an agreement with an employer
It’s important to prepare before you speak to a lawyer or legal worker. Think about what questions you need them to answer and have any related documents or information with you.
If you can’t afford to hire a lawyer, here are some other places where you can get legal help.
Law Society Referral Service
The Law Society Referral Service can give you the name of a lawyer or paralegal you can consult with for free, for up to 30 minutes.
When you talk to the lawyer or paralegal, they can help you figure out what your rights are and what options you have.
Use the Law Society’s online request form to get the name of a lawyer or paralegal that you then contact.
The Association of French-Speaking Jurists of Ontario
The Association des juristes d’expression française (AJEFO) has a directory of French-speaking lawyers. You can search the directory by name, city, or area of law. You can also search for a lawyer who accepts legal aid certificates.
JusticeNet
JusticeNet is a program for people with low or moderate incomes. It connects people with lawyers and paralegals who charge lower legal fees.
You can go to their website or call them at 1-866-919-3219 to get names of lawyers or paralegals in your area.
You then call a lawyer or paralegal and ask if they can help you. They’ll ask you for information about your income to figure out if you are eligible.
To be eligible, your net family income must be under $59,000 a year and you must be having financial difficulties.
Pro Bono Ontario
Pro Bono Ontario has a legal advice hotline at 1-855-255-7256. You can get up to 30 minutes of free legal advice and help if you’re representing yourself at the Small Claims Court or Superior Court. The hotline is usually available from Monday to Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., and between 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Community legal clinics
There are community legal clinics across Ontario that provide free legal services to people with low incomes.
At these clinics, lawyers, community legal workers, and law students help people with a variety of legal problems, like social assistance, housing, and workers’ rights.
To get help from a clinic:
- your legal issue must be one the clinic deals with
- you must live in the area the clinic serves
- your income and can’t be more than a certain amount
Most legal clinics also give brief advice or what’s called “summary advice”, without asking about your financial situation.
And if your local clinic can’t help you, they may be able to refer you to someone in your community who can.
The first step is to find your local clinic.
Community legal clinics for workers
Some community legal clinics help people only with work-related problems.
Industrial Accident Victims Group of Ontario and Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic (IWC) help injured workers.
Workers’ Health & Safety Legal Clinic helps people who are having health and safety problems at work.
