Legal Aid Ontario Family Duty Counsel Services

The Family Advice Duty Counsel is a service run out of the Family Law Information Centre. The program gives advice and assistance on family law matters for people who are not in court the day they attend the centre . The counsel can provide limited general advice to everyone, and if the person meets the financial guidelines set by Legal Aid Ontario, they may be able to:

• deal with Children’s Aid Society (including Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA) matters, child protection, adoption, and youth justice)
• figure out or change decision-making responsibility (formerly custody), support, or parenting time/contact (formerly access)
• resolve a family matter outside of court through mediation or a negotiated settlement.
• prepare court documents and provide court representation
• obtain a restraining order in cases of domestic violence