Ottawa, October 23^rd, 2019 – The Ontario Legal Information Centre (the “Centre”) celebrated an important milestone when it served its 10,000^th individual. The Centre opened in 2015 to meet the growing need of individuals seeking legal information in the province. The Centre’s services are now more essential than ever!

A unique and valuable resource in Ontario

Since January 15^th, 2015, the Centre offers a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer to anyone facing a legal issue in Ontario. The Centre is one of a kind in Ontario: its services are free, offered in all areas of the law in both French and in English, and there are no admissibility criteria.

Thanks to its network of partners throughout the province, the Centre helps individuals navigate the legal system and discover pertinent resources across the province to resolve their legal issue.

Over the past six months, family law has been the most sought out area of law by people who have come to the Centre. Amongst the people that used the Centre’s services, 97% were not represented by a lawyer.

“Legal issues are on the rise, and the legal system is complex and difficult to navigate. In four short years, the Centre has become a central resource for individual having to navigate the legal system. The need for legal services such as the ones offered at the Ontario Legal Information Centre is so great that we have seen a steady increase in individuals seeking legal help. We hope to continue to make a difference by helping as many people as possible throughout the province to resolve their legal questions,” indicates Ms. Andrée-Anne Martel, Executive Director of the Centre.

Overview of statistics for the last 6 months (March to August 2019)

• 35% of individuals served live outside of Ottawa
• 29% were francophones
• 48% of individuals served had a yearly income below $30,000
• Most popular areas of law: family, civil, landlord and tenant, estate, and immigration
• 97% of individuals were not represented by a lawyer

The Centre offers a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer to anyone facing a legal issue. The lawyer provides legal information and steers Ontarians towards the appropriate local and provincial resources. Information, referral and support services are offered in English and French, in person or by telephone, on a confidential basis.

The Ontario Legal Information Centre is an initiative of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO). The AJEFO would like to thank the Department of Justice Canada for its financial support by means of the Action Plan for Official Languages – 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future. The AJEFO also acknowledges the financial support of The Law Foundation of Ontario.

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For more information:

Ms. Charlotte Calen, Communications Manager
Centre d’information juridique de l’Ontario | Ontario Legal Information Centre
613-842-7462, ext. 229 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
@InfoJuridiqueON |@LegalInfoON