Your Family Matters

In early 2017 Justice Annemarie E. Bonkalo released a report called "Family Legal Services Review" focusing on improving the family law system in Ontario.

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One of the many suggestions made was to allow Paralegals who are trained in family law to represent clients in certain family law matters.  

Paralegals in Ontario have one goal,  to promote access to justice and help some of the 59% self represented Ontario litigants.  The goal of this site is to educate the public on what Paralegals do and to get feedback from the public about your family law experiences.

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Nothing on this site should be considered legal advice. Contacting this site does not create a client-paralegal relationship.  

Where we can help

SMALL CLAIMS COURT

Small Claims Court is a branch of the Superior Court of Justice that handles civil disputes of $25,000 or less.  These could be contract disputes, wrongful dismissal claims,  neighbor disputes to name a few.

ONTARIO COURT OF JUSTICE

Provincial Offences are generally less serious than criminal offences. Many offences in POA court are Highway Traffic Act matters, but could be from many other types of Provincial Legislation.

SUMMARY CONVICTION OFFENCES

Summary conviction offences are the least serious offences in the Criminal Code. They typically carry a punishment of no more than 6 months of imprisonment and/or a fine up to $5000 dollars.

ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS

Administrative law is the body of rules and principles that regulate how administrative agencies, boards, and commissions must behave when carrying out their statutory powers. The Ontario Parole and Earned Release Board and Ontario’s Social Benefits Tribunal are two examples of quasi-judicial tribunals. Paralegals can also represent clients in the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, which resolves claims of discrimination and harassment under the Human Rights Code.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR)

ADR typically means: negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Mandatory mediation schemes are being established as a part of the civil litigation process.  In each process, paralegals may represent a client and, in mediation and arbitration, paralegals may act as either a mediator or arbitrator.

LANDLORD AND TENANT BOARD

Paralegals can represent both landlords and tenants.  Frequent landlord applications under the Residential Tenancies Act include abandonment, willful or negligent damage), overcrowding , persistent late pay of rent (s. 58) and interference with reasonable enjoyment.