News Canada - Self-help service makes it easier to navigate the justice system

(NC)—In recent years, the number of people who cannot afford representation in Ontario's civil courts has risen alarmingly. In 2007, a Toronto-based charity (Pro Bono Law Ontario) responded by launching a facilitated self-help clinic called Law Help Ontario. The aim is to help improve access to justice and tackle the challenge of a court system mired in cases led by unrepresented litigants with civil, non-family matters who do not qualify for legal aid, yet can't afford the cost of a lawyer. There are currently two projects in Toronto – one that runs Tuesdays and Thursdays at Small Claims Court at 47 Sheppard and the other, Monday to Friday, at the Superior Court of Justice at 393 University.

Not surprisingly, these projects have provided insight into the kinds of challenges that unrepresented litigants face when they go to court on their own. Depending on the litigant and the case, they range from not understanding the substantive law being litigated or how to conduct effective cross-examinations, to not knowing how to properly format the back pages and fax cover sheets that they must submit to the court.

Law Help Ontario was designed specifically to address these barriers offering a range of services such as help understanding procedures, using a computerized program that creates court forms, or meeting for free with a volunteer lawyer. The services are client-centered and goal-oriented; they help litigants navigate their way through the justice system and help move them from one stage of litigation to the next.

Pro Bono Law Ontario hopes to get additional funding in the future to bring the self-help centre model to other major centres such as Ottawa, London and Windsor. In the meantime, the Law Help Ontario website provides online resources that are being added to on a regular basis. Resources include printable self-help guides, help videos, a live “chat” feature that can direct people to information and resources in real time, and some online court forms. More information is available online at www.lawhelpontario.org.

Editors, this article is for use in Ontario only

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