Toronto's legal life runs through a handful of downtown addresses. The new Toronto courthouse at 10 Armoury Street — the largest in Ontario, opened in 2023 — consolidated the city's Ontario Court of Justice criminal work: first appearances, bail and most criminal trials. The Superior Court of Justice sits at 361 University Avenue for criminal and family matters, with its civil and commercial lists nearby on University Avenue and appeals at Osgoode Hall. Small claims — now covering disputes up to $50,000 — are heard at 47 Sheppard Avenue East in North York. Free help exists at every level: duty counsel at the criminal courts each morning, Legal Aid Ontario certificates for those who qualify, a dense network of community legal clinics across the city, and the Law Society's referral service for a first consultation with a private lawyer.
Criminal Law in Toronto
Almost every Toronto criminal charge now starts at the 10 Armoury Street courthouse — first appearance, bail, and for most charges the trial itself — with the most serious matters (murder above all) and many jury trials at the Superior Court on University Avenue. The law is national: the Criminal Code applies identically across Canada, bail runs on the s 515 ladder, and your Charter rights — silence, and free duty counsel by phone at any hour once detained — apply from the first police contact.
The free supports matter in Toronto's enormous daily lists: duty counsel at the courthouse for first appearances and bail, Legal Aid Ontario certificates for those who qualify, and diversion programs that resolve many minor first-time charges without a record. Before any police interview and before any plea, get legal information first — the free line explains the process, the realistic penalties and the exits any hour of the day. Speak to a lawyer about a criminal law matter → Family Law in Toronto
Toronto family matters — divorce, parenting, support, property — run through the Superior Court of Justice's family courts, with 361 University Avenue at the centre of the downtown family lists. The law is the same across Canada on divorce (1 year's separation) and parenting (decision-making responsibility and parenting time, decided on the child's best interests), while property division runs under Ontario's equalization regime — with its 2-years-from-divorce / 6-from-separation deadline that quietly bars late claims.
Mandatory information programs, family mediation services on site, and duty counsel for eligible litigants soften the process. The free line explains which clocks are running in your situation — the equalization deadline above all — and can book a Toronto-focused family consultation (C$295, nothing added) on the call. Speak to a lawyer about a family law matter → Impaired Driving & Traffic in Toronto
Toronto impaired-driving charges are heard in the Ontario Court of Justice at 10 Armoury Street. The law is federal — 80 mg per 100 mL within 2 hours, a $1,000 minimum fine and 1-year minimum driving prohibition on a first offence — and Ontario stacks its own consequences from the roadside: an immediate 90-day licence suspension and 7-day vehicle impoundment, with even warn-range readings (0.05–0.079) drawing a 7-day suspension since 1 January 2026.
For working Torontonians the licence and the insurance are usually the real stakes. The free line explains where your reading lands, the interlock route back, and what the first court date involves, before you decide anything. Speak to a lawyer about a impaired driving & traffic matter → Employment Law in Toronto
Toronto is Canada's biggest employment-law market, and the rules favour informed employees: no at-will employment, ESA minimums (up to 8 weeks' notice plus statutory severance for qualifying long-service employees) that are only the floor, and common-law reasonable notice that routinely runs to months of full compensation. Severance offers pitched at the minimums — with a signing deadline attached — are the city's standard opening move.
Don't sign on the day. The free line explains your province's rules and the 2-year claim clock any hour; a C$295 severance-review consultation with a Canadian employment lawyer is bookable right on the call, and routinely pays for itself many times over. Speak to a lawyer about a employment law matter → Toronto Courts
Where your matter is heard depends on the offence and its seriousness. The courts that serve Toronto are:
Toronto Courthouse (10 Armoury Street)
10 Armoury Street, downtown. The largest courthouse in Ontario — the consolidated home of the city's Ontario Court of Justice criminal work, from first appearances and bail hearings to most criminal trials.
Superior Court of Justice (361 University Avenue)
361 University Avenue. The Superior Court's Toronto home for serious criminal trials and family matters, with civil, commercial and estates lists in the University Avenue precinct and appeals heard at Osgoode Hall.
Small Claims Court (47 Sheppard Avenue East)
47 Sheppard Avenue East, North York. The city's Small Claims Court — money disputes up to $50,000 under the simplified procedure, since the 1 October 2025 limit increase.
What to Do Right Now
1
Check any charge sheet, release paper, summons or court letter for the courthouse named and the date — Toronto matters are split between Armoury Street, University Avenue and Sheppard Avenue, and turning up at the wrong one costs you the morning.
2
Write down what happened while it is fresh — dates, times, what was said, any documents — and keep everything in one folder.
3
Do not guess your plea, contact complainants, or discuss the matter on social media. Decisions made in the first days are the hardest to undo.
4
Call 1-855-529-1555 free, any hour, for plain-English legal information about your situation — and if you want a lawyer, book a C$295 one-hour consultation with a Canadian lawyer (the total, nothing added) right on the call.
Toronto Legal Questions
Which court will my Toronto matter be in?
Your charge sheet, summons or court letter names it. Most Toronto criminal matters start at the 10 Armoury Street courthouse; Superior Court criminal and family matters sit at 361 University Avenue, with civil lists in the same precinct; small claims up to $50,000 are at 47 Sheppard Avenue East. Read the document rather than assuming — the buildings are kilometres apart.
Can I get free legal help in Toronto?
Yes — several kinds. Legal Hotline's information line is free, 24/7, on 1-855-529-1555. Duty counsel helps at criminal first appearances and bail court; Legal Aid Ontario funds representation for those who qualify; Toronto's community legal clinics advise on housing, benefits and employment by neighbourhood and specialty; and anyone detained by police can speak to free duty counsel by phone at any hour.
How do I get a Toronto lawyer quickly?
Call 1-855-529-1555, free, any hour. You get immediate legal information about your situation, and if you want a lawyer, a one-hour consultation with a Canadian lawyer (C$295 — the total, nothing added) can be booked right on the call — no separate forms, no waiting for business hours to start the process.
Are you a Toronto law firm?
No. Legal Hotline is not a law firm — the free line provides general legal information, not legal advice, and calling creates no lawyer-client relationship. When you want advice, we connect you with a Canadian lawyer for a fixed-price consultation. Toronto lawyers who want to receive consultation-ready clients can register through our For Lawyers page.