From Toronto to Thunder Bay, when you're arrested, served with an eviction at the Landlord and Tenant Board, or a child-protection worker shows up at your door, you need answers fast — not a wait until Monday morning. The Legal Hotline is a free legal-information line you can call now: an AI legal assistant trained on Ontario and Canadian law gives you clear, plain-language information any hour, and you can ask as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it won't create a lawyer-client relationship. The guide below explains how Ontario's courts and laws actually work — and a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Ontario is coming soon if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Ontario.
Call our free legal-information line and tell the AI legal assistant what's happening — an impaired-driving arrest in Toronto, an eviction notice in Ottawa, a custody dispute, a child-protection visit — and get clear legal information on how Ontario and Canadian law work and what your options are. Ask as many questions as you like. That's legal information, not legal advice on your specific case, and using the service won't create a lawyer-client relationship — we're not a law firm. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Ontario is coming soon if you decide you want representation. If you've been arrested today, say as little as possible to police, ask to speak to a lawyer, and call Legal Aid Ontario's 24-hour summary advice line at 1-800-668-8258.
Most people assume you're only in trouble if you blow over the criminal limit of 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood. Not in Ontario. If a roadside reading puts you in the 'warn range' — a blood-alcohol concentration between 0.05 and 0.079 — police can immediately suspend your licence under the Highway Traffic Act, even with no criminal charge and no day in court: as of 2026 that's seven days for a first occurrence, rising to 14 and then 30 days for repeats, each with an escalating penalty and a mandatory education or treatment program. At 0.08 or higher, or if you refuse to provide a sample, the roadside suspension jumps to 90 days. These administrative penalties are separate from, and on top of, any criminal prosecution under the Criminal Code. What you say and do at the roadside matters enormously. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how impaired-driving law works here — a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming soon if you need one.
Ontario has a strong network of free and low-cost legal help, but most of it runs on business hours and income tests. These organizations are genuinely useful for civil problems like eviction, income support, and family matters — just know they can be slow and eligibility-gated. The Legal Hotline is designed to be different: instant, free legal information with no income test. We're not live in Ontario yet, but these are real, currently available Ontario resources worth knowing right now.
Wherever you are in Ontario, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:
Is there a free legal hotline in Ontario I can call right now?
Yes — the Legal Hotline is a free legal-information line you can call now. An AI legal assistant gives you clear legal information on Ontario and Canadian law any hour, with no income test, and you can ask as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it won't create a lawyer-client relationship. Other Ontario resources can also help: Legal Aid Ontario (1-800-668-8258) assists financially eligible low-income people, including a 24-hour summary advice line if you've been arrested; CLEO's Steps to Justice website offers free plain-language legal information. A paid consultation with an Ontario-licensed lawyer is coming soon if you want one.
I was just arrested in Ontario. What should I do tonight?
Stay calm, identify yourself if required, and say as little as possible beyond that — then clearly tell police you want to speak to a lawyer and stop talking. Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms you have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay and the right to remain silent, and police must give you a reasonable chance to call a lawyer. Legal Aid Ontario runs a free, 24-hour line for people who are arrested or detained: 1-800-668-8258. You can also call the Legal Hotline now for free legal information on how Ontario criminal process — bail, first appearance, disclosure — works; that's information, not legal advice. A paid consultation with a criminal defence lawyer is coming soon if you want one.
What's the difference between impaired driving and 'over 80' in Ontario?
They're related criminal offences under the federal Criminal Code, and Ontario uses 'impaired driving' or 'over 80', not 'DUI'. 'Impaired' means your ability to drive was affected by alcohol or drugs, proven by how you drove and behaved. 'Over 80' means your blood-alcohol concentration was at or above 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood (0.08) regardless of how you appeared. Separately, Ontario's Highway Traffic Act imposes immediate roadside licence suspensions in the 0.05–0.079 'warn range' and a 90-day suspension at 0.08 or over or for refusing a test — penalties that apply before any conviction. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how this works; a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming soon if you want to fight the charge.
I got an eviction notice in Ontario — how much time do I have?
In Ontario, most residential evictions are decided by the Landlord and Tenant Board, a tribunal, not a court. A landlord must first serve you a written notice (such as an N4 for unpaid rent), and only after the notice period passes can they apply to the Board for a hearing — you cannot be lawfully evicted without a Board order and, ultimately, the Sheriff. Deadlines and the type of notice depend on the reason, so don't ignore the papers and don't move out just because you got a notice. You can call the Legal Hotline now for free legal information on how the eviction process works. CLEO's Steps to Justice also explains it, and your local community legal clinic (through legalaid.on.ca) may represent you for free if you qualify.
A child-protection worker (CAS) is investigating my family in Ontario. Can I get help?
Yes, and you should get advice early. In Ontario, child-protection cases are brought by a Children's Aid Society and heard in court (often the Ontario Court of Justice or the Family Court branch of the Superior Court) on tight timelines, with early hearings that shape what follows. You generally have the right to a lawyer, and Legal Aid Ontario may provide one if you qualify financially — call 1-800-668-8258. You can also call the Legal Hotline now for clear legal information about how the child-protection process works and your rights as a parent — that's information, not advice on your specific case. A paid consultation with a family-law lawyer is coming soon if you want representation.
How long do I have to sue someone in Ontario?
For most civil claims, Ontario's Limitations Act, 2002 sets a basic limitation period of two years from the day you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the claim — not necessarily the day the event happened. There is also an ultimate limitation period of 15 years from the act or omission, regardless of discovery. Some claims have different rules, and missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to sue entirely, so timing is critical. Small Claims Court handles disputes up to $50,000; larger claims go to the Superior Court of Justice. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how limitation periods apply to your situation; a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming soon if you need one.
How is the Legal Hotline different from a lawyer or legal aid?
We're a fast first step, not a law firm. Our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about Ontario and Canadian law instantly when you call — but it does not give legal advice on your specific case, is not a substitute for a licensed lawyer, and using it won't create a lawyer-client relationship. We're also not legal aid. Legal Aid Ontario and community legal clinics offer free representation but screen by income and operate mostly in business hours. A separate paid service — booking a consultation with a lawyer licensed in Ontario — is coming soon. For now, you get clear legal information fast, any hour, with no income test and as many questions as you like.
How do I get a lawyer in Ontario if I can't afford one?
Start with the free and low-cost options. For criminal charges, Legal Aid Ontario (1-800-668-8258) may issue a certificate or provide duty counsel if you qualify financially; tell the court at your first appearance that you're seeking legal aid. For civil and family problems, community legal clinics (through legalaid.on.ca) and CLEO's Steps to Justice can help, and the Law Society Referral Service offers a free 30-minute consultation. If your income is too high for legal aid but too low for standard fees, JusticeNet connects you with lawyers at reduced, sliding-scale rates. The Legal Hotline adds instant, free legal information with no income test — call any time and ask as many questions as you like.
Does the Criminal Code apply the same way across Canada?
Yes. Criminal law in Canada is federal, so the Criminal Code applies the same way in Ontario as it does in every other province and territory — the offences and maximum penalties for things like impaired driving, assault, and theft don't change when you cross a provincial border. What does vary is how cases are administered locally: which court hears them, local police and Crown practices, and provincial penalties layered on top, such as Ontario's Highway Traffic Act licence suspensions for impaired driving. The Legal Hotline's AI legal assistant is trained on both the federal Criminal Code and Ontario's provincial laws, so the information you get when you call reflects how things actually work where you are.
Can the Legal Hotline help me with an immigration or refugee matter in Ontario?
Immigration and refugee law is federal, governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and decided by bodies like Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Board — so the core rules are the same across Canada. Call the Legal Hotline now for clear legal information on permanent residence, work and study permits, refugee claims, detention, and removal — that's information, not legal advice on your case. Legal Aid Ontario also provides immigration and refugee help to those who qualify (1-800-668-8258). A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Ontario is coming soon if you want representation.
Are you licensed in Ontario and ready for new clients? Our free legal-information line is already live across Canada, and we're building a network of Ontario lawyers ahead of launching paid consultations — connecting people in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, and beyond with counsel when they need representation. Register your interest now to receive matched referrals in your practice areas when that service goes live — criminal, family, immigration, employment, civil, and more.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy against current Canadian federal and provincial law. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].
Whether you're in Toronto, Ottawa, the GTA, or a small town in the north, legal trouble doesn't keep business hours. The Legal Hotline gives you free, plain-language legal information on Ontario and Canadian law, available any hour — ask the AI legal assistant as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and we're not a law firm. A paid consultation with an Ontario-licensed lawyer is coming soon if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.