SELF REPRESENTED ASSISTANT
HELPING YOU MEANS HELPING YOURSELF
ABOUT US AND WHY
The Self Represented Assistant was established to provide legal information to self represented litigants in family law proceedings in Ontario courts.
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SELF REPRESENTATION MEANS LEARNING:
THE LAW
THE COURT PROCESS
THE RULES OF COURT
HOW TO DRAFT PLEADINGS
THE RISE OF SELF REPRESENTED LITIGANTS IN FAMILY LAW
On average, about 50-80% of litigants in Ontario family court proceedings are self represented. The two most common factors are the financial inability to afford legal representation and not qualifying for legal aid. Additionally, many self reps feel financially drained and disappointed after exhausting their available resources to fund a lawyer with no end result.
Many self reps report that many court forms are too complex and difficult to complete, have difficulty knowing what form(s) to complete, the legal terms used and the consequences of mistakes that lead to adjournments, wasted court time and resources.
While there are a number of on-line resources available to self reps, some require some level of understanding and knowledge to be utilized effectively. In addition, the greatest weaknesses point to the emphasis on substantive legal information and the absence of information on legal procedure.
The idea of providing a low cost service of "legal information" has the potential to improve the lone road of self representation, restore confidence to one's own case and relieve the stress and pressure of navigating the court system.
LEGAL ADVICE VS LEGAL INFORMATION
Legal advice and legal information are both useful. You may not need advice, just information. And sometimes that information may lead you to obtain legal advice.
Legal advice applies the law, statute, case law and legal principles to a particular situation. It also recommends the course of action that would best suit the situation and what the client wants to achieve. Only lawyers can give legal advice.
Legal information explains the law, the legal system, the court process and procedure in general terms. Said information is not specified to a particular situation.
OUR WORK ETHIC
We pride ourselves by being available when our clients need us so we do not adhere to the standard business model of Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We welcome any general enquiries between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily via e-mail, telephone or text and are always available to our clients outside of that timeframe.