How can you spot current or potential civil legal issues?

Clients might not always be aware or know that they’re experiencing a civil legal issue. However, there are certain questions you can ask or observations you can make to help spot the issues.

Observations You Can Make: 

• Is the problem your client is describing a life event?
  • A life event is something big which changes a person’s situation (e.g., stopped receiving government income support, being evicted from their housing, owing someone money, separating from a partner, having a child, losing a job, etc.). If your client is describing these types of events, it might indicate that they’re experiencing a civil legal issue
• Is your client attending the office with legal forms, letters or documents?
  • This might mean they need to take action on something.
• Is your client describing a problem that sounds as if it might be a legal problem? For example:

• • “My landlord told me I have to move out.”
  • “I didn’t receive as much money this month from Ontario Works.”
  • “My boss hasn’t paid me yet for the work I did last month.”
  • “I’m afraid my child might get kicked out of school.”

These observations might indicate that your client is experiencing a civil legal issue.

Questions You Can Ask: 

• Housing Issues
  • If your client is being charged with an offence, did it happen at their home or somewhere within their residential complex?
  • If your client has been incarcerated, do they have a plan for paying rent?
• Income Issues
  • What is your client’s source of income? 
    • If they’re employed, the consequences of their justice involvement, including incarceration, might prevent them from working or being paid. If they are receiving income support from government programs (e.g., OW, ODSP, etc.), incarceration or other consequences of justice involvement might affect their entitlement to these benefits.
• Employment Issues
  • Has your client performed work for which they were not paid?
  • Was your client fired without notice or pay?
• Family Issues
  • How will justice-involvement impact their family life? How has it already?
  • If your client has been incarcerated, do they have a plan for childcare?
• Youth Issues
  • If your client has been charged with an offence, did this offence happen at school?

These circumstances might indicate that your client is experiencing a civil legal issue and might require a referral to legal advice, information or resources.