Access to justice is essential for all, and Blakes is keen to advocate for those who may not otherwise be able to access expert legal advice.
The lawyers at Blakes provide essential help to people with legal problems that interfere with their ability to lead secure, healthy and productive lives. We are proud to partner with Blakes and look forward to welcoming even more volunteers in 2025!
Pro Bono Ontario: Free Legal Advice Hotline
Whether it’s to understand a lease agreement, navigate an employment issue or know our rights as consumers, nearly all of us will need to access legal help at some point in our lives. However, where to start and who to call can be confusing and overwhelming. Additionally, many people face barriers to accessing legal assistance.
Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) works to bridge the access gap by serving low-income and vulnerable individuals who need help with everyday legal problems. Through its Free Legal Advice Hotline, PBO connects volunteer lawyers with individuals and charities who cannot afford legal services, including everyday civil law (non-family) matters. The hotline provides individuals and charities with up to 30 minutes of free legal advice and assistance.
A Cause Close to Blakes
Blakes has volunteered with PBO projects for many years and has provided services through the hotline since its inception.
“The hotline is an excellent program, especially regarding efficiency and continuity of service for clients,” says Blakes lawyer Anna Abbott, a Partner in the Firm’s Employment & Labour group.
Anna has volunteered with PBO since she was a summer student. She explains that the hotline’s accessible intake system gives clients continuity of service on their case if they need ongoing support after an initial call. The client’s matter advances with each interaction with a lawyer, reducing any duplication of work. Lawyers who volunteer on the hotline are able to identify the areas where they want to help people and are supported by staff, technology and knowledge resources to help them fill any gaps in their knowledge.
“Access to justice is essential for all, and Blakes is keen to advocate for those who may not otherwise be able to access expert legal advice,” Anna says.
In a civil law system that can be difficult to navigate for individuals who do not regularly work within it, she finds fulfillment in providing advice and guidance to people seeking remedies or addressing claims.
“It is very rewarding to know that you have helped ease some of the anxiety for an individual who is faced with a difficult legal situation, or who has no idea where to seek help. Sometimes it is as simple as navigating a government website to find a form or the correct phone number to help an individual access services. A small amount of assistance can be invaluable to hotline clients,” Anna says.
PBO’s Kirsti McHenry adds, “We sometimes hear that lawyers are afraid to volunteer and are worried they won’t know the answers to the questions people ask. I think people are usually surprised by how much they know. As lawyers — even new lawyers! — we have absorbed so much knowledge about how the law works. A lot of questions can be answered easily with PBO’s knowledge resources.”
Our Firm Managing Partner, Bryson Stokes, shares Anna’s sentiments and has served on PBO’s Board of Directors.
Meeting Growing Demand
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotline adapted to provide services remotely instead of from its physical call centre. The pandemic had a major impact on low-income and marginalized populations in Ontario, creating a surge in demand for legal advice — most notably on housing and employment issues.
Volunteer lawyers used to answer 14,000 calls per year. That number more than doubled in 2020 and has hit 30,000 calls each year since.
“Ontarians have had an especially difficult few years, first with the pandemic and now with inflation, the rising cost of living and the housing crisis,” said Kirsti McHenry, PBO’s Executive Director. “These challenges have highlighted how vulnerable low-income people are to external stressors like world events and government regulatory changes.”
The need for assistance with housing issues remains high. PBO also notes a growing trend of consumer fraud victims going to court on their own.
Blakes Associate and hotline volunteer Jake Harris regularly hears from his pro bono clients that judges, court staff and other lawyers recommended the hotline as a source of legal advice. To him, these are reminders of the importance of this service.
A restructuring and insolvency lawyer, Jake views his pro bono work as part of a continuing commitment to building a more equitable justice system. In 2024, he and seven other Blakes lawyers were recognized on PBO’s honour roll for volunteers who contributed at least 50 hours to the hotline. In total, 65 Blakes lawyers advised hotline clients on more than 1,000 cases that year.
"As lawyers, it is our duty to give back to the people and communities in our province, and there are few more rewarding ways to do so than through the PBO hotline,” Jake says. “For me, it is particularly satisfying to help clients on the hotline who would otherwise be forced out of the justice system entirely.”
