Legal Matters
Community Legal Education Association (CLEA)
CLEA is a non-profit organization with a mandate to increase access to justice by increasing knowledge of the law and the legal system. CLEA offers: law phone-in and lawyer referral program, speaker’s bureau and legal information publications, Community Legal Intermediary Training Course and an annual law conference.
www.communitylegal.mb.ca
Grandparent and Family Access
The Grand Relations Strategy was developed to facilitate relationships between grandparents and grandchildren when it is in the a child’s best interest and there are problems within the family on the issue. Services include support groups, information and help.
Phone: 204-945-3277
Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 ext 7236
Law Phone-In and Lawyer Referral Program
The Law Phone-In Line provides legal information over the phone on many types of legal problems and can refer you to a lawyer if necessary. A lawyer on the referral panel will not charge for the first half-hour of consultation. Lawyers for shut-ins will visit ill, disabled or older adults in hospital or at home. You will be asked to leave your name and number on the answering machine and a lawyer on staff will return your call at a time convenient for you.
Ph: 204-943-2305
Email: info@communitylegal.mb.ca
Legal Aid Manitoba
Legal Aid Manitoba provides legal help to people with low incomes (bilingual services available). They can help with: family cases, criminal cases, poverty law cases involving welfare, workers compensation or disability benefits, public interest law cases for groups and individuals with test cases in the areas of consumer, poverty environmental, Aboriginal and Charter of Rights and Freedom challenges. They do not help with real estate transactions, wills and estates, adoptions, corporate and commercial matters or civil litigation matters.
www.legalaid.mb.ca
Legal Clinics for Older Adults
In cooperation with Legal Aid Manitoba, professional lawyers provide services on issues such as wills, powers of attorney and other concerns that need a legal consultation. Services cost $50 each and are available to Winnipeggers 55+ regardless of income.
www.ageopportunity.mb.ca
Legal Help Centre
The Legal Help Centre is a non-profit community organization helping disadvantaged members of our community access and exercise their legal and social rights. Services include: information about the law and legal processes in Manitoba, plain language educational workshops on legal topics, help finding organizations and agencies, legal help from law students working under the supervision of a lawyer (for those who qualify), 45 minute consultation with a lawyer for free legal advice (for those who qualify).
www.legalhelpcentre.ca
Legal Information Guide for Seniors
The Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat (SHAS) publishes a Legal Information Guide for Seniors. It has information on wills, power of attorney and health care directives. For a copy visit their website:
www.gov.mb.ca/shas
Ombudsman
The Ombudsman will investigate complaints about administrative acts, decisions or omissions by departments and agencies of the Manitoba and municipal governments under The Ombudsman Act. The Ombudsman will also review compliance with the access to information and protection of privacy rights under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and The Personal Health Information Act.
www.ombudsman.mb.ca
Mediation Services
Mediation Services promotes peace and restorative justice within the community. Services include: education on how to resolve conflict using non-violent conflict resolution, including workshops, mediation by experienced, impartial person who helps people in defining the issues in the dispute and uses a problem-solving process to arrive at an acceptable outcome for all parties.
www.mediationserviceswpg.ca
Trustee Services
Public Trustee
The Public Trustee is both a person and a branch of Manitoba Justice that provides trustee services, for a fee. It helps Manitobans who are in situations where no one else is capable, suitable or willing to do so. Services include: acting as committee or substitute decision maker of last resort for people who are not mentally capable of managing their own affairs, and who do not have anyone willing, able of suitable to manage for them, accept Powers of Attorney from competent but vulnerable adults who have no one else willing, suitable or able to act as attorney and who wish the Public Trustee to act in that capacity, administer estates of people who died in Manitoba with no one else capable or willing to act as personal representative and administer trust money for people under the age of 18 years of age.
www.gov.mb.ca/publictrustee
Identification
Baptism Certificates
The church where you were baptized can supply you with a baptism certificate. If you do not know the specific church, write the central office of your religious denomination in that city. They may have duplicate records.
Passport Canada
A passport is often required for travel outside of Canada. For more information, contact Passport Canada (Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time).
www.passportcanada.gc.ca
Social Insurance Number
Social insurance numbers or cards can be obtained from Service Canada. Social Insurance Numbers are required if you work and many government applications ask for a social insurance number. Applications are done in-person at Service Canada Centres across Manitoba or by mail for those who live in remote regions. Paper applications can be downloaded from the Service Canada website in these situations. Effective April 1, 2014, plastic cards will no longer be produced.
www.servicecanada.gc.ca
Vital Statistics – Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency issues certificates only for births, deaths and marriages that occurred in Manitoba. All application forms can be downloaded from:
www.vitalstats.gov.mb.ca
