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Ontario|Children and the LawGeneral 968 What is the Office of the Children's Lawyer? The Office of the Children's Lawyer is a law office in the Ministry of the Attorney General. The Children's lawyer delivers programs in the administration of justice on behalf of children under the age of 18 with respect to their personal and property rights. Lawyers within the office represent children in various areas of law including child custody and access disputes, child protection proceedings, estate matters and civil litigation. Social workers prepare reports for the court in custody/access proceedings and may assist lawyers who are representing children in such matters.
The origin of the Office of the Children's Lawyer in Ontario can be traced back to 1826 when the Lord Chancellor of Upper Canada appointed a leading member of the legal Bar to be guardian of children when they were being sued and to represent their interests in court.
The current Children's Lawyer for the province of Ontario, originally called the Official Guardian, is responsible to the Attorney General for the delivery of legal services on behalf of children in proceedings before courts and tribunals in Ontario.
To learn more about the Office of the Children's Lawyer, call (416) 314-8000, or visit the Ministry of the Attorney General website at www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca. For information about other government offices, refer to other sections of Legal Line .
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