Plain-language legal guides for Ontario.
Short, practical explainers written by Civitas Law. Everything below is general information, not legal advice for your specific situation. Book a consultation for that.
Criminal Defence
View practice area →The Toronto Bail Program: how bail supervision works
What the Toronto Bail Program does, who it is for, how the court admits someone to it and what supervision involves.
Read the guide →Criminal DefenceBail reform in Canada and Ontario in 2026: what changed
The federal Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, Ontario's cash deposit rule and the 2026 bail court practice direction, explained for accused people and families.
Read the guide →Criminal DefenceDo you get bail money back in Ontario?
How pledges and cash deposits work in Ontario bail, when money is returned or forfeited, and where Ontario's 2026 cash deposit rule stands.
Read the guide →Criminal DefenceImpaired driving penalties in Ontario: what happens after a charge
Roadside suspensions, the 90-day administrative suspension, Criminal Code minimum fines and the licence rules after a conviction in Ontario.
Read the guide →Criminal DefenceShow cause hearing in Ontario: what happens at a bail hearing
What a show cause hearing is, who has to prove what, how reverse onus works after the 2026 reforms, and what families should prepare.
Read the guide →Family Law
View practice area →Separation agreement in Ontario: what to include
What a valid Ontario separation agreement needs, what it should cover, and the mistakes that let a court set it aside.
Read the guide →Family LawHow is child support calculated in Ontario?
The table amount, special and extraordinary expenses, shared and split parenting, and how income is decided under Ontario's child support guidelines.
Read the guide →Immigration
View practice area →Ontario PNP in 2026: the new Workforce Priority stream vs Express Entry
Ontario replaced eight OINP streams with one employer-driven stream in 2026. Here is who qualifies and how it compares with federal Express Entry.
Read the guide →ImmigrationSpousal sponsorship in Canada: eligibility, fees and common delays
Who can sponsor a spouse or partner, inland or outland applications, current government fees and the most common causes of delay.
Read the guide →Personal Injury
View practice area →Accident benefits denied in Ontario? How to challenge it
Why accident benefits are denied, what to do first, how disputes go to the Licence Appeal Tribunal and the deadlines that apply.
Read the guide →Personal InjuryWhat to do after a car accident in Toronto: a step by step guide
What to do at the scene, when to report, the deadlines for accident benefits and injury claims, and what changed in Ontario auto insurance on July 1, 2026.
Read the guide →Employment
View practice area →Wrongful dismissal vs termination for cause in Ontario
What just cause really means, how it differs from ESA wilful misconduct, constructive dismissal and what a wrongful dismissal claim can recover.
Read the guide →EmploymentSeverance pay in Ontario: what you are owed and what to check before you sign
ESA minimums, common law reasonable notice, termination clauses and the checklist to run before you sign a severance package in Ontario.
Read the guide →Real Estate
View practice area →Closing costs in Ontario: a guide for first-time home buyers
Every cost you pay on closing a home purchase in Ontario, from land transfer tax and legal fees to adjustments and the tax on mortgage insurance.
Read the guide →Real EstateToronto land transfer tax in 2026: how much will you pay?
Ontario and Toronto land transfer tax rates for 2026, the new Toronto luxury brackets, worked examples and first-time buyer rebates.
Read the guide →Business Law
View practice area →Shareholder agreements for small businesses in Ontario: what to include
The terms every Ontario small business shareholder agreement should cover, from decision making and share transfers to buy-sell triggers and deadlock.
Read the guide →Business LawFederal vs provincial incorporation in Ontario: CBCA or OBCA?
How federal (CBCA) and Ontario (OBCA) incorporation compare on name protection, director residency, filings and transparency registers.
Read the guide →Wills & Estates
View practice area →Power of attorney in Ontario: property vs personal care
The difference between a continuing power of attorney for property and a power of attorney for personal care in Ontario, and how to sign them correctly.
Read the guide →Wills & EstatesWhat happens if you die without a will in Ontario?
Who inherits under Ontario's intestacy rules, the $350,000 share for a married spouse, common-law partners and appointing an estate trustee.
Read the guide →Civil Litigation
View practice area →Demand letters in Ontario: do they work before you sue?
What a demand letter should say, when a lawyer's letter helps, the line it must not cross and how it fits with Ontario limitation periods.
Read the guide →Civil LitigationSmall Claims Court in Ontario: the $50,000 limit and when to use Superior Court
The Small Claims Court limit in Ontario, where the Toronto court is, how costs work, and when a claim belongs in the Superior Court of Justice.
Read the guide →Get straightforward legal advice from a Toronto lawyer.
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