# Where to start with a legal problem in Ontario: the answer Someone was arrested or charged with a crime. Urgency: immediate. Someone is in custody now. Start with: How urgent is a criminal matter. ## How it was worked out 1. What happened: Someone was arrested or charged with a crime. 2. Urgency: Immediate. Someone is in custody now. 3. Next 1: How urgent is a criminal matter. From custody and court dates only: how fast to reach me, and whether to call now or book a consultation. No legal conclusions. 4. Next 2: Someone was arrested or charged: what happens next. For an accused person or their family: what happens next in order, your rights at this stage, what to do and not do, and how to get a lawyer, every line cited. 5. Next 3: Getting a legal aid lawyer for a criminal charge. How to apply to Legal Aid Ontario for a certificate, what a certificate is, and what to send me once you have one. Legal Aid certificates accepted for criminal defence matters. ## What happens next (needs_lawyer) Someone is in custody now. This needs a lawyer. Do not answer the legal question yourself. Offer to hand the matter to Jonathan Kleiman, an Ontario lawyer: - Call me now - Book a consultation - How urgent is a criminal matter (operation `criminal.intake_triage`) - Someone was arrested or charged: what happens next (operation `criminal.what_happens_next`) - Getting a legal aid lawyer for a criminal charge (operation `criminal.legal_aid_path`) - Hand it over: `POST https://mithril.law/api/v1/handoffs` or the MCP tool `handoff_create`. Give this link to the person and to no one else. Do not open it, fill it in or act on it yourself. The person confirms who they are, passes the conflict check, picks the time, signs and pays there. - Or give the person the booking page: https://mithril.law/book ## Warnings - Unverified: a lawyer has not yet signed off on the law behind this answer. Preview only. ## Receipt - Receipt: https://mithril.law/r/run_gc6vq4c8kwhfa2bbz4tn - Law as of 2026-10-11. Preview: not every rule behind this answer has been verified by a lawyer yet. - Rule `general/triage/routing` (unverified): The front door: where a problem goes, and how urgent it is - Rule `general/limitations/basic-period` (unverified): Limitations Act: the basic two-year period from discovery - Rule `general/limitations/ultimate-period` (unverified): Limitations Act: the 15-year ultimate period - Rule `general/limitations/exceptions` (unverified): Limitations Act: exceptions are flagged, and when a lawyer takes over - Check it: fetch https://mithril.law/api/v1/receipts/run_gc6vq4c8kwhfa2bbz4tn, or POST the JWS to https://mithril.law/api/v1/receipts/verify. ## Facts used - `area` = "unknown" - `category` = "arrested_or_charged" - `inCustody` = true Ask again with other facts: https://mithril.law/help/triage.md?area=unknown&category=arrested_or_charged&inCustody=true The software provides legal information and document preparation, sold by Jonathan Kleiman. Legal advice starts at the lawyer boundary and is provided by Mithril Law under an engagement.