“Every year, she sends me a text message saying: ‘Just wanted to say: Happy Saved-My-Life Day.’”

The first time lawyer Kelly Beale received a text like this from a survivor, she didn’t quite know what to make of it. The survivor explained it was the one-year anniversary of the human trafficking restraining order Beale had obtained for her — protection against her trafficker. She still gets a text every year.

“I didn’t save her life; she saved her own life,” Beale remarks, matter-of-factly.

It’s moments like this that underscore the value of this unique program that only exists in Ontario: free legal help for survivors of human trafficking.

The program began in 2018 as a pilot before eventually being made permanent. Beale, who had previously worked as a Crown attorney, was temporarily reassigned to the initiative. Today, Beale and her colleague Rachelle Pearce act as independent counsel for survivors, often as part of broader wraparound supports.

Beale’s work includes everything from answering legal questions and providing legal advice to representing survivors in court to obtain restraining orders. Survivors of labour trafficking can also access support through the program, though immigration-related matters are referred to specialized organizations.

“It’s a really unique relationship,” Beale explains. “They drive the bus, they make the decisions, they tell me what to do. I don’t persuade or dissuade anyone to do anything.”

Survivors often need help securing restraining orders; later on, they might need support obtaining a legal name change or, if they choose, reporting to police. No matter what, Beale makes it clear that she’s in it for the long haul.

“There’s no time limit. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. And you will always be dealing with me.”

“You don’t seem like a lawyer.”

Beale says she hears this from clients a lot. She recognizes that meeting with a lawyer can be intimidating, especially for survivors who have experienced exploitation, coercion, or systemic harm. She actively looks for ways to break down that power imbalance and earn trust.

“I love it when they look at me as a real person, not just a lawyer,” she explains. “They’ll swear; I’ll swear. They’ll use sarcasm; I’ll use sarcasm.”

Beale also believes humour and silliness can be powerfully disarming. She recalls going to meet a 13-year-old survivor in the basement of a group home while a fight was raging upstairs.

“I said ‘oh my goodness, what on earth is going on here?’ And I remember that client laughing and saying: ‘This is a hell hole.’”

“It kinda feels like it!” Beale replied.

She loves making her clients laugh and smile, especially because she recognizes they may not have many people in their lives creating moments of lightness or joy. She also looks for opportunities to expose clients to positive spaces and experiences.

One time, after scoring free tickets to a play, she reached out to a client who was staying in a shelter.

“I said, ‘hey, are you free tonight?’ And she said, ‘yeah, look, obviously I’m in a shelter’. And I said, ‘okay, do you want to go to a play with me?’”

Because the survivor had nothing to wear, Beale suggested they both attend in sweatpants. The survivor told her she had never seen live theatre before.

“I remember her looking around and saying, ‘Kelly, this is what I want my life to be like. I want to be like these people and live a normal life where I go to plays on Friday nights.’”

Over the years, on her own time, Beale has attended school functions and even helped a survivor plan her child’s birthday party — even attending incognito as an “aunt.” She’s currently looking forward to attending another survivor’s graduation ceremony.

Other times, she accompanies survivors to meetings that could potentially result in having to navigate further legal issues.

“I’ve had clients say to me, ‘You know, they’d never treat me like this if you weren’t in the room, Kelly.’ And I’m just like, ‘I’m really sorry about that, but I’m going to be in the room with you until you don’t need me in the room anymore.’”

That kind of trust doesn’t materialize overnight. Beale says clients will often test her — sometimes for months — to see whether she’s trustworthy, whether she’ll show up, whether she’ll follow through.

She says survivors themselves have shaped the way she approaches the work.

“Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from my clients,” she explains.

Speaking with Beale, it’s clear this program has made palpable differences in the lives of survivors. Access to specialized legal services can fundamentally change the landscape, helping survivors better understand their rights and options.

For many survivors, the criminal justice system may not feel like a viable or safe option. Some do not want to involve police; others may never see their case prosecuted. Programs like this provide another pathway to legal support — one driven by the survivor’s own choices and needs.

“It shouldn’t depend on your postal code.”

Paola Carmagnani, a partnerships specialist with the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, says the program has become a promising practice in combatting human trafficking.

“It really shows what’s possible when survivors have access to specialized legal support,” explains Carmagnani.

Ontario remains the only province with such a program.

“The support available to survivors still varies widely across Canada. What services a survivor can access largely depends on where they live.”

Beale hopes to see the program expand across the country.

“My personal goal before I retire in like 15 years is to actually have this program throughout all of Canada. Hopefully, it won’t take that long.”

Beale says some of the most powerful moments happen when survivors accompany her to court and watch someone advocate on their behalf.

“It’s so empowering,” she remarks. “I notice that they walk into the courtroom with me like one way, and they walk out a completely different way.”

Still, it’s the human connections she cherishes most.

“It’s my favourite part of my job,” Beale remarks. “Just being able to let my clients understand that I’m a lawyer, but I’m also a human, and I’m also someone who’s going to be there for them.”

The Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario provides legal services, free of charge, to survivors and potential victims of human trafficking of all ages in Ontario (including Ontarians who were trafficked outside the province) as well as to guardians of child survivors or children at risk of being trafficked. You can access these services by contacting the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

The views expressed by Beale are independent of the Ministry of the Attorney General.