Getting Legal Aid
Legal Aid is available to low income individuals and disadvantaged communities for a variety of legal problems, including criminal matters, family disputes, immigration and refugee hearings and poverty law issues such as landlord/tenant disputes, disability support and family benefits payments.
To apply for a legal aid certificate, you must attend in person at a local legal aid office. If you are eligible for legal aid, you can get a legal aid certificate which you can take to the lawyer of your choice. Legal assistance is also available through the community legal clinic program.
Every Ontario resident who needs legal assistance can apply for legal aid. Eligibility for legal aid certificates is based on financial need and the type of case. The applicant may pay nothing or a portion of the cost of legal aid, depending on their financial situation
If you qualify for a legal aid certificate, legal aid may be able to pay your lawyer for some of these things. This is not a complete list. To find out more about your specific case, please talk to your local legal aid office.
Criminal Charges:
- An offence which would likely result in jail time (eg: assault, impaired driving causing bodily harm, robbery, welfare fraud, break and enter) may be eligable for legal aid.
- To get custody of your children
- To help you deal with the Children's Aid Society
- To get access for you to see your children
- To help you if your partner denies you access to your children
- To set up child or spousal support payments
- To stop your partner from selling or destroying your property