2. Find out if your income and assets are low enough
Question & Answer
How do I apply for a legal aid certificate?When deciding if you qualify for a , Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) also looks at your income and .
Income
Depending on what your legal problem is, LAO has different family income limits.
The chart below shows what your family income and family size must be to qualify for a certificate.
To calculate your family income, add up how much each person in your family earns each year. Do not include any child tax benefits you get or income earned by your child if they're 17 years old or younger. LAO does not consider these as part of your family income.
If your family income is more than what the chart has for your family size and legal problem, you do not qualify for a certificate.
From March 31, 2025 to March 30, 2028, you can get a legal aid certificate for a criminal law problem with a higher family income.
| Your family income cannot be more than | |||
| Family size | Criminal law | Domestic violence | Other legal problems |
| Single boarder | $45,440 | – | $12,330 |
| 1 person | $45,440 | $22,720 | $18,795 |
| 2 people | $45,440 | $32,131 | $32,131 |
| 3 people | $45,440 | $39,352 | $39,352 |
| 4 people | $45,440 | $45,440 | $45,289 |
| 5 people or more | $50,803 | $50,803 | $50,803 |
A single boarder is a person who:
- is 18 years or older,
- has no dependants like a partner or children,
- rents a room in a house or rental unit, and
- shares the kitchen and bathroom with the landlord or the landlord's family member.
If you've experienced domestic violence and need legal help, you can get 2 hours of free legal help right away. It does not matter what your income is.
Assets
Assets are things you own. For example, assets can be money in a chequing or savings account, cars, property or real estate, and registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs).
LAO considers 2 kinds of assets: liquid assets and non-liquid assets. Liquid assets are cash and items that can be easily sold for cash. Non-liquid assets can be other valuable things you own like property.
As of March 31, 2025, if you have a criminal law problem, the total value of liquid assets you can have is $15,000. This includes the assets of any family members that you live with. This amount does not change with family size.
For all other legal problems, the chart below shows what the total value of your family's liquid assets must be based on the size of your family to qualify for a certificate.
If the value of your family's liquid assets is more than what the chart has for your family size, you may not qualify for a certificate.
| Family size | Value of your family's assets |
| 1 person | $1,504 |
| 2 people | $2,255 |
| 3 people | $3,007 |
If your family’s assets are too high
You may still be able to get a certificate if:
- you qualify based on your family's income, and
- your family's liquid assets are too high or you own property.
If this applies to you, LAO may give you a certificate but ask you to pay back some or all your legal fees. LAO calls this a contribution agreement.
LAO offers 2 kinds of contribution agreements:
- A lump sum payment. This means you pay back a certain amount of money all at once to LAO.
- A lien on your property. This means that when you sell that property, LAO takes money from the sale to cover the cost of your certificate.
