3. Find out if your legal problem is covered
Question & Answer
How do I apply for a legal aid certificate?Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) only gives legal aid certificates for certain kinds of legal problems. They cover some problems about:
- criminal law
- family law
- immigration law
- mental health law
- refugee law
Criminal law
LAO may give you a certificate to cover some or all your lawyer's fees if any of these apply:
- you've been charged with a crime and you're likely to go to jail if you're found guilty
- you're between 12 and 17 years old and have been charged with a crime under the Youth Criminal Justice Act
If you do not qualify for a certificate, you may be able to get help from duty counsel when you're in court.
Family law
You may get a certificate for , , support, and child protection issues.
Decision-making responsibility and parenting time used to be called and .
When deciding if a person qualifies for a certificate for their family law problems, LAO looks at things like:
- how complex the case is, for example, how many legal issues are involved
- if the person paying support is self-employed
- if the person applying for a certificate cannot read or write
If you're not eligible for a certificate, you may be able to get help from other LAO services, like duty counsel, , or a Family Law Service Centre.
Immigration law
You may get a certificate for your immigration problems. For example, LAO might be able help a person who:
- is applying for permanent residence under humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- is for immigration reasons
- is appealing to the Immigration Appeal Division because there's a against them
- is at risk of being removed from Canada by Canada Border Services Agency in certain situations
If you're not eligible for a certificate, you may be able to get help from a community legal clinic. Clinic lawyers can represent some people who qualify for legal aid services.
Mental health law
You may get a to help with a mental health or .
If you've been admitted to a mental health facility or are getting treatment at a facility, talk to a patient advocate or rights advisor. They can give you information about getting legal help.
If you've been found guilty of a crime and are in jail or prison, ask to talk to someone from LAO about applying for a legal aid certificate.
Refugee law
You may get a certificate for a lawyer to:
- prepare your Basis of Claim form
- represent you at your refugee hearing
- prepare an appeal or an application for
- prepare a for a stay of removal
- represent you at a cessation or vacation hearing
- help you prepare for a (PRRA)
- help you write a danger opinion
If you're not eligible for a certificate, LAO also has refugee law offices in Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa. Lawyers at these offices can represent some people who qualify for legal aid services.
