3. Find out if your legal problem is covered

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 decision-making responsibility, parenting time, support, and child protection issues.

Decision-making responsibility and parenting time used to be called custody and access.

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
• family violence

If you're not eligible for a certificate, you may be able to get help from other LAO services, like duty counsel, advice 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 detained for immigration reasons
• is appealing to the Immigration Appeal Division because there's a deportation order 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 legal aid certificate to help with a mental health hearing or appeal.

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 judicial review
• prepare a motion for a stay of removal
• represent you at a cessation or vacation hearing
• help you prepare for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (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.