Your Community Legal Clinic

Referrals - Legal Aid

This page deals with help you can receive from Legal Aid.  Legal aid primarily deals with criminal, family and immigration law. 

View our LAO Comparison chart below to see the different areas legal aid and our clinic cover.

Legal Aid

 

•  Legal Aid Ontario •  Legal Aid Comparison Chart - Who Does What?
•  Coordinating Legal Aid and Clinic Services brochures •  Aboriginal Justice Strategy
•  Family Law Information Centres (FLIC) •  Queen's Legal Aid

 

 

Legal Aid Ontario

 

There are two Legal Aid Ontario offices serving Hastings, Prince Edward and Lennox & Addington counties: one in Belleville, and one in Napanee.

 

Services provided by Legal Aid Ontario Area Offices include:

  •  Walk-in advice clinics - Belleville: Mondays 12:00-3:00 p.m., Napanee: Wednesdays 2:30-4:00 p.m.

  •  Certificates given, if you qualify, for representation on family, criminal or immigration law matters

  •  Duty Counsel services are offered in most courts

  •  Telephone applications - view their policy regarding telephone applications (Belleville policy memo, Napanee policy memo) - clients may apply for legal aid over the phone if they are unable to attend in person at an area office due to disability or geographical distance from an area office (or for victims of domestic violence).

For a list of the type of problems that Legal Aid assists with and the type of problems our clinic assists with, click the appropriate Legal Aid Comparison Chart below.

 

To find a Legal Aid office or legal clinic in your area, visit the Legal Aid website.  If there is no Legal Aid office available in your area, please call their client service center at 1-800-668-8258.

 

If you are refused Legal Aid:

 

First, visit the Legal Aid website to find out the types of cases that are covered.  They provide criminal law, family law and immigration and refugee law services.  There is no point in appealing a denial if it is an area not covered by Legal Aid.  Also, view their page on financial eligibility.

 

If you are denied a Legal Aid Certificate, you have the right to appeal.  Ask your local legal aid office for an appeal form if they did not send one with the decision.  You must file the appeal form in writing within 10 days of receiving the Notice of Refusal of Application for Legal Aid. The appeal is heard by the Local Area Committee.  If you are denied a Legal Aid Certificate from the Local Area Committee you can then appeal to the Provincial Office in writing within 7 days of receiving the decision by filling out a Form 17.  Form 17 will be included if you are denied a legal aid certificate from the Local Area Committee.

 

A detailed information guide about appealing a Legal Aid decision is found online here (PDF version) and also on the Legal Aid website, under "Making an Appeal."

 

If you are unhappy with the service provided by Legal Aid, visit their Making a Complaint page.

 

Legal Aid Comparison Chart - Who Does What?

 

These charts outline the difference between Legal Aid and legal clinic services.  They are to help you understand when to go to the Legal Aid Area office, and when to go to a legal clinic for help.  It is also a summary chart of when local area clinics are open, where they are, and contact information.  

Coordinating Legal Aid and Clinic Services Brochure

Looking for other sources of legal help for issues that the clinic or legal aid doesn't deal with?