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. 

Legal Aid

 

•  Legal Aid Ontario •  Aboriginal Justice Strategy
•  Coordinating Legal Aid and Clinic Services brochures •  Queen's Legal Aid
•  Family Law Information Centres (FLIC)  

 

 

Legal Aid Ontario

 

Services provided by Legal Aid Ontario include:

  •  Advice lawyers - lawyers give advice on family law at Family Law Information Centres

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

  •  Duty Counsel - services are offered in most courts

  •  Telephone applications for certificates

To see if there is 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 or for TTY users (telephone device for the deaf), call 1-866-641-8867.

 

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.  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," or call their Client Service Centre for more information.

 

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

 

 

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?