Information for lawyers

Forms Library

Information for Lawyers

Here is Legal Aid Ontario’s forms library. Forms are grouped alphabetically by subject.


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The forms on this site are in Adobe Acrobat PDF and Microsoft Word formats. You can download the free viewers for these file types:


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Accounts & billing

 

Form

Updated

Expedite payment of account request
Use this form to request consideration for the expedited payment of an account.

 

Guaranteed Daily Rate for northern lawyers
Use this account form to bill for legal aid services provided in remote northern areas (as specified by regulation). For printing only - does not perform calculations

 

Form 50: Criminal certificate account form
Submit criminal accounts for payment.

 

Form 51: Civil certificate account form
Submit civil accounts for payment.

 

» Macros issue notice
Legal Aid Online is unable to accept forms containing macros. (Read more)

« Macros issue notice

Please note: Legal Aid Online is unable to accept forms containing macros. This includes Forms 50 and 51, which contain an “automatic adding” macro. If you are having trouble attaching forms to your account, try saving the form as a Rich Text File (RTF). To do this, select “Save as,” and select RTF under the “Save as Type” drop down, which appears under the “File Name.” Ignore the warning message that appears regarding saving macros; the information in your form will not be lost.

You can also “print” the document to a PDF. To check if you have this ability, select “Print,” and look for “Adobe PDF” in your list of printers. Select Adobe PDF, and then save the new PDF file to your desktop or folder. If you do not have a PDF writer, there are several options available, some free and some that you must pay for. For example: PDF Creator (free) and Adobe Acrobat (paid). Legal Aid Ontario does not support or endorse these products.


Block fees

Solicitors who have an active portal ID can submit an electronic request to add additional charges, make changes to an existing certificate or request a new certificate due to charges proceeding separately. Those who do not have a portal ID may complete the manual request form, print and fax it to the number shown on the bottom of the form.

 

Form

Updated

Request to add charges, to change an existing certificate or to request a new certificate for charges proceeding separately
To add additional charges, make changes or request a new certificate due to charges proceeding separately, on open and active certificates.

 

Request for a mental health authorization
This authorization may be granted when the certificate is issued if there is an identifiable history of mental health issues. If the authorization is not granted when the certificate is issued, it may be requested.

 

Request for Gladue authorization
You must be a member of the Gladue panel to receive this authorization.

 


Case Management and Litigation forms

 

Form

Updated

Assessment

Criminal Mid-level Case Management Assessment - Preliminary Hearing

 

Criminal Mid-level Case Management Assessment - Trial

 

Family Case Management Assessment form
For counsel conducting a CFSA case where certificate total cost (fee & disbursements) is liekly to exceed $8,000.

 


Big Case Management (BCM)

BCM Hearings Opinion Guideline
Application form can be used for any type of hearing, i.e. a preliminary hearing, sentencing hearing, dangerous offender hearing, etc.

May 2013

BCM Trials Opinion Guidelines
Application form for cases that have gone to trial.

May 2013


Complex Case Rate (CCR)

Complex Case Rate case eligibility application
Membership on the Complex Case Rate panel is a prerequisite for a case to be considered eligible.

 

Complex Case Rate panel application
The Complex Case Rate (CCR) panel offers eligible lawyers enhanced funding on particular types of cases.

 


Expert forms

Application for inclusion on LAO Vendor of Record
For experts in all fields interested in being on LAO’s Vendor of Record list.

 

Application for enhanced expert rate
Complete this form to apply for an enhanced expert rate.

 

Survey - Enhanced rate services
This survey must be completed at the conclusion of an expert’s services.

 

Reference form (Experts)
Experts wishing to be included on the Vendor list must get references from LAO panel members.

 


Change of information

 

Form

Updated

Lawyer change of information form
For changes in personal information, panel membership, and direct deposit information. Only fill in the information that you are changing, and leave the other sections blank.

 


Disbursement authorization forms

Requests for the following types of disbursements (authorized, additional funds) can be submitted by email (disbursements@lao.on.ca) or fax (416-204-4739 or 416-979-8562).

 

Form

Updated

Translations

 

Request for an expert/other service provider

 

Request for paternity testing

 

Request for transcripts/transcriptions

 

» Read tips and instructions on how to use these forms


Discretion forms

In some cases, where exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated, a discretionary increase in payment of an account may be granted where an account has exceeded the tariff maximum for the certificate. If your account exceeds the tariff maximum, and you want to apply for discretion, attach the appropriate form when submitting the account:

 

Form

Updated

Request for Discretion - Criminal Law

Mar. 2013

Request for Discretion - Family Law: Child and Family Services Act (CFSA)

Mar. 2013

Request for Discretion - Family Law: Support, Access, Custody

Mar. 2013

Request for Discretion - Refugee Law

Mar. 2013

Request for Discretion – General: Use the general form for other case types

Mar. 2013

Request for Review
If you are dissatisfied with the settlement of your account, use this form to request a review. Requests for review should be made within 60 days of payment of the account.

Mar. 2013


For more information on the use of these forms please refer to our Discretion Guidelines.


Lawyer's annual self-report

 

Form

Updated

2013 lawyer's annual self-report
Find instructions and more information on the annual self-report page.

Mar. 2013


Merit Assessment

 

Form

Updated

Judicial Review Merit Assessment - Refugee Services

 

Merit Assessment - Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)
Click here for a sample of a completed form

Apr. 2013


Panel standards application forms

Application forms to join the various LAO panels. For more information, see panel standards.

 

Form

Updated

Empanelment application forms

Lawyer Empanelment form

 

Direct deposit authorization for business accounts

 

Change in direct deposit authorization for business accounts

 

Application form for tier level increase

 

Lawyer change of information form

 

Request for change to panel membership

 


Criminal panel forms

Criminal panel application

 

Criminal panel lawyer agreement to acquire experience

 

Criminal Gladue panel application

 

Extremely Serious Criminal Matters (ESM) panel application

 

ESM Panel application: References

 

Complex Case Rate (CCR) panel application

 

Complex Case Rate (CCR) case eligibility application

 


Family/CFSA panel forms

Family panel application

 

Family panel lawyer agreement to acquire experience

 

Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) sub-panel application

 


Refugee application forms

Refugee panel application

 


Consent & Capacity Board application forms

Consent and Capacity Board panel application

 

Specialty panel letter

 


Duty Consel panel forms

Duty Counsel Panel Application: Criminal Duty Counsel

 

Duty Counsel Panel Application: Family Duty Counsel and FLIC Advice Lawyer

 

Duty Counsel Panel Application: Advice Lawyer - General

 

Duty Counsel Panel Application: Advice Lawyer - Domestic Violence

 

Duty Counsel Panel Application: Advice Lawyer - Mental Health, Refugee and Immigration, Correctional Institutions

 


Releases

Release of information for Law Society of Upper Canada and/or other law society

 

Release of information form for Lawyer's Profssional Indemnity Company