Toronto settlement conference pilot
Overview
Legal Aid Ontario is launching a six-month pilot in Toronto to increase the use of LAO settlement conferences in domestic family matters.
Settlement conferences are facilitated meetings led by a trained LAO family staff lawyer. They provide a structured opportunity for parties to resolve issues through voluntary agreement without further court steps. The pilot supports timely resolution and improved access to justice for families.
The pilot launches on March 11, 2026.
Time spent preparing for and attending a settlement conference is billable under LAO’s tariff.
Lawyers may continue to request LAO settlement conferences outside the parameters of this pilot, as per normal practice, if they believe it to be appropriate for their case.
When the pilot applies
When requesting additional tariff hours during the pilot period, lawyers must indicate whether an LAO settlement conference is appropriate.
For matters meeting the pilot criteria below, if a request does not address settlement conference suitability, LAO will issue a follow-up letter. Additional tariff hours will not be authorized until LAO receives confirmation.
The pilot criteria are:
- The certificate was acknowledged less than six months before the authorization request
- The matter is proceeding at a Toronto courthouse
- The matter does not fall within the excluded categories (details below).
Representation requirement
Settlement conferences under this pilot require that both parties be represented by counsel.
The pilot does not apply where the opposing party is unrepresented. In those circumstances, lawyers may proceed through the usual tariff authorization process.
LAO will not assign counsel to an unrepresented opposing party for the purposes of participating in a pilot settlement conference.
How to respond
To confirm attendance at a settlement conference, email:
If a conference is not appropriate, submit a brief written explanation (1–2 sentences) by:
- Emailing GenGTA@lao.on.ca, or
- Uploading the explanation to Legal Aid Online and attaching it to the active certificate
Once attendance is confirmed, LAO staff will coordinate scheduling and provide further instructions.
Excluded matters
The pilot does not apply to:
- Matters under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act
- Hague Convention matters or cases involving withheld or abducted children
- Matters requiring urgent motions, including restraining orders or breaches of court orders
- Matters where the opposing party is unrepresented
- When a conference may not be appropriate
When a conference may not be appropriate
LAO recognizes that settlement conferences are not suitable in every case.
Examples include:
- Significant power imbalance between the parties
- Concerns about bad faith negotiation
- Missing or unavailable key information
- Instructions for responding will be included in the correspondence sent by LAO.
Pilot evaluation
The pilot will run for six months. At the end of the pilot period, LAO will review the results and determine next steps. An update will be communicated to roster members.