New Criminal Law Live Call Service helps vulnerable clients

Published: June 19, 2026

Legal Aid Ontario has launched a new, live phone service that responds quickly to the needs of vulnerable clients who are trying to navigate their legal path with criminal law matters.

The new Criminal Law Live Call Service patches hard-to-serve clients with a legal professional through a live transfer from the Contact Centre, which means callers do not have to wait for someone to call them back or email them. Clients can call us at 1-800-668-8258, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST).

This expedited process triages these calls directly to the new service, giving clients immediate access to a live representative from the criminal law team. This staff member can provide fast, same-day summary advice and information to vulnerable clients with urgent and complex needs. Callers can also get referrals to LAO programs, get assistance with applying for a legal aid certificate, and be connected with external resources.

LAO has launched this enhanced service to meet the needs of a population that may be facing time-sensitive legal issues. It builds on the success of the Family Law Live Call model, a similar service for family law clients launched at LAO several years ago.

These callers are not required to meet LAO’s financial eligibility criteria to access this helpful service.

The criteria used to determine whether a caller should be triaged to the Criminal Law Live Call Service include clients who:

• Cannot receive a call back
• Are incarcerated
• Are experiencing homelessness
• Do not have regular access to a phone
• Are calling with the assistance of a support person
• Have vulnerabilities that require additional support