Temporary service changes due to COVID-19

If you received a family law (domestic violence) certificate from March 1, 2020 to May 2, 2021, 2020, you did so because LAO temporarily waived eligibility requirements during the start of the COVID crisis.

As of May 3, 2021, LAO resumed applying its eligibility requirements.

If you no longer meet financial eligibility requirements, you will have received a letter notifying you that you are no longer eligible for legal aid. We will pay for all your lawyer’s services from the date your certificate started to the date of certificate cancellation.

If you own property, you must enter into a contribution agreement by way of a lien if you wish to continue receiving legal aid services.

Please refer to the letter that was sent to you and your lawyer. If you did not receive this letter, please contact us at 1‑800‑668‑8258.

Until further notice, eligibility requirements will be waived for legal aid applications for the following matters:

• Criminal defence certificates for in‑custody accused (excluding homicide)
• Immigration and refugee law certificates for immigration detainees at detention review hearings
• Child, Youth, and Family Services Act (CYFSA) matters for Indigenous people
• Family court assistance, including initial and motion to change proceedings, for Indigenous individuals experiencing domestic violence.
• Psychiatric patients seeking help with Consent and Capacity Board (CCB) and Ontario Review Board (ORB) matters.

To apply for legal aid call:

• Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258
• GTA: 416-979-1446
• Bell Relay: 1-800-855-0511

If your legal issue is not listed on this page, LAO’s regular financial eligibility rules apply.

Until further notice, eligibility requirements be will be waived for up to 20 minutes of free legal advice over the phone for:

• A family law matter, including issues involving a Children’s Aid Society.

  Call 1-800-668-8258 (toll-free) to access this service.

• In-custody accused people with an upcoming criminal court date (within four days) who do not have a lawyer. A lawyer will be called for the in‑custody accused person at the police department.

• Out-of-custody accused people who do not have a lawyer.

  Call 1-800-668-8258 (toll-free) to access this service. Your information will be taken by an agent and a lawyer will call you back within 48 hours to provide legal information and advice.

Until further notice, eligibility requirements will be waived for:

1. Legal aid applications for criminal defence certificates for in‑custody accused people (excluding homicide). Access to this service will be made available at the police station.

2. Up to 20 minutes of free legal advice over the phone for in‑custody accused people with an upcoming criminal court date (within four days) who do not have a lawyer. A lawyer will be called for the in‑custody accused person at the police department. Call 1-800-668-8258 (toll-free) to access this service.

3. Up to 20 minutes of free legal advice over the phone for out-of-custody accused people who do not have a lawyer.

   Call 1-800-668-8258 (toll-free) to access this service. Your information will be taken by an agent and a lawyer will call you back within 48 hours to provide legal information and advice.

4. Accused people without retained counsel whose matters are more than twelve months old and who have had their cases adjourned to the Judge-Led Intensive Case Management Court (JICMC).

Important notice: You have the right to information about your case (this is called disclosure).

Contact us at 1-800-668-8258 (toll-free) to find out if you qualify for a government-funded lawyer to represent you.

If you do not have a lawyer representing you, either because you don’t qualify for legal aid, or because you have not retained a lawyer using your own money, or because you choose to represent yourself, you can follow these steps to obtain information about your case:

1. Call or email the Crown Attorney’s office where you were charged.

   Click here for contact information for Crown Attorney offices across the province.

2. Let them know that you are a self-represented accused, and ask for:

   • Your Crown Screening Form
   • An appointment with an assistant crown attorney to discuss your case

When you contact the Crown Attorney’s office, be prepared to provide:

• Your full name
• Your date of birth
• A list of your charges
• The police occurrence number (found on your release papers)
• Your contact info: telephone number, email*, and home address

You may be asked to provide identification or other information to confirm your identity.

*Please make sure to tell the person you speak with if your email account is not private or secure so they know not to send you sensitive information about your case via email.

If you have a lawyer, contact them and stay in touch to make sure that you are aware of all future court dates, new disclosure materials received, and other details of your case.

Judge-led Intensive Case Management courts

What is it?

Judge-led Intensive Case Management Court (JICMC) have been set up to address the large backlog of cases resulting from the COVID‑19 pandemic.

If your matter is over twelve months old and has been adjourned to the JICMC and you do not have a lawyer, you may be eligible for help from legal aid to get a lawyer to represent you with a “JICMC certificate,” which will cover a set number of hours with your lawyer.

What do you need to do?

Find a lawyer on LAO’s roster who accepts legal aid in your area. Contact them about a “JICMC certificate.” Your lawyer will then provide us with the necessary information and complete the application on your behalf. You do not need to contact LAO yourself to apply.

What is a JICMC certificate?

This is a voucher for LAO to pay your lawyer to:

• Resolve your matter. This could mean a withdrawal of charges, diversion, a peace bond or a plea.

  OR

• Set the matter for trial. This includes representing you at a judicial pre-trial on trial issues but does not include representing you at the actual trial.

How to get a JICMC certificate

1. You do not need to contact LAO to obtain this certificate.

2. Choose a lawyer to represent you in the JICMC by visiting find a lawyer.

3. Your lawyer will complete the necessary form and send it to LAO to obtain your certificate.

4. If you do not have access to a computer, your local duty counsel office may be able to provide you with a list of LAO lawyers in your area.

Until September 30, 2021, people who identify as Indigenous will have eligibility requirements waived. For anyone who is not Indigenous but experiencing domestic violence, eligibility requirements will no longer be waived, but the financial eligibility threshold has been increased temporarily to:

If you are eligible, you may be provided with a legal aid certificate to pay for a family lawyer.

To apply for legal aid call:

• Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258
• GTA: 416-979-1446
• Bell Relay: 1-800-855-0511

LAO also has a program that offers two hours of free legal advice for domestic violence survivors in Ontario who need immediate advice and assistance in relation to family law and immigration and refugee law matters. There is no financial eligibility requirement. People who are experiencing domestic violence are eligible for up to five two‑hour authorizations in a year (one per legal issue).

Call your local shelter or community legal clinic for more information.

Other sources of help:

• Luke’s Place is a community agency that helps improve the safety and experience of abused women and their children. (Safety planning)
• ShelterSafe will help you find the nearest shelter that will provide safety and support.
• Assaulted Women’s Hotline offers a 24‑hour telephone crisis line to all woman who have experienced abuse.
• Family Court Support Worker program provides direct support to victims of domestic violence who are involved in the family court process.
• Steps to Justice has COVID‑19 related family law information to help you understand your rights and options.
• Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers legal, counselling and interpretation services to marginalized women who have survived violence.
• Law Society of Ontario offers 30 minutes of free legal advice to help determine whether a family law matter is urgent. Call their emergency family law telephone line at 1‑800‑268‑7568 (toll‑free) to access this help.

Until further notice, anyone in a mental health facility qualifies for free legal help with:

• Consent and Capacity Board (CCB) matters
• Ontario Review Board (ORB) matters

Individuals or members of their care team can call 1‑800‑668‑8258 to apply for legal aid.

You may speak with a Rights Advisor from the Psychiatric Patient Rights Advocate Office (PPAO) for help to apply for legal aid. Rights Advisors are now providing help via telephone only. Visit the PPAO website for contact information.

Immigration law services have been expanded in the following ways:

• Immigration Detention Representation Program
  Legal Aid Ontario has launched a new program that uses both private practice and LAO staff lawyers to provide legal representation to all unrepresented immigration detainees in their detention review hearings.

• Healthcare workers permanent residence pathway
  Refugee claimants who work as frontline healthcare workers may now be able to get help from Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to apply for permanent residence.

LAO’s immigration and refugee law offices are currently operating Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by phone only.

• Toronto office
  (serving the GTA, except Hamilton and Oshawa)
  Toronto: 416-977-8111
  Toll-free: 1-855-854-8111

• Hamilton office
  (serving Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Niagara Region, London, Windsor)
  Hamilton: 905-528-0134 ext. 13
  Toll-free: 1-877-449-4003 ext. 13

• Ottawa office
  (serving Eastern Ontario, including Ottawa and Kingston)
  Ottawa: 613-569-7448
  Toll-free: 1-800-348-0006

In recognition of the high risk that COVID‑19 poses to detained people, the following service changes are now in place to help lower the number of people in jail or prison.

Your lawyer may now apply for:

• A legal aid certificate if you are detained in jail prior to trial (held on remand)

• A legal aid certificate if you are incarcerated (a person found guilty and serving sentences) and qualify for temporary absence permits (TAPs).

• A legal aid certificate if you are incarcerated and are eligible for emergency early release.

Community legal clinics funded by LAO continue to operate across the province, providing legal representation and support to resolve legal issues with:

• Social assistance (e.g., Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP))
• Income support (e.g., Ontario Works (OW), Canada Child Benefit, Ontario Child Benefit)
• Employment insurance (EI)
• Canada Emergency Response Benefit
• Oher forms of emergency assistance

Notice: Each clinic sets its own business hours so you must call ahead to schedule an appointment.

Find the closest legal clinic to you.

Visit the following websites for the latest information about COVID-19 support programs:

• Steps to Justice for information about income assistance and employment benefit programs.
• Government of Ontario website for provincial support programs.
• Government of Canada website for federal support programs.

Community legal clinics funded by LAO continue to operate across the province providing legal representation and support to resolve legal issues, including:

• If you are unable to pay your rent during the COVID‑19 crisis
• Temporary changes to residential rental rules and processes
• Evictions

Notice: Each clinic sets its own business hours so you must call ahead to schedule an appointment.

Find the closest legal clinic to you.

Landlord and Tenant Board hearings

If you have received a ‘Notice of Hearing’ from the Landlord and Tenant Board, you can call your local legal clinic or contact Tenant Duty Counsel by registering at www.tdc.acto.ca.

Tenant duty counsel is a lawyer that provides legal assistance on the day of their hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board to tenants that do not have a lawyer. People facing eviction are given priority.

More information:

• Government of Ontario temporary changes to residential rental rules and processes and how landlords and tenants can get help.
• Steps to Justice: COVID-19 housing information
• Landlords with questions about what happens if tenants are unable to pay rent during the COVIDÑ19 crisis can contact the Landlord’s Self Help Centre at 1‑800‑730‑3218.