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Français LAO Client Portal
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  • Services
    • Temporary service changes due to COVID-19
    • COVID-19 and the courts: Answers to frequently asked questions
    • Our services
    • Criminal legal issues
    • Domestic Violence
    • Family legal issues
    • Mental health legal issues
    • Refugee and immigration legal issues
    • Legal clinics
    • How to apply
    • Find a lawyer
      • Finding the right legal aid lawyer
    • What do you think about our services?
  • For legal professionals
    • COVID-19: Ongoing list of supports for lawyers
    • LASA 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • Changes to policies and certificate coverage
    • Roster resources
      • Audit & Compliance
      • Billing
      • Case management
      • Forms library
      • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 policies
      • Legal Aid Online
      • LAO LAW
      • More resources
    • Do legal aid work
    • Mentoring
    • Test case funding
    • News for lawyers
    • B3 Newsletters
    • Contacts for lawyers
  • Corporate
    • About
    • Rules and policies
    • By-laws
    • Board of Directors
    • Executive Team
    • Board Advisory Committees
    • Our clients
    • Sidney B. Linden Award
    • French Language Services
    • Consultations
    • Open Government
    • Reports
    • Publications
    • News
    • Social media
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • FAQ

What are duty counsel?

Duty counsel are lawyers provided by Legal Aid Ontario who can assist you on the day that you are in court.

If you do not have a lawyer and you are in court, duty counsel may be able to help you by:

  • Giving you advice about your legal rights, obligations and the court process;
  • Helping you in the courtroom with asking for an adjournment, conducting a bail hearing; assisting with a guilty plea; or making submissions at a sentencing hearing;
  • Holding a resolution meeting (Crown pre‑trial) with the Crown;
  • In some courthouses, assisting you with an unrepresented judicial pre‑trial;
  • Referring you to another form of legal aid assistance, such as LAO’s toll‑free telephone service or a legal aid worker in the courthouse

Duty counsel may have to ask you some questions about your financial situation to see if you qualify for certain services. You may not qualify for all duty counsel services.

Duty Counsel will not have ongoing responsibility for your case. If you come back to court more than once, you may speak to a different duty counsel each time.

  • This form is feedback only.

Services

How do I apply for legal aid?

You can call us at 416‑979‑1446, toll free at 1‑800‑668‑8258 or through Bell Relay service at 1‑800‑855‑0511 from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Need legal help?

Call us toll free at 1‑800‑668‑8258 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) for help in over 300 languages.

Current wait time: 4 minutes

Wait times: Monday is our busiest day. For faster service, try calling Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legal Aid Ontario is a safe and respectful space for our clients and employees. Verbal or threats of physical abuse will not be tolerated. Abusive behaviour may result in refusal of service.

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Land acknowledgement: Legal Aid Ontario recognizes that its work, and the work of its community partners take place on traditional Indigenous territories across the province.

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