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LAO Client Portal
  • Legal Help
    • Apply for legal aid
      • What is legal aid?
      • Do I qualify for legal aid?
      • Apply now
      • Client Portal
    • Our services
      • About our services
      • Family legal issues
      • Criminal legal issues
      • Refugee and immigration legal issues
      • Domestic violence legal issues
      • Mental health legal issues
      • Youth legal issues
      • Getting help at court (duty counsel)
      • Services in French
    • column-break
    • Find help
      • Find a lawyer
      • Find a legal clinic
      • Find a duty counsel office
      • Find a legal aid office
      • Speak to a representative
    • column-break
    • FAQ
      • Frequently asked questions
    • Other
      • Languages
      • What do you think about our services?
      • Contact
  • For Legal Professionals
    • For roster lawyers
      • Legal Aid Online
      • About Legal Aid Online
      • Contacts for lawyers
      • Forms library
      • Billing
      • Mentoring
      • Audit and compliance
      • LAO LAW
      • Case management
      • Roster resources
      • Test case funding
    • column-break
    • Working with legal aid
      • Join legal aid roster
      • Minimum experience requirements
      • Careers
    • LASA 2020
      • Legal Aid Services Act 2020 policies
      • LASA 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • column-break
    • Duty counsel
      • Service guides
    • News
      • News for lawyers
      • Better Billing Bulletin
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What can I do if I do not qualify for legal aid?

You can represent yourself or hire your own lawyer.

Even if you decide to represent yourself, it’s good to consult a lawyer for some guidance and advice. LAO’s lawyer search tool or the Law Society Referral Service can help you find a qualified family lawyer.

These online resources can also help you navigate the family law system:

  • Ontario Court of Justice guide: Representing yourself at your family law trial
  • Steps to Justice, a non-profit providing step-by-step information to help Ontarians work through their legal problems

You can also contact Justice Net if your income is too high to qualify for legal aid but too low to afford standard legal fees.

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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Questions

I have been refused legal aid. What can I do?

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