In brief: News for lawyers

Showing 1 - 10 of 144 results

LAO raising financial eligibility thresholds beginning March 3

Published January 28, 2025

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is expanding its financial eligibility thresholds to help more low-income Ontarians access legal aid services and support the province’s goal to reduce the backlog in criminal courts. On March 3, 2025, LAO’s income threshold to qualify for family and criminal duty counsel services increases to $45,440 for families of up to…

Legal Aid Ontario’s new Family Senior Counsel program

Published January 24, 2025

Legal Aid Ontario is excited to announce our new Family Senior Counsel (FSC) program. This certificate-based service will help more of LAO’s most vulnerable clients receive legal representation. What is the FSC program? The FSC program will connect dedicated FSC lawyers with family law and child protection clients who may face unique challenges with receiving…

2024 Lawyer Self-Report

Published January 3, 2025

The annual self-report for 2024 opens on Jan. 3, 2025. The 2024 LAO Lawyer Self-Report is now available through Legal Aid Online. All roster members who have been a member of the Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) roster for the entirety of the 2024 calendar year are required to complete and submit an LAO Lawyer Self-Report. The…

LAO proposes three-year increase to financial eligibility thresholds

Published December 11, 2024

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is proposing a three-year increase to its financial eligibility thresholds to allow more low-income Ontarians to access legal aid services and support the province’s goal to reduce the backlog in criminal courts. Under this proposal, LAO will raise its current financial eligibility thresholds for family and criminal duty counsel services and…

New enhanced training referral list – action required

Published November 6, 2024

Starting Oct. 26, 2024, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) has enhanced its “Find A Lawyer” tool and is creating two new referral lists that will identify criminal law roster members who have completed LAO’s optional training relating to either youth clients charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) and/or clients with mental health issues. If…

SCJ bail specialist opportunities

Published September 5, 2024

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) will be hiring two dedicated SCJ Bail Specialists to help clients not assisted by private counsel with issues requiring applications to the SCJ and other complex bail litigation. One will be situated in the East region and the other, in the Central-East. The Bail Specialists will assist with cases where: no…

LAO continues tariff rate increases for criminal and family cases

Published July 29, 2024

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is continuing to raise the compensation available to roster members doing legal aid work. Today, LAO is implementing several new tariff items for criminal, family, child protection and civil matters. For criminal matters, LAO is implementing new hourly allotments and block fee rates for global resolutions, Impact of Race and Cultural…

LAO continues increases to tariff rates on July 29, 2024

Published July 16, 2024

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is continuing to raise the fees roster members are paid for doing legal aid work. On July 29, 2024, LAO will implement a number of new tariff items for criminal, family, child protection and civil cases. For criminal cases, LAO will be implementing new hourly allotments and block fee rates for…

New show and hide address function for Legal Aid Online

Published July 15, 2024

In response to feedback from roster members who either work from home or on a hybrid basis, LAO’s Roster Management and IT Departments have launched a new functionality through which roster members will now easily be able to show or hide their addresses. This new functionality is now available through the lawyer portal, Legal Aid

Updated instructions for submitting BOC forms

Published June 26, 2024

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) has posted updated instructions for the submission of completed (signed and dated) Basis of Claim forms and narratives in Refugee Protection Division (RPD) matters. Since December 16, 2023, LAO has required roster members to submit completed BOC forms and narratives to LAO within 30 days of the BOC being completed. This


Showing 1 - 10 of 144 results