Apply for legal aid criminal defence certificates for your out-of-custody clients

Published: November 26, 2020

Lawyers may now apply for legal aid criminal defence certificates on behalf of out-of-custody applicants.

Legal Aid Ontario is doing this to help reduce court delays and to better respond to the needs of applicants, particularly those who do not speak or read English or French, have low literacy skills, live in communities or institutions without telephone or internet access, have mental health issues, or have difficulty travelling to offices, courts, etc. to make an application.

To apply, fill out and submit the form on LAO’s website and attach all mandatory supporting documents.

Applications are subject to legal and financial criteria. Big case management cases are excluded. Please see the application form for more details.

If you have previously accepted a legal aid certificate to represent an applicant, the new certificate will be sent to you via Legal Aid Online. Otherwise, it will be sent to the applicant.

Applicants may also continue to apply for legal aid certificate coverage by calling LAO at 416‑979‑1446 or toll free at 1‑800‑668‑8258 from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST).

For more information, contact LAO’s Lawyer Service Centre.