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 four people. The asset threshold for duty counsel services also increases to $15,000, regardless of family size. Financial eligibility for family sizes of five or more remains the same.
- On March 31, 2025, LAO is raising the income threshold for criminal certificate services to $45,440 for families of up to four people. The LAO asset threshold for criminal certificate services also increases to $15,000, regardless of family size. Financial eligibility for family sizes of five or more remains the same.
Family size | Current criminal certificate / duty counsel income thresholds | Expanded income thresholds for duty counsel / criminal certificates | Expanded asset thresholds for duty counsel / criminal certificates |
---|---|---|---|
Single boarders | $12,330 | $45,440 | $15,000 |
1 | $18,795 / $22,720 | $45,440 | $15,000 |
2 | $32,131 / $32,131 | $45,440 | $15,000 |
3 | $39,352 / $39,352 | $45,440 | $15,000 |
4 | $45,289 / $45,440 | $45,440 | $15,000 |
5+ | $50,803 / $50,803 | $50,803 | $15,000 |
The increase will also help to reduce the number of individuals representing themselves in courts and help to ensure a more sustainable justice system. With the support of defense counsel, more clients can have their cases resolved faster, eliminating the stress of handling legal matters on their own.
LAO’s increases to its financial eligibility thresholds for family and criminal duty counsel services and for criminal certificate services will be in place until spring 2028. To view the results of LAO’s consultation on increasing the thresholds, visit the LAO website for the summary of feedback.