Family Case Management
LAO Family Case Management (FCM) provides roster lawyers who are managing costly, complex cases under a family legal aid certificate with more predictability and adequate resources to deliver high‑quality, cost‑effective services.
Family law cases eligible for the FCM program include:
- CYFSA matters (except supervision orders) likely to cost more than $8,000; and
- Domestic family matters likely to cost more than $12,000.
Extended society care matters are eligible for FCM where the legal aid certificate was issued prior to February 3, 2020. All other CYFSA and domestic family legal aid certificates issued on or after February 3, 2020 are eligible for FCM.
In this program, a LAO case manager will collaborate with the private lawyer to develop a case budget, comprised of tariff authorizations and blocks of hours.
What happens
- Step 1: Once it is clear costs are likely to exceed $8,000 in a CYFSA matter or exceed $12,000 in a domestic family matter, the private lawyer retained on a legal aid certificate completes a case management assessment form and attaches the completed form online by using Legal Aid Online.
- Step 2: A LAO case manager reviews the assessment form, contacts counsel to discuss the case, and sets the budget (if indicated).
- Step 3: LAO adds case management authorizations to the certificate.
- Step 4: Counsel completes the work and submits the account. It will be paid within 29‑33 days, so long as the account matches or does not exceed the budget, breach any billing rules, is not late billed, etc.