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Legal Aid Ontario will be closed on October 2
Please note that we will be closed on Monday, Oct. 2 to commemorate Truth and Reconciliation Day. Offices and the call centre will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

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Legal Aid Ontario
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Français LAO Client Portal
Français LAO Client Portal
  • Services
    • Temporary service changes due to COVID-19
    • COVID-19 and the courts: Answers to frequently asked questions
    • Our services
    • Criminal legal issues
    • Domestic violence
    • Family legal issues
    • Mental health legal issues
    • Refugee and immigration legal issues
    • Youth legal issues
    • Legal clinics
    • How to apply
    • Find a lawyer
      • Finding the right legal aid lawyer
    • What do you think about our services?
    • Languages
    • Contact us
  • For legal professionals
    • COVID-19: Ongoing list of supports for lawyers
    • LASA 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • Changes to policies and certificate coverage
    • Roster resources
      • Audit & Compliance
      • Billing
      • Case management
      • Forms library
      • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 policies
      • Legal Aid Online
      • LAO LAW
      • Minimum experience requirements
      • More resources
    • Do legal aid work
    • Mentoring
    • Test case funding
    • News for lawyers
    • B3 Newsletters
    • Contacts for lawyers
  • Corporate
    • About
      • By-laws
      • Our clients
      • Board of Directors
      • Executive Team
      • Board Advisory Committees
      • Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Award
      • French Language Services
    • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020
      • LASA 2020 Rules and Policies
      • LASA 2020 glossary
    • Consultations
    • LAO Consultation Registry
    • Open Government
    • Reports
    • Publications
    • News
    • Social media
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • FAQ

Contacts for lawyers

  • Lawyer Service Centre (LSC)
  • Lawyer Services & Payments (LSP)
  • Client Account Services (CAS)
  • Lawyer Accounting and Authorization Services
  • Legal Aid District Offices
  • LAO LAW
  • Complaints Department
  • Ethics Hotline
  • Audit and Compliance Unit (ACU)
  • Requesting a report of after-hours duty counsel services (Brydges)

Lawyer Service Centre (LSC)

The LSC answers incoming calls from lawyers and their staff related to the online billing system, billing and tariff rules, account payment status, certificate coverage, and technical support.

Monday to Friday
8 am to 5 pm

  • Toll-free: 1-866-979-9934
  • GTA: 416-979-9934
  • Email: pl-lsc@lao.on.ca
  • Fax: 416-979-7326

LSC provides assistance with the following:

General enquiries

  • Legal Aid Services Rules
  • Roster membership
  • Website navigation

Billing

  • Creating and submitting accounts
  • Status of account and outstanding payments
  • Tariff questions
  • Block fees
  • Direct deposit inquiries
  • Reporting account errors

Legal Aid Online

  • Technical support
  • Portal navigation
  • Password reset

Certificate program status

  • Client or lawyer assisted applications
  • Certificates
  • Authorization and amendment requests

Lawyer Services and Payments Department (LSP)

Legal Aid Online
General – Lawyer Services and Payments genlsp@lao.on.ca
Fax: 416-979-8562

The LSP department pays lawyers efficiently and accurately for services provided to LAO clients, processes requests for experts and other special disbursements, conducts reviews of disputed payments, manages the annual billing limits (hard caps) and is responsible for the collection of costs orders and the recovery of settlement funds pursuant to LAO’s statutory charge.

LSP is also responsible for:

  • Settling accounts that are not paid automatically by Legal Aid Online in accordance with LASA 2020 andthe Legal Aid Services Act Rules
  • Making discretionary payment decisions based on requests received from roster members
  • Managing late billed accounts
  • Making decisions with respect to overpayments and related recoveries

Lawyers should send all account and certificate specific communications to LSP via electronic document submission on Legal Aid Online.

  • Discretionary increases
  • Disbursements requests
  • Payment expedite requests
  • Requests for review of settled accounts
  • Requests to waive the collection of settlement funds or costs
  • Requests to correct account billing errors

Client Account Services

Client Account Services responds to lawyer enquiries regarding payout matters of Contribution Agreements subject to liens, monthly payments, lump sums payments, Assignments and Directions, financial hardship claims (postponement requests), cost awards and refunds.

  • Email: clientaccountservices@lao.on.ca
  • Telephone: 416-979-1446 ext. 3337
  • Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258 ext. 3337
  • Fax: 416-979-8869

Lawyer Accounting and Authorization Services

The Lawyer Accounting and Authorization Services forms part of the Finance Department.

  • Email: finsolemp@lao.on.ca
  • GTA: 416-979-2352 ext. 6487 or 6252
  • Toll-free: 1-877-573-8033 ext. 6487 or 6252
  • Fax: 647-260-0548

They provide assistance with the following:

  • Tier-level increases
  • Lawyer changes of address, banking information, etc.
  • HST refunds
  • Government garnishments
  • Lawyer electronic fund transfer (EFT) rejections
  • Duty counsel purchase order number

Legal Aid District Offices

Please contact the district office for the geographic catchment areas listed below for general enquiries relating to Lawyer Roster and Duty Counsel Roster.

Central East

  • Counties of Haliburton, Bracebridge, Peterborough, Coburg, Durham, Kawartha Lakes, Orillia, Newmarket and Barrie. Email: gendocentral@lao.on.ca

Central West

  • Counties of Norfolk, Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara, Halton, Peel and Dufferin. Email: gendohamilton@lao.on.ca

East

  • Ottawa, Perth, Brockville, Hawkesbury, Pembroke, Cornwall. Email: gendoeastern@lao.on.ca
  • Kingston, Belleville, Napanee. Email: gendonapanee@lao.on.ca

North

  • Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Parry Sound, Timmins, North Bay, Kirkland Lake. Email: gendosudbury@lao.on.ca
  • Thunder Bay, Fort Francis, Rainy River, Alberton, Atikokan, Chapple, Dawson, Emo, La Vallee, Lake of the Woods, Morley, Kenora. Email: gendothunbay@lao.on.ca

Toronto

  • East York, North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough and Old Toronto. Email: todistrict@lao.on.ca

West

  • Windsor, Chatham, Sarnia, Guelph, Kitchener. Email: gendowindsor@lao.on.ca
  • London, Owen Sound, Walkerton, Stratford, Goderich, St. Thomas, Woodstock. Email: gendolondon@lao.on.ca

LAO LAW

LAO LAW provides research support to Ontario lawyers representing legally aided clients.

  • Telephone: 416-979-1321
  • Toll-free: 1-800-265-1392
  • Email:laolaw@lao.on.ca
  • Fax: 416-979-8946

Contact LAO LAW directly to reset a password.


Complaints Department

If you are unhappy with our services or would like more information about our complaint process, please contact our Complaints Department.

  • Telephone: 416-204-7104
  • Toll-free:1-866-874-9786
  • Email: complaints@lao.on.ca
  • Fax: 416-204-4718

Ethics Hotline

Click here to anonymously report suspected fraud or wrongdoing.


Audit and Compliance Department

The ACU supports the organization with identifying billing errors and recovering overpaid funds through the certificate program.

  • Telephone: 416-979-2352 extension 6530
  • Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258
  • Email: auditcompliance@lao.on.ca
  • Fax: 416-979-0284

For more information relating to the audit process, click here.


Requesting a report of after-hours duty counsel services (Brydges)

  • Email: brydgesservice@lao.on.ca
  • Fax: 1-888-963-1035

How to request a report?

Requests are made in writing by email or fax on firm letterhead with a fax number and must include:

  • The client’s name
  • Confirmation that the lawyer represents the client
  • A signed authorization from the client directing release of the notes to the lawyer
  • Acknowledgement of the $45 (+HST) fee for the report (if the request includes the client’s Legal Aid certificate number there is no charge for the report).

If available, include the following in the request:

  • The date, location and time of arrest
  • The charges against the accused
  • The name of the telephone duty counsel

Requests can take 2 to 3 business days to process. After the request has been fulfilled, an invoice will be mailed to the lawyer.

Where to send the payment?

Sykes Assistance Services
Attn: Legal Assistance Division
248 Pall Mall Street
London, ON N6A 4T4

Questions?

If you have questions about Duty Counsel Reports, you can speak with a Duty Counsel Hotline representative at 1-888-225-6824 extension 75249.

  • This form is feedback only.
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Need legal help?

Call us toll free at 1‑800‑668‑8258 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) for help in over 300 languages.

Current wait time: The CLSC is currently closed.

Wait times: Monday is our busiest day. For faster service, try calling Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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