Need legal aid? Now you can apply online!
Published: May 17, 2021
Starting May 17, 2021, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) will allow certain people to apply online and all clients will now have access to new features on a client‑only site.
In this first phase, online applications will be available to people with specific immigration/refugee, criminal and family issues who:
- have no income, or
- receive Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program payments, and
- do not own any property.
“Applying for legal aid and sending us the information that we need has never been easier or more convenient,” says David Field, LAO’s CEO. “More online services are important because we know how stressful it can be when someone is dealing with a legal problem and needs help right away.”
Each year, LAO gets around 280,000 calls for everything from applying for legal aid to updating information—all of which can now be done securely online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
How it works
An easy-to-follow, interactive interview walks the user step-by-step through several questions to figure out:
- if they are eligible to apply online for legal aid
- whether they need to follow-up with a call for more information.
Added features
All users will now be able to:
- get updates on a legal aid application or certificate status whenever you need to instead of calling.
- upload requested information—such as financial information—instead of having to mail them or fax them or drop them off at a local office.
- update personal information like your address, phone number and email address on your own at your convenience.
To find out more, visit us online.