Terms of use

General

These terms of use govern the use of this website and its content, including materials and information such as links to other websites. The term “website” as used herein refers to the website and all of its contents, materials and links. Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) reserves the right to supplement, remove or modify these terms at any time and, from time to time, without notice. You, as a user of this website, must check the website regularly for any changes. By using this website, you have accepted and agreed to be bound by these terms which are governed by the laws of Ontario. It also means that you agree to be governed by the authority of the courts if any legal action, claim or proceeding occurs in relation to your use of the website.

Use of website

LAO provides this website as a public service and for general information purposes, and on an “as-is” basis. The information on this website should not be relied on as legal advice or as authoritative. The website may change at any time and without notice.

LAO does not guarantee or make any warranty, express or implied, that the website is current, accurate, complete or reliable; that the website will be available without interruption, error or omission; or that errors will be corrected. LAO also does not guarantee that the website, servers, products, etc. are free from viruses or other harmful components. LAO assumes no legal liability or responsibility for this website.

Under no circumstances will LAO and its directors, employees, independent contractors, representatives and/or agents have any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage, however caused, which results (directly or indirectly) from your use of the website. This is the case whether the loss or damage claim is based in contract, tort, negligence or any other legal basis. No responsibility or liability will be held, arising out of or in connection with this website, even if LAO has been specifically advised of the possibility of such damage or loss, or if such damage or loss was foreseeable.

Third party websites

This website may be linked, or contain links, to websites not operated by LAO. Linked websites may not be available in French. LAO does not endorse third-party websites or their content, and assumes no responsibility for the safety, accuracy, availability and content of such linked websites or the information contained on them. Your use of a linked website and your rights to use any information thereon is subject to that website’s terms of use. Any questions or concerns are to be directed to the owner of the third-party website.

Protecting your personal information

Your privacy is important to LAO. Any personal information you provide LAO through this website will be handled according to Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and LAO’s privacy policy. This is authorized in section 38(2) of FIPPA and section 19 of the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020.

Information collection and use

When you visit our website, we may collect certain information automatically through the use of cookies and similar technologies. This information may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, and browsing behavior. We use this information for statistical purposes and to improve the user experience on our website.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the website to remember your actions and preferences over time. We use cookies for analytics purposes to track website usage and gather information about our visitors. This helps us understand how people use our website, what content is most popular, and how we can enhance our services. The information collected through cookies is aggregated and does not personally identify you.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling or blocking certain cookies may impact your experience on our website.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property laws protect this website. Unless otherwise indicated, LAO holds the copyright. You may not use or reproduce website content without LAO’s prior written consent. Non-commercial use of unsubstantial excerpts is permitted provided that appropriate credit and LAO copyright is given and acknowledged. To request a licence to reproduce any materials on this website for commercial purposes, or for general information, please contact info@lao.on.ca.