Were you told you do not qualify for legal aid?

If you applied for legal aid and you do not qualify for a lawyer that we will help pay for, you can:

1. Call us at 1‑800‑668‑8258 or visit the Other ways we can help page to learn about other options available to you.
2. Appeal if you do not agree with our decision to deny you legal aid.

How to appeal

Step 1: Appeal to the local area committee

You have 15 days of getting your notice of cancellation to appeal to the area committee. An area committee is made up of lawyers and members of the community and is responsible for looking at legal aid decisions.

To do this, send a letter to the legal aid office that is on your notice. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, please call 1‑800‑668‑8258. A representative will take your information and send it to the area committee for you. You will need to provide:

• your name
• your client number (this is at the top of your notice)
• your current mailing address and telephone number
• the reason you are asking us to look at your decision again

If you do not agree with the area committee’s decision, go to step 2.

Step 2: Appeal to the provincial office appeals department

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to operational changes as a result of COVID‑19, applicants should, where possible, submit eligibility appeals electronically to appeals@lao.on.ca. We will make all efforts to process appeals within the usual timeframe of 30‑45 days, however there may be delays or service interruptions. We appreciate your patience.

If you still do not agree, send a letter to the provincial office appeals department at the provincial head office.

Legal Aid Ontario
Provincial office appeals
40 Dundas Street West, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M5G 2H1
Tel: 416‑979‑7133
Fax: 416‑979‑7338
Email: appeals@lao.on.ca

All decisions made by the provincial office appeals department is final.

If your financial situation changes, contact us to find out if you can be financially reassessed.

Please note that an eligibility decision for family law and child protection cases made prior to March 16, 2020 cannot be appealed on the basis of LAO’s interim COVID‑19 policy.