Will legal aid pay for my lawyer?
Certificate services
If you qualify financially and have a legal issue that we cover, we will help pay for a lawyer to represent you by issuing you a legal aid certificate.
A certificate confirms Legal Aid Ontario will cover the cost of a private lawyer who accepts legal aid work for a certain number of hours. You can bring this certificate to a lawyer, and they will represent you in court throughout your case.
Check the table below to see if you qualify financially for a legal aid certificate.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please tell us when you apply because we have special services.
| Family size | Family / immigration and refugee: Family income must be lower than | Criminal: Family income must be lower than |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18,795 | $45,440 |
| 2 | $32,131 | $45,440 |
| 3 | $39,352 | $45,440 |
| 4 | $45,440 | $45,440 |
| 5 | $50,803 | $50,803 |
Note: We may ask you to pay for some of your fees. When you apply, we will talk to you about this more. We will also ask you about any assets you have such as any money in your bank account, investments, or property, etc.
You can use the “Find a Lawyer” tool to find a lawyer who accepts legal aid certificates.
Duty counsel
If you do not have a lawyer on your court date, you may be able to get help from a duty counsel office. A duty counsel is a lawyer who can give you legal advice or other assistance on your court date for family, criminal or child protection matters.
If you qualify, the duty counsel office may be able to help you with:
- legal advice
- negotiation
- representation on your court date
Check the table below to see if you qualify financially for duty counsel services.
| Family size | Family income must be lower than | Assets must be lower than |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $45,440 | $15,000 |
| 2 | $45,440 | |
| 3 | $45,440 | |
| 4 | $45,440 | |
| 5+ | $50,803 |
You can read more about duty counsel or use the “Find a duty counsel office” tool to see if duty counsel are in or near the courthouse where your matter is being heard.
Important: payments from the following do not affect eligibility
Some payments do not count toward your eligibility.
If you received money from the government for harm done to you, your family, or your community, it will not affect your income or asset test when you apply for legal aid.
This includes payments related to:
- Residential Schools settlements
- Indian Day Schools or the Sixties Scoop
- Indian Boarding Homes Class Action
- First Nations Drinking Water Settlement
- First Nations Housing Class Action
- First Nations Child and Family Services or Jordan’s Principle
- Land claim or treaty settlements, including annuity payments
- Mercury poisoning compensation (Grassy Narrows)
- Federal Indian Hospitals Class Action
- Post-secondary education supports
- Other federal or provincial Indigenous settlements or funding (for example, Jordan’s Principle)
These payments will not count against you. You can still apply for legal aid.
If you are not sure, contact us. We are here to help.
Download the Reconciliation Funds Exemption Poster
Contribution agreements
If you have an income or own property, you may qualify for a certificate with a contribution agreement. This means you will be required to repay LAO some or all of your legal fees, based on your income level.
A contribution agreement outlines how much you will repay LAO. Learn more about contribution agreements.
Legal clinic services
Different financial eligibility criteria apply to those who are looking for legal help from a legal clinic.
While duty counsel offices help you at court for family, criminal, and child protection matters, legal clinics operate independently and provide services in areas of law like housing, income support, and human rights.
For more information on legal clinic services and their financial eligibility criteria, please visit our legal clinics page.
What if I don’t qualify for a lawyer?
We may be able to help you in other ways.
Service Finder
The Service Finder can help you find the right services and resources for your legal issue in just a few clicks.
You may be asked different questions about your legal issue and your financial situation to determine which service(s) you may qualify for.
