Getting legal help
Am I eligible for legal aid?
Family Law Service Centres
Family Law Service Centres offer eligible clients a range of legal resources and support for family matters. Find out more.
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) provides low-income people with a range of legal services such as:
- duty counsel;
- information, referral, and advice through the toll-free telephone service and from LAO staff in courthouses;
- summary legal advice;
- community legal clinics, and;
- representation by a lawyer through the certificate program.
Looking for information on retaining a lawyer? See the certificate services page.
Can I get legal aid help?
To qualify for legal aid services, you must be financially eligible, and your legal matter must be one that LAO covers.
The chart below provides a guideline for the income levels needed to qualify for services such as duty counsel assistance, summary legal advice available through our toll-free number and advice through a Family Law Information Centre. Community legal clinics have their own eligibility criteria. Contact a clinic near you to find out more.
Note: this chart is for duty counsel and summary legal advice eligibility only. Visit the certificate services page for information on certificate program eligibility.
Criminal charge eligibility
Get information about whether you quality for legal aid services if you are charged with a crime.
