Will Legal Aid pay for my lawyer?
Some of our services have temporarily changed due to the COVID‑19 crisis. The information provided on this page may no longer be accurate. Please visit our COVID‑19 client page to learn how this may impact you.
If you qualify financially and have a legal issue that we cover, we will help pay for a lawyer to represent you. Check the table below to see if you qualify financially. You can use the “Find a Lawyer” tool to find a lawyer who accepts legal aid work.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please tell us when you apply because we have special services.
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.
| Number of family members | The amount of money your family earns in a year (for most family law cases) | For domestic abuse cases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18,795 | $22,720 |
| 2 | $32,131 | $32,131 |
| 3 | $39,352 | $39,352 |
| 4 | $45,289 | $45,440 |
| 5+ | $50,803 | $50,803 |
| Single boarder | $12,330 |
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.
Clinic and duty counsel services
Different financial eligibility criteria apply to those who are looking for legal help with a duty counsel (a lawyer who only helps you on the day of your hearing, not a lawyer who helps you throughout your case as with lawyers who accept legal aid certificates mentioned above), or those who are looking for help from a legal clinic.
For more information on duty counsel financial eligibility, please review our duty counsel financial eligibility guidelines.
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.