A Closer Look at Legal Aid in Ontario: Ensuring Access to Justice

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Legal Aid in Ontario Unveiled Ensuring Access to
Justice
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Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is a government program
that offers help in both English and French for
financially-eligible low-income Ontarians. While
publicly funded, it is a non-profit and
independent corporation that provides legal
services in Ontario. It was formed under the
Legal Aid Services Act in 1998 and has since
become an integral part of a strong justice
system.
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• LAO provides high-quality legal services in
• Criminal law
• Family law
• Refugee and immigration law
• Mental health law

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Who Is Eligible?
For someone to qualify for legal aid in Ontario,
they must have little to no money left after they
have paid for basic necessities such as housing
and food. Those on social assistance almost
always qualify for legal aid too. Someone may
also be eligible if they own a home or have some
money in the bank.
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• The types of individuals who benefit from legal
  aid in Ontario are
• Victims of domestic violence
• Individuals accused of a criminal offence
• Refugees seeking Canadian immigration status
• Single parents seeking child support from
  ex-partners
• Individuals who identify as Inuit, Métis or First
  Nation
• Immigrants facing deportation
• Parents seeking support, custody, or access to
  children
• Individuals experiencing addiction or mental
  health issues

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• When Cant Legal Aid Ontario Help Someone?
• There are a few instances when LAO might not be
  able to help an individual. These include
• Having a legal problem for which help is not
  required
• Having too many properties or too much money
• Lets take a look at each of these in detail.

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Having a Legal Problem for Which Help Is Not
Required There are some instances where LAO
cannot help. For instance, cases that might not
be covered are a first-time shoplifting offence
or a drinking driving offence, unless the
latter results in bodily harm. They primarily
help with family law, criminal law, and
immigration and refugee law.
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• Having Too Many Properties or Too Much Money
• Legal Aid Ontario cannot be used by individuals
  with too much money or property. To qualify for
  their services, the person must be living on a
  low income and have a type of legal issue with
  which they can help.
• Financial eligibility is based on three factors
• The family unit
• The income of the family unit
• The assets owned by the family unit

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Does Legal Aid Pay for Everything? Depending on
the financial situation of the individual, they
might be asked to repay either a part or all of
the legal fees. This is applicable in cases where
the individual has assets such as property, such
as a house. This is also applicable if the
individual receives money as part of a judgement
or settlement.
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Why You Need to Hire a Legal Aid Lawyer in
Brampton Legal Aid lawyers in Brampton dedicate
themselves to providing professional legal
counsel to those of modest means. So, any
individual who may not be able to hire a lawyer
while dealing with a legitimate child protection
or family law case should hire one. They are
professionals who work with clients of all
backgrounds and socio-economic circumstances.
Moreover, your legal aid lawyer in Brampton will
also know how and what to argue to ensure you get
the best possible outcome for your case.
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To get help from Legal Aid Ontario, your legal
issues need to be something that Legal Aid
Ontario covers. Plus, you need to be financially
eligible. For more information, get in touch
with Harpreet Saini of Saini law. He is one of
the top criminal defence lawyers in Brampton and
can answer any questions you may have about Legal
Aid Ontario and its procedures. Get in touch for
a free consultation.