What Is the Current Income Cut off for Legal Aid Ontario

Maryland Legal Aid`s services are free for beneficiaries and are based on income and assets available to the household. Household income must be less than 125% of the federal poverty income guidelines. Consult the following guidelines to determine if you are eligible. If legal counsel tells you that you are not qualified to be represented by a lawyer, you may be able to request a review of that decision. See How to apply for a review of a legal aid refusal. You can always be entitled to legal advice and our legal information is accessible to everyone. Eligibility for legal aid in Ontario is determined by provincial regulations. In the past, eligibility criteria were linked to provincial social benefits. The financial eligibility level was last changed in 1995, when changes were made to provincial social benefit rates. Financial eligibility is determined through a “needs test”. It takes into account the revenues, but also the expenses and liabilities of the applicants. Non-contributory legal aid is granted on the basis of an assessment of the maximum amounts, including basic aid, debt and housing assistance.

Applicants may obtain legal aid if they do not exceed the allowances. There is an “income exemption element” in the application determination process that “accelerates” applicants with very low incomes by valuing assets. The shortfall is not a minimum income, but a tool or measure to determine whether a more detailed assessment is needed. Most social assistance recipients are automatically entitled to free legal aid (provided that it does not go beyond the property test). Comprehensive advisory services are available to clients who meet a simplified income and wealth test. This is an attempt to ensure that only those who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer get help from a public defender or consultant lawyer (available a few hours a week and offering free advice). Persons in detention and juvenile offenders are excluded from testing. Legal Aid Ontario also funds 72 community clinics and seven teaching hospitals (student legal aid societies) across the province. These organizations employ lawyers, legal staff, paralegals, volunteer law students and administrative staff to provide information, legal advice and representation. To be eligible for a legal aid certificate, you must have a legal problem that covers LAO and, as of April 1, 2020, your annual gross family income and family size must meet the following requirements: It is important to note that legal aid may also consider a person associated with the applicant who is not a family member, but which can be considered another source of legal fees. However, this is at the discretion of the Area Manager. These may be people who contribute to the needs of the applicant, for example, a roommate renting.

To qualify for legal aid in Ontario, you have little or no money left after paying for basic needs such as food and shelter. Recipients of social assistance are almost always entitled to legal aid. You may be eligible for legal aid even if you have money in the bank or even if you own a house. Your net monthly income must be less than the amount corresponding to the size of your household in the table below. The guidelines apply to standard cases, with expanded guidelines for child protection and early detection cases. For this program, the financial threshold for a single applicant without dependants remains a gross annual income of $22,720. Depending on the type of support you need, as well as your financial situation, all or only part of your legal fees may be covered. LAO has adopted financial eligibility guidelines, which apply depending on the level of legal assistance required. Community legal aid bodies have, in certain circumstances, a certain margin of discretion in the application of these guidelines on financial eligibility.

LAO will ask you how much money your entire household earns. You will ask how many family members live in your home and how much money each person earns. You combine all the income of your family members to get your gross family income. You will likely be eligible if your gross annual family income is less than: It should be noted that Ontario also operates legal clinics. They operate under different rules, and their eligibility criteria and scope are also different. Community legal clinics were established in the early 1970s to provide legal services and public legal information, as well as community development, to low-income and disadvantaged individuals. The clinics cater to the unique legal needs of low-income people who need help with life`s most important things, such as livable income and safe housing, as well as access to the most basic social services such as children`s education. Clinics do not usually offer criminal and family law services. These are available from private lawyers who negotiate Legal Aid Ontario certificates. Effective April 1, 2017, Legal Aid Ontario is increasing the eligibility threshold for all legal aid services by six per cent. LAO implemented the first of several six per cent increases on November 1, 2014. To be eligible for legal aid services such as duty counsel assistance (for criminal, family protection and child protection matters) and summary legal advice (through the toll-free telephone service), your annual gross family income as of April 1, 2020 must: To prove your gross family income, you must send proof of your current income to LAO by mail or fax.

These could include: The Ontario Legal Aid Plan was amended for Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) in 1999. The new agency is the provincial authority responsible for promoting access to justice for low-income residents of Ontario. Legal Aid Ontario operates a mixed benefits system where private sector employees and lawyers are used to provide services. Its eligibility guidelines will also increase by six per cent. Community legal clinics have some discretion in applying these guidelines. To find out if you qualify for a lawyer, the best thing you can do is call the call centre or go to a legal aid centre and apply. Approximately 5,000 lawyers contribute to the legal aid program by accepting lower rates and limits on hours billed for the legal services they provide to LAO clients. Legal Aid Ontario provides legal aid to financially eligible low-income Ontarians.

When you apply for our services, you must take a financial aptitude test. This test allows us to determine if a client is qualified to provide our services. Net monthly income is calculated by taking gross monthly income and subtracting: Gross family income limits are higher for victims of family violence. To get a legal aid certificate if you are a victim of domestic violence, your gross family income must be less than the amount shown in this table: On November 1, 2014, we introduced the first of several six per cent annual increases in financial eligibility for all mandatory certificates and counselling services. Legal clinics funded by Legal Aid Ontario also saw their licensing policies increase on November 1, 2014. These increases have allowed us to expand access to our services in areas such as family, immigration, refugees, mental health, criminal law and poverty law. The types of people who also received legal aid include: For more information about legal aid, including the services available and the types of legal issues, see the other sections of Legal Line or Legal Aid Ontario. The mandatory counselling program provides criminal, family law and child protection legal services to low-income Ontarians who do not have a lawyer. If you are a victim of domestic violence, you can call Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 and get a free 2-hour consultation with a lawyer.

If you are financially eligible, you may also be eligible for a legal aid certificate.