Legal Aid Ontario
 |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1998 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Type | Legal aid provision |
| Jurisdiction | Ontario |
| Headquarters | 40 Dundas Street West Toronto, Ontario |
| Employees | 501–1000 |
| Annual budget | $362.7 m CAN (2008) |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Ministry of Attorney General |
| Website | http://legalaid.on.ca |
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is a publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation, responsible for administering the legal aid program in the province of Ontario, Canada. Through a toll-free number and multiple in-person locations such as courthouse offices, duty counsel and community clinics, the organisation provides legal assistance to a million low-income Ontario residents each year.
Established in 1998 through the Legal Aid Services Act and successor to the Ontario Legal Aid Plan (OLAP), Legal Aid Ontario is a not-for-profit corporation that provides legal aid services to low-income individuals in the province of Ontario through duty counsel, community legal clinics, public legal education, summary legal advice, alternative dispute resolution, self-help materials and legal representation under the 'judicare' model.
Legal issues that are covered by Legal Aid Ontario include matters involving domestic violence, family law, child custody, refugee and immigration hearings, and poverty law. Legal Aid Ontario also provides assistance in criminal cases where the accused faces a substantial likelihood of incarceration. As many offences are considered hybrid, that being the courts may decide to prosecute as either a summary or indictable offence, legal aid applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
A component of Legal Aid Ontario’s services are provided through the 77 community clinics (62 community clinics, 15 specialty clinics) and six Student Legal Aid Services Societies located throughout the province. Funded by Legal Aid Ontario, these organizations provide legal advice, and in some cases representation, primarily for civil law matters.
Community clinics are situated throughout the province and provide legal assistance to low-income individuals within a specific geographic area of Ontario. While social assistance and housing law are two key areas community clinics assist with, clinics may also tailor their services offered for the geographic location from which they operate. Services that are provided by the community clinics may include:
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