Applying for Legal Aid

In order to apply for legal aid you will need to visit a legal aid office in your area. You should always call ahead of time to the office and see if you can book an appointment or at least to find out the best time of day to come. You can find a complete listing of legal aid offices Here.

Listed below you will find a number of items that you should bring with you when you go to apply for legal aid. Bringing these items with you will help simplify your appointment and will make applying for legal aid much easier. .

• Identification ( Sin card, valid drivers license, provincial health card, or some other type of provincial identification)
• Any important documentation that pertains to your case. This could be things like court orders, agreements, contracts, police reports, or separation agreements.
• Proof of income- Pay stubs, welfare or disability cheque stubs, EI statements, or T4 slips are all acceptable documents.
• Current bank statements
• Proof of expenses ( Bills, housing payments, hydro, gas, auto payments, credit card balances, and any other monthly bills)

When you first arrive at your local legal aid office you will need to fill out a legal aid application. If your application for aid is accepted you will be notified in the mail in approximately two weeks.

If you have qualified for legal aid you will be able to use the services of the lawyer of your choice. However you need to make sure that the Lawyer you want takes legal aid cases. You should make sure that you pick the right lawyer as you will usually be unable to switch lawyers once you have chosen one.

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