If your client requires legal help beyond their court appearance, they might be able to get a legal aid certificate from Legal Aid Ontario to pay for a lawyer to represent them for a certain number of hours. Your client will likely qualify for a certificate if their annual income is less than:
| Number of Family Members | Amount of money your client’s family earns in a year |
|---|---|
| 1 | $18,795 |
| 2 | $32,131 |
| 3 | $39,352 |
| 4 | $45,289 |
| 5 | $50,803 |
| Single Boarder | $12,330 |
Certificate Eligibility for 2020 (chart from LAO’s website)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Legal Aid Ontario has waived financial eligibility requirements for certificates for an accused person in custody (except for homicide), immigration detainees, and family and child protection court assistance for Indigenous Peoples.
If your client needs help with a family law issue and is experiencing domestic violence, different financial eligibility guidelines will apply. In these cases, your client will likely qualify for a certificate if their annual income is less than:
| Number of Family Members | Gross Family Income | COVID-19 Temporary Threshold Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $22,720 | $32,131 |
| 2 | $32,131 | $39,352 |
| 3 | $39,352 | $45,440 |
| 4 | $45,440 | $50,803 |
| 5+ | $50,803 | $59,440 |
Eligibility during COVID-19 (chart from LAO’s website)
Development of the JHS Learning Hub was supported in part through grants from the Law Foundation of Ontario.
