Province Giving More People Access to Affordable Legal Services: Ontario is taking another step to enhance access to legal aid by raising the financial eligibility threshold by six per cent.
By working together with Legal Aid Ontario, the province provides low-income Ontarians access to legal services in areas such as criminal, family, immigration, mental health and poverty law. Ontario’s 2014 budget committed to increasing the eligibility threshold by six per cent each year over three years. This increase marks the second threshold increase and a $31.5 million investment by the Province into the legal aid system for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
As a result of these two threshold increases, an additional 250,000 low-income Ontarians are now eligible to receive legal aid.
Legal Aid Ontario provides services to low-income Ontarians, including:
- Representation for urgent or serious matters, such as child protection cases
- Advice about legal rights, obligations, and court processes
- Assistance in the court room for bail hearings and sentencing
- Local legal services from a community clinic, such as social assistance and housing law
Enhancing legal aid for Ontario’s most vulnerable is part of the government’s plan to ensure a fair and accessible justice system for all.
Quick Facts
- Legal Aid Ontario has recently announced increased clinic funding as part of the financial eligibility expansion.
- Prior to the 2014 Provincial Budget, the threshold had not changed since the 1990s. As a result, more and more Ontarians have been unable to afford legal representation in the court system.
Read about the services provided by Legal Aid Ontario and how to apply.
April 1, 2015 – Ministry of the Attorney General
Source: http://news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2015/04/ontario-raising-legal-aid-eligibility-threshold-another-6.html