Legal Aid Investment Supports Ontario's Vulnerable

September 8, 2009 3:05 PM

McGuinty Government Supports Legal Aid Ontario Transformation

Ontario is investing in Ontario's legal aid system to protect our most vulnerable and help to drive significant reforms in our family and criminal courts.

The plan will contribute to the province's overall justice reforms by providing early and ongoing legal support to Ontarians. It will focus on more effective justice, allowing Ontarians to resolve their disputes faster and move on with their lives. In addition, working advisory groups will be established immediately to work out the details of the transformation and specific proposals such as the use of block fees.

Ontarians will benefit from more solutions, and a client-centred approach that will offer advice and advocacy to avoid homelessness and unsafe housing, help mitigate the range of poverty issues affecting new Canadians, and allow children, their parents, and service providers to participate in healthier, more collaborative approaches that will help them resolve disputes earlier. People will have access to the legal support they need, in the way they need it.


Quick Facts

  • Under the plan the McGuinty government will invest an additional $150 million over four years in Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). This is the province's largest investment in LAO.
  • Almost 70 per cent of family legal aid cases involve women making $22,000 or less per year.

Learn More


Ministry of the Attorney General
ontario.ca/mag