The majority of Legal Aid Alberta’s services are not free. For most issues, Legal Aid Alberta lawyers charge a reduced hourly rate of $125.00 plus miscellaneous fees. The fees a lawyer can charge are outlined in our Legal Aid Tariff. A copy of the Tariff is available on our website, LAA Tariff.
Legal Aid pays your lawyer during your case and we work with you to set up a re-payment plan. Clients are expected to re-pay Legal Aid Alberta for their lawyer’s services. There is no interest on a bill with Legal Aid Alberta, and you are not responsible for paying GST.
When applying for legal aid in person or over the phone, please have the following information ready:
In order to determine if we are able to provide assistance, we will ask you about:
You can provide the name of a lawyer you prefer to work with during your application. Legal Aid Alberta will attempt to connect you with this requested lawyer. However, we cannot guarantee that the lawyer you request will take your case. Legal Aid will review the circumstances of your case when determining which lawyer to provide. Ultimately Legal Aid Alberta has final discretion in providing your lawyer.
Visit our Lawyer Directory for a searchable list of active roster lawyers who have chosen to be included in the directory. You can search by name, court location, area of law and languages spoken.
Yes. If you are a youth (age 12 to 17) who has been charged with a crime, you may still be eligible to receive representation by a lawyer through Legal Aid Alberta.
Yes. If you are a resident of another province, you can still apply for Legal Aid Alberta services.
Yes. You can apply for coverage on a new legal issue even if you have an outstanding bill with us for a previous matter. We will discuss your payment arrangements each time you apply.
We can help you if your net household income is less than the amounts below*:
We can help you if your net household income is less than the amounts below*:
LAA Financial Eligibility Guidelines are based on 30-day and 12-month net income.
Your family size includes you, your spouse or partner, and any dependents (e.g. children).
Your income includes any money you and your family have received in the last 30 days and over the last 12 months.
Examples of income are:
Several exceptions, deductions, and considerations are part of the comprehensive formal financial assessment that is required to determine the financial eligibility of our clients.
This includes persons receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). Eligibility is best determined by LAA’s Contact Centre Intake Officer team.
Please contact us and our knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you.
