Roster Update

September 26, 2024

This is a reminder that Legal Aid Alberta clients must pay their LAA legal fees before receiving funds from their legal matters. LAA roster lawyers are critical to ensuring this occurs.   

Under Administrative Policy 5, Section 4.6: 

“LAA requires lawyers who represent clients on certificates to take steps to protect LAA’s financial interest when those clients become entitled to receive money during a proceeding covered by a certificate.”   

Any lawyer accepting an LAA file must adhere to this policy.   

Section 4 of Administrative Policy 5 identifies various circumstances where roster lawyers must take steps to protect LAA’s financial interest, for example:  

• Filing Bail Assignments in Favour of LAA (4.5);  

• Using Costs, Settlements, etc to cover Accounts (4.7 and 4.8); and  

• Helping to implement security agreements (4.12). 

Roster lawyers are encouraged to review Section 4 of Administrative Policy 5 and familiarize themselves with all client recovery obligations and procedures.   

In addition to Section 4 of Administrative Policy 5, certificates issued for property matters will include a condition regarding recovery of funds and repayment to LAA.  The condition code specifies:  

“If property is sold, then an assignment in favor of Legal Aid Alberta is required. If property is transferred into the name of the client solely, then a Mortgage (Real Property) at nil interest in favor of Legal Aid Alberta is required.”  

Please direct any inquiries regarding client recoveries to [email protected].