Our mandate Legal Aid Ontario has a statutory mandate to promote access to justice throughout Ontario for low-income individuals by means of: ● Providing consistently high quality legal aid services in a cost-effective and efficient manner; ● Encouraging and facilitating flexibility and innovation in the provision of legal aid services; ● Identifying, assessing and recognizing the diverse legal needs of low-income individuals and of disadvantaged communities in Ontario; and ● Providing legal aid services to low-income individuals through a corporation that will operate independently from the Government of Ontario but within a framework of accountability to the Government of Ontario for the expenditure of public funds. In fulfilling this mandate Legal Aid Ontario is committed to providing services which recognize the importance of diversity, access, equity, creativity and quality. - - - - - - - - - Our services LAO services are carefully targeted to meet diverse client needs and make the most efficient use of our resources. A wide range of services are available through LAO’s toll-free number, including summary legal advice for family and criminal law matters. We provide duty counsel services - performed by staff and private-sector lawyers - for people who arrive in criminal, family or youth courts without a lawyer. Poverty law services - such as helping people to obtain or maintain social assistance benefits - are delivered through a network of a number of independent, community-based legal aid clinics, funded by LAO. LAO also runs a certificate program for the most serious and complex cases. Eligible low-income clients can obtain a certificate which is used to retain a private lawyer.