If your client has already retained a lawyer through Legal Aid Ontario but wants to change lawyers, they can file an application, but the barrier to approving the application is high. Legal Aid Ontario considers many factors in making this decision, including the suitability of your client`s position. However, we are not legal aid lawyers. We are lawyers who accept legal aid certificates. We do not work directly for legal aid. Some legal aid lawyers work directly for Legal Aid Ontario and are therefore paid by Legal Aid Ontario. We are independent/private lawyers working with clients from all walks of life and socio-economic circumstances. We do not discriminate against the poor. We do not condemn people who have modest means.
We are a law firm that treats everyone equally and with respect. Both certificates give lawyers permission to work on your case for specific issues with specific time quotas. Certificates should therefore not be understood as the ability to conduct cases before the courts on the basis of carte blanche. Certificates regulate the matters to be dealt with and allocate time to those matters. Clients and their lawyers are required to work diligently within approved expenses and time allocations. Lawyers and clients should take a reasonable approach to contentious issues and consider ways to resolve them at all times. Adequacy is a criterion used by Legal Aid Ontario to allocate funds and establish time quotas. Certificates may cover custody and access issues, injunctions and support issues. They may also cover cases where children are placed in the care of the Children`s Charity and return is justified or contact with the child is requested. There are also domestic violence certificates, injunctions and sexual assault certificates.
The law firm Gottlieb is familiar with working within the boundaries of the assignments provided by LAO and always has the “relevance” test in mind when dealing with clients. We know what to argue, how to argue and how to make sure you receive the best legal services within the limits of the Legal Aid Act. We have been accepting legal aid certificates since 1987. We know the system. If you currently have a lawyer from Legal Aid Alberta and are considering changing lawyers, we ask that you first discuss your concerns directly with the lawyer to give them an opportunity to address them. If you wish to request another lawyer after this interview, you can contact our firm at 1-866-845-3425 to file an investigation. We are open Monday to Friday from 8:15 am to 4:15 pm (except public holidays). If you qualify for legal aid, you can use a lawyer of your choice.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, you need to make sure that the lawyer you choose accepts legal aid cases. You may want to talk to more than one lawyer to find someone you feel comfortable with. Once you have chosen a lawyer, it is unlikely that you will be allowed to change lawyers. Our philosophy is such that our lawyers are dedicated to providing excellent and professional legal services to anyone who has a legitimate family law and child protection case. We do not discriminate on the basis of income. We want to help and we have helped hundreds of people, whether or not they can afford a lawyer. Checking the status of your certificate is different from checking your certificate. The confirmation of your certificate means that we have confirmed our advance with you. We do not recognize a certificate until it is clear that the lawyers in our firm and the client using legal services agree to cooperate. As it is difficult to change lawyers on a legal aid certificate, we ensure that the client is satisfied with their choice before accepting the certificate. We know it`s an important decision to choose ourselves. So we are here to answer all your questions about our experience and philosophy – before confirming your desire to work with us.
The most common complaint about family lawyers is that they don`t respond quickly enough to phone calls and emails. If you have a legal aid certificate to pay to your lawyer, it is very difficult to change that. You need to convince Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) that your current lawyer is not adequately representing you or that the lawyer-client relationship has completely collapsed. If not, LAO will probably tell you to stick with the lawyer you already have. For more information on this service, please contact your local animal shelter or community law clinic. You can get a referral voucher for two hours of free legal advice from a lawyer who has experience in domestic violence issues. Visit the Find a Lawyer page on LAO`s website to find a lawyer in your area who can provide legal help. An LAO office will also have a list of lawyers who can work on your case. To find a LAO office near you, visit Legal Aid Ontario. If your lawyer consistently treats you disrespectfully, doesn`t take abuse seriously in your relationship, or doesn`t follow your instructions, you may need to change lawyers.