Are you looking for help with finding a lawyer that takes legal aid in Hamilton?
Dealing with a legal issue is not fun. It’s extremely stressful and the outcome of the case can change your life. Of course, this change can be positive or negative. The problem is that getting justice can be expensive. A lot of Canadians don’t want to spend $2000-5000 on a lawyer. The reason for this is that Canadians are accustom to getting professional help for free from doctors.
In Canada, people can go see a doctor at a clinic and they don’t have to pay for it. In the US, people hire lawyers a lot more often than in Canada. Also, this is probably because Americans are used to paying for a doctor.
In Canada, we do not have universal legal coverage. There is a program that covers low-income individuals, and it’s called legal aid. However, it only covers certain areas of law. This article will explain when you can use legal aid, and when you shouldn’t.
What is the certificate?
Legal aid might provide you with a certificate. You can take this certificate to a law firm that accepts legal aid. Keep in mind that most law firms do not accept legal aid. There is no requirement for a lawyer to take on legal aid cases in Hamilton. If a lawyer does accept legal aid work, they will ask for your certificate. This certificate might say that the lawyer can bill legal aid directly (at a reduced rate) for five hours of legal work.
If you use up your five hours, the Hamilton lawyer (or you) will have to apply to legal aid for more hours. Legal aid may or may not approve the additional hours. This is why most lawyers don’t like legal aid. Let’s say the lawyer spends the five hours providing you legal advice. Further, they spend some hours preparing for a hearing.
The hearing is coming up in a few days, the lawyer won’t hear back from legal aid in time. Therefore, the lawyer might not want to attend the hearing. Also, the lawyer will have to attend the hearing and they won’t know if they will get paid.
