While not everyone can afford a lawyer, every Albertan deserves access to a fair legal system. As a public not-for-profit organization, we provide affordable legal services in the areas of family law, family violence, child welfare, immigration, and youth and adult criminal defense. If you are unable to hire a private lawyer, you may be eligible for legal aid through Legal Aid Alberta Duty Counsel assists people who are unrepresented when they appear in court and can provide limited basic legal services. Depending on the situation, the public defender may speak to the court on your behalf. There are no financial eligibility criteria for duty counsel assistance. It is free for all Albertans. If you need full representation by a lawyer for the rest of your case, the public defender may suggest that you apply for legal aid or hire a lawyer in a private capacity. If you are facing a minor offence (summary conviction) and meet the state`s income criteria, student legal workers may be able to help. Student Legal Assistance is a group overseen by the University of Calgary`s Faculty of Law. Law students working with Student Legal Services in Edmonton or Student Legal Assistance in Calgary can act as court representatives or provide short-term legal advice. They are usually supervised by reputable local defence lawyers. Its mandate is to provide legal assistance to low-income accused who are not charged with crimes for which the Crown is seeking a prison sentence. You can contact Student Legal Assistance in Calgary at 403-220-6637.
If your income is within the amounts listed below, you may be entitled to legal representation and the appointment of André or Mike as a lawyer. If you do not meet the requirements of online legal aid, Calgary Legal Guidance (Hyperlink) – a non-profit organization whose members are both lawyers and students – may be able to help. Calgary Legal Guidance`s mission is to close the gap between low-income and non-legal aid recipients. In order to obtain legal aid, a person cannot expect a prison sentence. Calgary Legal Guidance often intervenes when a person faces minor summary charges such as public mischief, theft and/or ordinary (non-domestic) bodily harm. His legal practice in Calgary is 403-234-9266; They also have a website that can be found in clg.ab.ca. Your website can help you understand the legal proceedings in your particular case. We recommend you to visit it. If you`re facing any of the above issues — and can`t afford to hire a lawyer — call the Legal Services Centre at 1.866.845.3425 before you appear in court. Income is generally described as any money you received in the past year. These include, but are not limited to, income earned, lottery winnings, income support, child support, spousal support, money received from family members, insurance settlements or proceeds from the sale of an asset.
Alberta Legal Aid takes into account certain expenses when calculating net income, including: child support, spousal support and child care expenses. They also consider some of your strengths when considering eligibility for services. Legal Aid Calgary and Alberta assigns a public defender to the following waybills in Alberta: Duty counsel are lawyers who advise you before your hearing. You will speak to the court if you are not represented. The Public Advocate may provide limited services and may suggest that you hire a private lawyer or seek help from Legal Aid Alberta when you first appear in court. There are no financial barriers to eligibility for duty counsel support. This is a free community service for all Albertans. You also have the right to appeal your decision if you are denied legal aid. If you are not represented at your first hearing, go directly to the courthouse where the case will be heard and ask to speak to the public defender.
The first task of the Public Defender is to assist defendants who are remanded in custody and those who are not represented at their first hearing. There is no charge for you. You may also be assisted by duty counsel if you appear in court without an agreed representation. Duty counsel is funded by Legal Aid Alberta and assists unrepresented individuals in individual court appearances. Duty counsel can speak to the prosecutor on your behalf to help you try to get bail, change your hearing date, or redirect your charges to an out-of-court program (such as the AMP). They can also help you plead guilty or postpone your court to a late date to give you more time to hire a lawyer. A family consists of the applicant, their spouse and any dependents, such as children or a spouse. Our hard work goes far beyond the courtroom. Read stories that highlight our impact on Alberta homes, neighbourhoods and communities. This is determined by net family income for the past 30 days and 12 months, family size and wealth.