You can’t pour from an empty cup: Mental health awareness for Alberta’s criminal defence, family and immigration lawyers
May is Mental Health Awareness Month — and if you practise criminal defence, family law or immigration and refugee law, this is for you. The legal profession prizes resilience, analytical thinking, emotional control and a relentless focus on clients. But behind that professional armour, the impact is real. Lawyers experience mental health challenges at more than three times the rate of the general population, and substance use issues […]
How Legal Aid Alberta supports people through Mental Health Court
Mental Health Week runs May 4 to 10 and is a timely reminder that mental health touches every corner of our lives, including the justice system. People with mental illnesses are overrepresented in the Canadian justice system, and when someone navigating a mental health crisis finds themselves involved in a legal issue, the experience can be […]
Who gets custody of the pets in a divorce in Alberta?
Most people consider pets part of the family, but the law says otherwise. Legal Aid Alberta lawyers Sheila Raffray and Chuck Easton explain. Division of property and assets is an essential step in a divorce proceeding. Things can get more complicated when children and custody arrangements are involved. But what happens to pets? […]
How does bail work in Alberta?
Albertans are innocent until proven guilty. But upon arrest, and prior to having their day in court, they are at a distinct disadvantage. What does it mean to be “out on bail?” We hear it all the time in movies, but most Albertans are unsure of their rights and how to exercise them […]
Schedule-based duty counsel invoicing
Delays in submitting duty counsel invoices have a significant impact on Legal Aid Alberta’s ability to manage its financial operations and provide accurate, timely financial reporting. Administrative Policy 5 (section 6.15) states that “LAA may attach a condition to a duty counsel certificate that requires a lawyer to submit an account sooner than the deadline […]
Child welfare certificates
All standard child welfare certificates include the following condition: “This certificate does not cover proceedings on any renewed or additional applications pursuant to the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.” Counsel is not eligible to bill for work on more than one child welfare application under the same certificate. If a lawyer exceeds the scope of certificate […]
Requirements when accepting a certificate
Ensuring the integrity of Legal Aid Alberta’s (LAA) certificate system is fundamental to both professional accountability and the proper functioning of our justice processes. It is equally essential to safeguard client trust and confidence in the representation they receive. Recent reviews have revealed: Repeated instances where the lawyer who accepts a certificate offer […]
7 answers to common questions about how legal aid works in Alberta
Who does Legal Aid Alberta serve? Who qualifies? What type of cases do we handle? Answering questions about how we protect access to justice in Alberta. Legal aid is essential to society to protect access to justice. Legal Aid Alberta protects people’s rights, represents the best interests of children, youth, families and newcomers to […]
New Board executive, 3 members appointed to Legal Aid Alberta Board of Directors
Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) is pleased to announce that Brad Pickering has been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors and David Linder, KC, has been appointed Vice Chair. In addition, we are excited to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors: Roseanne Carey, Clint Warkentin and Tamar Epstein. Read more about the […]
Survey: Help improve Roster Report!
We’d appreciate your feedback on the Roster Report — please take a couple of minutes to complete a short survey to share your thoughts. We’ll use your input to shape upcoming issues, and you’ll start to see updates soon, including a shift to monthly distribution (once per month) so we can deliver more focused, relevant content. Thank you […]