Co-parenting during the holiday season
The winter holiday season is a special – and stressful – time of year. For families who are co-parenting, especially for the first time, there’s pressure to make the holidays memorable for kids while co-ordinating with the other parent. The best tip for parents, says LAA staff lawyer Victoria Foster, is to put the best […]
Clients with criminal charges may also face immigration issues
There can be significant immigration consequences for permanent residents and foreign nationals (aka temporary residents such as visitors, students and workers) when they are charged with or convicted of criminal offences. Legal Aid Alberta hosted a free professional development session to help roster lawyers learn more about the impact criminal convictions can have on […]
Proper billing for bail hearings
Invoicing bail hearings occasionally involves some minor complications that the Legal Aid Alberta certificate team would like to resolve. Please note that only the actual bail hearing itself is billable under Tariff items 11.04 (ABCJ) and 11.05 (ABKB). Some court locations will require that bail matters be stood down to the afternoon to […]
Update: Addendum to Designated Sexual Offence standards
Last week we announced LAA’s new standards for Designated Sexual Offences. Since then, we’ve received valuable feedback – and we appreciate the time and thought you’ve taken to engage with us. After careful consideration of this feedback, we have introduced an addendum to the standards, on page 5. This update regarding legacy counsel was […]
Panels: Wording change in Lawyer Portal
Updated November 28, 2025 Effective January 02, 2026 we are introducing a language change in Lawyer Portal. “Panel Membership” is now labelled “Memberships”. This change impacts items listed under the tab. For example, instead of “Child Welfare Panel” under Memberships, it will simply list “Child Welfare”. This change does not affect your membership/status in […]
Save the Date: Emergency Protection Order training
Legal Aid Alberta is hosting a two-part webinar series in February to help roster lawyers strengthen their expertise in Emergency Protection Orders (EPOs). With demand for EPO services continuing to rise — LAA assisted with approximately 2,900 files in fiscal year 2024-2025 — this training is highly encouraged for all lawyers who accept EPO files. […]
Careers at Legal Aid Alberta
Legal Aid Alberta is seeking lawyers for multiple roles. These positions will appeal to individuals who like to take initiative, are client-focused and exceptionally strong at delivering high-quality results. You will help drive the future of our organization and play an important role in developing a talented and diverse Legal Aid Alberta team province wide. […]
How to help when your client is facing family violence issues
November is Family Violence Protection Month – a time to raise awareness of this issue and take action to end it. Our clients are often struggling with difficult personal circumstances in addition to legal challenges. There are a number of ways roster can help clients facing family violence issues. First and foremost, anyone dealing with […]
Quality representation: Introducing new standards for designated sexual offence matters
Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) is introducing new Designated Sexual Offence Standards, effective Jan. 1, 2026. These standards will establish clear eligibility and training requirements for roster lawyers representing clients in sexual offence matters. Sexual offence cases are among the most complex and sensitive areas of criminal law, requiring strong legal and evidentiary skills. This […]
Careers at Legal Aid Alberta
Legal Aid Alberta is seeking lawyers for multiple roles. These positions will appeal to individuals who like to take initiative, are client-focused and exceptionally strong at delivering high-quality results. You will help drive the future of our organization and play an important role in developing a talented and diverse Legal Aid Alberta team province wide. […]