The roots of Duty Counsel in Alberta
February 5 to 9 is Access to Justice Week in Alberta. Throughout our history, Legal Aid Alberta and the roster have joined forces to shape Alberta’s justice system in ways that improve access to justice for all Albertans. Fifty years ago, in the summer of 1974, Legal Aid Alberta was pursuing an ambitious new program […]
Translation and Interpretation Services – 17.07 & 18.08
Do you have a matter which might require translation and interpretation services? Here are some important things to remember: Translation and Interpretation Services do not just include spoken language translation. If you have a client who is hearing impaired and the services of an ASL interpreter is required, that also falls under section 17.17 or […]
Representing children in high-conflict divorce cases
Legal Aid Alberta’s Child Representation lawyers have special training to help them serve children and bring their desires and wishes to the court. A family breakup is among the most difficult challenges we can face. Emotions can run high as communication becomes clouded and bitter. In court, judges put the best interests of children […]
Navigating challenging client relationships
Thank you to those who responded to our recent survey asking what type of content you’d like to see in your Roster Report. With the survey results in mind, this week we’re sharing an updated version of one of the resources on our website: tips for navigating challenging client relationships. Among the strategies we suggest: having a separate […]
Family Tariff: Voice of the Child (PN7) Reports
Under s. 9.01 of the old LAA Tariff and s. 18.01 of the new LAA Tariff, Counsel may request approval to fund a Voice of the Child Report or a PN7. The Authorization Request must contain: the name of the expert and their area of expertise; the nature of the type of analysis that will […]
Have your say: Looking ahead to 2024
Dear colleagues, When I wrote to you in December it was to reflect on a busy past year for Legal Aid Alberta and the roster. Today, I invite you to join with me in looking ahead across another year that will surely be filled with new opportunities, new challenges and many, many more Albertans who […]
Ask a Lawyer: Dispelling myths about family court
Legal Aid Alberta staff lawyers Sheila Raffray and Jessica Chapman join Global News to clear up commonly held beliefs about how family courts work. The justice system is complicated. For people representing themselves in family court, misconceptions can lead to unrealistic expectations, compounding their challenges and leading to delays and frustrations. Legal Aid […]
2023 year in review: Top 5 milestones for Legal Aid Alberta
Here are five highlights from Legal Aid Alberta’s 50th year of providing access to justice for disadvantaged Albertans. The past 12 months have been special and eventful for Legal Aid Alberta. Here is a short – but by no means complete – list of highlights of 2023: 1. Legal Aid Alberta celebrates 50 years […]
Growing a career in access to justice
What do each of the Legal Aid Alberta Long Service Award recipients have in common? The answer: Passion for the law and helping people. Legal Aid Alberta is honouring 52 employees marking their 20, 25 and 30-year work anniversaries. We asked four team members about their journey and what drives their loyalty to the […]
2023: A year of progress and collaboration
Dear roster colleagues, As Legal Aid Alberta commemorates its 50th anniversary, it has been a rewarding experience collaborating with you to deliver access to justice to Albertans. 2023 marks a significant stride forward. The modernized tariff has brought greater clarity and simplicity to your work. The recently implemented Client Gateway online application has made legal […]