TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2015 /CNW/ – Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is launching a mobile phone application (app) to help people determine whether they are financially eligible for a legal aid certificate. The app also gives applicants real-time access to call centre wait times. This is the first version of the app, and it follows the organization’s recent expansion of financial and legal eligibility criteria for legal aid services in Ontario. 

The app is available free of charge through app stores for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry devices. The app does not collect or store any user data.

The LAO app is an example of how LAO is not only expanding existing services, but also innovating the way these services are provided to low-income Ontarians. Clients will be able to conveniently access information about legal aid through technology that is already a fixture in their everyday lives.

“By offering a new way for clients to self-assess, we can connect with them and determine their legal needs more quickly,” said LAO Chair John McCamus.”We’ll also be providing a near-instantaneous response to applicants who are ineligible for certificate services, and we’ll be able to refer them to other services more quickly. We’re proud to enhance access to legal aid services through technology in this manner.”

LAO invites app users to provide feedback.

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