If you cannot afford to pay for a lawyer, you may be eligible for legal aid. In Ontario, Legal Aid Ontario provides assistance directly to some individuals, and indirectly to others by providing legal aid certificates. A legal aid certificate is a document which you bring to a lawyer in order to pay for your legal services. To apply for a legal aid certificate, please contact Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 toll-free (or 416-979-1446 in Toronto).