March 25, 2009

LawLINE update

LawLINE services have been funded for another year and will continue until at least March 31, 2010.

Back in November, and before that in July, ELAN reported on enhancements to LSS phone services. These enhancements continue to yield positive results in terms of improvements in wait times and fewer abandoned calls (average wait times are now under 20 minutes).

However, as a result of reductions to LawLINE staff, the scope of coverage for LawLINE has been redefined to tailor the service primarily to issues arising from the current economy. LawLINE advice services will now be available only for six main areas: housing, debtor assistance, family law, health/estates/seniors issues, employment, and income security (welfare and other benefits). Examples of each category of service will soon be listed on the LawLINE page of the LSS website.

All callers to LSS telephone services have an initial interview in which our staff ask questions to determine what kind of service would best meet their needs. The service they get might be legal representation, legal advice, or legal information. Callers who are eligible for legal representation can complete a legal aid application over the phone; callers eligible for legal advice are transferred to the LawLINE or referred to in-person services; and other callers are redirected to a legal information outreach worker who provides legal information and/or referrals to other resources.

For more information about the changes to LawLINE and other legal aid services, see More on changes to legal aid.