Here’s what you can expect if you are thinking about applying for legal aid to cover the defence of your Stunt Driving charge in Ontario in 2023.
1. What is legal aid?
- Legal aid is the use of public funds to help to pay for legal advice, family mediation and court or tribunal representation.
- Put simply, Legal Aid Ontario provides legal assistance for low-income people
- Legal aid services are government-funded or subsidized legal services available for people with difficulties affording legal services, and who qualify for those services.
2. Can I get legal aid for my stunt driving charges
- Unfortunately, in our extensive legal experience, legal aid is rarely granted for traffic offences such as Stunt Driving.
- The only exception we have seen is if there is a serious risk of jail-time
- In stunt driving charges, penalties involving jail are for the most serious versions of stunt such as repeat stunt-offenders
- And because the law, as of July 2021, has added a mandatory 1-3 year license suspension, prosecutors rarely need to ask for jail-time, because the suspension is so damaging for a first-time offence
3. I want to hire a lawyer, but don’t have a lot of money
- This is a difficult position to be in because this will most likely not qualify for legal aid, but you want avoid the serious penalties of stunt driving in Ontario
- Hiring a law firm to assist with your stunt charges, is always recommended because you risk a one-year license suspension or worse, which can affect your job, your family and more
4. So what can I do if I can’t get legal aid?
- Tip #1 – start by calling a law firm that specializes in Stunt Driving charges in Ontario, and get a free consultation and strategy. This way, you will completely understand the court, the charges, the prosecutor, the penalties.
- Tip #2 – find a law firm that offers payment plans. This way, it will allow you to hire professional legal representation with payments that you can afford even with a lower income or government assistance
- Tip #3 – If you can afford it, hire. Period. There is too much at stake with a 1-3 year license suspension.
What is Legal Aid and how does it work?
Legal aid is a government-funded program that provides legal services for people with low income who can't afford legal representation. Legal Aid Ontario is responsible for providing legal services to eligible individuals. Legal aid services include legal advice, family mediation, and court representation.
Can I get legal aid for my stunt driving charges in Ontario?
Legal aid is rarely granted for traffic offences such as stunt driving, except in cases where there is a serious risk of jail time. This is only for the most serious cases of stunt driving, such as repeat offenders. Due to the mandatory 1-3 year license suspension for stunt driving, prosecutors don't often seek jail time for first-time offences.
