Change of Circumstances
You must tell Legal Aid Manitoba (LAM) if there is a change in your income or family size, or some other factor that would affect:
- Your financial eligibility for legal aid
- Your ability to pay for legal aid through the Agreement to Pay (ATP) program
Make a Report
To report your change of circumstances:
- Contact the Area Office where you applied for legal aid
- Ask for, or address your written communication to the Area Director
- Inform the Area Director of your change of circumstances
- Inform your lawyer (your lawyer is also required to report the change to LAM)
What if I can no longer afford my ATP program payments?
If your financial circumstances change for the worse, and if you contact us, we may be able to:
- Postpone your payments
- Reduce the amount of your payments
- Cancel your payments completely – for example, if you lost your job
- Refund the difference if you end up paying more than the cost of your case
Failure to Report
If you fail to report a change of circumstances and LAM finds out that you were receiving legal aid improperly, you may be required to pay back the cost of your legal aid.
If you miss your ATP program payments, and if you don’t contact us, we will cancel your coverage. We may also take legal action to collect what is owing. If you have to apply for legal aid at some time in the future, you may be rejected because you have not paid what you owe.
