Lawyers and paralegals must report annually on each mixed trust account held at any time during the licensee’s reporting year in their Lawyer Annual Report or the Paralegal Annual Report filing through the Law Society of Ontario Portal.

When opening a mixed trust account, lawyers and paralegals must direct their financial institution to pay the interest to The Law Foundation of Ontario. This could be in the form of a Letter of Direction. (Here is an example of a Letter of Direction in PDF format.) A copy of the letter sent to the financial institution should be kept by the licensee and should also be sent to the Foundation.

Need help? See our Report a mixed trust account webpage or contact us via email or at 416-598-1550.

Courts make cy-près awards when it is not practical to distribute all proceeds of a class action to individual plaintiffs.

The Law Foundation of Ontario’s Access to Justice Fund (ATJF) is a permanent fund available to receive such awards and many courts have approved the Foundation as a fitting and accountable recipient of cy-près awards.

If you are considering directing a cy-près award to the ATJF and have questions, please contact Tanya Lee, Chief Executive Officer at tlee@lawfoundation.on.ca or 416-598-1570.

Looking for legal help or information? Here are some resources:

Steps to Justice
This online resource provides comprehensive, step-by-step information on common legal problems.

Law Society Referral Service
This portal allows you to submit a request for free 30-minutes consultation with a legal representative to help you determine your rights and options.

Pro Bono Ontario Free Legal Advice Hotline
If you can’t afford a lawyer and need help with a civil matter (no family law or criminal law), you can call toll-free for up to 30 minutes of free legal advice and assistance.

Legal Aid Ontario
Legal services are available for financially eligible, low-income Ontarians in the following areas: domestic violence, family law, immigration and refugee law, criminal law, and poverty law.

Ontario’s Family Law Limited Scope Services
Looking to hire a lawyer for a family law matter? This directory of lawyers offer limited scope or “unbundled” legal services, which are often a more affordable option of working with a lawyer.

The resources above are the responsibility of other organizations. When researching legal information, make sure you check that the material you are reading is applicable to your municipality, province, or country and is up-to-date.

The Law Foundation of Ontario is an organization that makes grants to nonprofit organizations. We do not provide legal help or advice.