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Eligibility
How to Obtain Legal Aid
To apply for legal aid, please contact the Legal Aid office in your region and schedule an appointment.
An application will be completed, and your financial eligibility as well as the coverage of the requested service will be assessed in accordance with the Act respecting legal aid and the provision of certain other legal services and its regulations.
Am I eligible for Legal Aid?
Eligibility depends on your financial situation and the type of service requested. Legal aid may be provided free of charge or with a financial contribution (ranging from $100 to $800).
Individuals receiving social assistance or social solidarity benefits are automatically financially eligible.
Assessment of Financial Eligibility
You are not required to automatically provide your financial documents (income, assets, or liquid funds) when submitting your application for legal aid. However, these documents must be provided upon request by the Legal Aid office.
Community Legal Aid Centres may also request these documents if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant is not, or is no longer, eligible for legal aid.
If you have already been declared eligible within the past 12 months and your financial situation has not changed, you are not required to submit supporting documents, but you must confirm the accuracy of your information by declaration.
Verification of Legal Aid Eligibility
During this meeting, you will be asked to present your financial situation and, if applicable, that of your family.
An assessment of your financial and legal situation will be carried out in order to determine your financial eligibility and the scope of service coverage. If you have any legal documents in your possession, it may be helpful to provide them at that time.
Eligibility Scales for Free and Contributory Legal Aid
To learn more about the eligibility scales, we invite you to consult the eligibility scales for free legal aid and contributory legal aid.
Free Services
A person may qualify for free legal aid (free component) if their personal situation meets the eligibility criteria established under the Legal Aid Act and the provision of certain other legal services and the Regulation respecting legal aid.
Eligibility criteria are determined based on the following factors:
Annual income (all sources of income, such as workers’ compensation benefits, tips, etc.)
Family situation (spouse, children, etc.)
Value of certain assets (home, RRSPs, etc.)
Liquid assets (savings, investments, etc.)
Individuals receiving social assistance or social solidarity benefits are automatically financially eligible.
– Download the annual income (gross) eligibility scale
Am I eligible for free legal aid?
Eligibility for legal aid can only be assessed at a legal aid office. Please contact the legal aid office in your region to schedule an appointment.
Services requiring a contribution
Under the contributory program, an eligible person may receive legal services by paying a financial contribution ranging from $100 to $800, depending on their situation. This program allows individuals to know in advance the total cost associated with their legal needs.
The eligibility scale for the contributory program is as follows:
– Download the contribution scale chart
For certain remote regions, the amounts shown in the above table are increased by 20%.
The financial contribution may be paid in installments. It may also be partially reimbursed if the costs associated with the requested service are lower than expected.
Have you checked if you are eligible?
Eligibility for legal aid can only be assessed at a legal aid office. Please contact the legal aid office in your region to schedule an appointment.
Is a minor child entitled to Legal Aid?
Minor children are eligible for free legal aid.
However, if a judge of the Superior Court appoints a lawyer to represent the child, the parents will be responsible for the cost of the services.
Individuals eligible for free legal aid pay nothing, while those eligible under the contributory plan pay the lesser of their calculated contribution and the cost of the service, in accordance with the Regulation respecting legal aid.
Homologation Assistance Service (SAH) and Service administratif de rajustement des pensions alimentaires pour enfants (an administrative Child support recalculation service) (SARPA)
Exceptionally, an applicant who is not financially eligible for legal aid may still obtain the service by paying the applicable fee.
$647 (subject to indexation) for the SAH
$57.25 (subject to indexation) for the SARPA
Request for Review
You may contest or request a review of a decision made by a Community Legal Aid Centre by submitting a request to the Review Committee of the Commission des services juridiques.
Any interested party may challenge the financial eligibility of a legal aid beneficiary by submitting a request to the Community Legal Aid Centre in their region.
For more information, please consult the Review Committee web page
Obtaining a Legal Aid Mandate for a Private Practice Lawyer
To obtain a legal aid mandate for a private practice lawyer, you must submit an application for legal aid to the Legal Aid office assigned to your place of residence and schedule an appointment.
You may also submit your application at the Legal Aid office located where your legal proceedings are taking place.