Legal aid

If a person has only minimal income or no income at all, they can make an appointment with a legal aid office to confirm their eligibility. The contact details of the various legal aid offices are available on the website of the Commission des services juridiques.

At the first appointment, the person will meet a lawyer who will review their financial situation and inform them of the legal assistance services they are entitled to — services provided free of charge by the government, with or without a financial contribution on their part. The thresholds that apply are also available on the website of the Commission des services juridiques.

If the person is eligible for legal aid, a legal aid lawyer will act for them before the court, or the person may be represented by a lawyer in private practice who accepts legal aid mandates.

We do accept legal aid mandates. We suggest you consult the website of the Commission des services juridiques to check your financial eligibility.

No, but it covers the most common ones. It notably covers family law cases (custody, child support, divorce), youth protection, certain civil and administrative matters, and most criminal cases. Other matters are eligible only if the case puts your security or your family's livelihood at stake. During the assessment, the lawyer at the legal aid office will tell you whether your situation is covered.

There is a contributory option. If your income is above the threshold for free legal aid but below the upper threshold, you may still qualify by paying a contribution, set according to your income and family size. It is paid once for the whole case, however long it lasts — often far less than the fees for a full case in private practice.

Yes. You may be represented by the lawyer at the legal aid office or by a lawyer in private practice who accepts these mandates, such as our firm. In that case, the legal aid office issues the mandate, and we handle your case like any other, in Sherbrooke or Quebec City.