If you don’t qualify for representation by a free legal aid lawyer, you may still be able to get free legal advice services, including duty counsel services.
Criminal and immigration legal advice is always free.
Criminal law
- Duty counsel (lawyers at Provincial courthouses who give advice about criminal charges, court procedures, and legal rights)
- Brydges Line (toll-free telephone service for people arrested, detained, or under investigation)
Immigration law
- Duty counsel (lawyers who give advice to people detained at the CBSA’s enforcement centre)
You must qualify financially for some kinds of family legal advice.
Family law and child protection
Family duty counsel services are mostly in-person, with remote-only services available at some locations. For contact information and hours, please see FDC locations listings at the bottom of this page
- Duty counsel (lawyers at courthouses who give advice to people representing themselves in court on family law and child protection matters, and help them to fill out their forms)
Family advice lawyer services are only offered by phone at this time.
- Advice lawyers (lawyers at Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres who give advice about parenting time, support, agreements, and child protection matters to people going through a separation or divorce. Family advice lawyers at Family Justice Centres provide this service remotely.)
- Family LawLINE (telephone service where family lawyers give advice about parenting time, support, agreements, and child protection matters)
See Do I qualify for free family legal advice? to see if you qualify.