Legal Information/ Legal Briefs
Legal Briefs
Until 2010, these legal briefs provide examples of judgments pertaining to everyday situations. Beginning in 2012, they deal with various topics of general interest, such as rental issues, family law, human rights, civil liability, insurance, dealings between spouses and social aid. They are intended to inform and to prevent undesirable situations.
Legal Briefs 2025
November/December
Legal Aid: How Do I Apply and Am I Financially Eligible?
How do I apply?
To apply for legal aid, you must go to the Legal Aid Office closest to where you live, or, if applicable, the legal aid office in the judicial district where the legal proceedings for which you require legal services take place, and make an appointment.
It is not possible to determine whether you are eligible or to apply for legal aid by phone or online.
Am I financially eligible?Once all the information needed to assess your application has been obtained, a decision must be made as to whether you are financially eligible and whether the requested legal service is covered.
Legal aid is granted for the legal services specifically provided for by law. For example, legal aid is granted for
- family matters;
- youth protection;
- representation of young offenders;
- prosecution for an indictable offence;
- claims related to income support, automobile insurance, employment insurance and workmen’s compensation benefits.
Legal aid may also be granted for summary criminal proceedings or certain administrative or civil remedies, provided the case review indicates that the service is necessary. For summary proceedings, the criteria are as follows:
- the likelihood that the accused will be imprisoned;
- loss of their livelihood, or the interests of justice, considering the exceptionalcircumstances of the case, including its seriousness and complexity.
The criteria for civil and other types of remedies are a threat to the physical or psychological safety, livelihood or ability to provide for basic needs of the applicant or members of their family, or a serious infringement of their freedom.
Our lawyers can assist you with various aspects of housing law. The following list is not exhaustive:
- resiliation of a lease;
- sanitation issues (mould, presence or vermin);
- major repairs;
- subsidized housing;
- landlord’s failure to fulfill their obligations;
- unreasonable rent increase.
You can also consult us to learn more about our services related to bankruptcy. We can help and advise you on the following issues (non-exhaustive list).
- indebtedness;
- voluntary deposit;
- bankruptcy;
- discharge from bankruptcy;
- discharge from student loans.
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To find the contact information for your legal aid office, please click on the following link: www.csj.qc.ca.
Legal brief *
November/December
2025
Number
11
Text prepared by Commission des services juridiques
* The information set out in this document is not a legal interpretation.
The masculine is used to designate persons solely in order to simplify the text.
October
Psychiatric Assessments
Following a court ruling concluding that there is good reason to believe that Olivia represents a danger to herself or to others due to her mental state and ordering that she be confined in an institution, Olivia must undergo a psychiatric assessment. She wonders exactly what this assessment will en
more
September
Criminal Harassment: When Letting Go Is Essential
Breaking up with someone always causes problems, whether emotional, financial or even residential. These problems, however, pale in comparison to the legal problems that can result from a poorly handled break-up. Criminal harassment is a broad offence that is defined as committing any of the followi
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August
Child Custody: Superior Court Versus
Court of Québec (Youth Division)
Jasmine and John are the parents of two children, Julian and Julie. When they separated, the parents agreed to share custody of their two children and decided to have their agreement confirmed by a court. They therefore obtained a judgment from the Superior Court, Family Division.
Custody was
more
April
Protecting Seniors from Economic Exploitation
With demographic aging, we are seeing a worrying increase in situations of financial exploitation of the elderly. This phenomenon manifests itself in various ways:
- Extortion of money: Individuals, often relatives, take advantage of their relationship of trust with seniors to cheat the
more
March
I’ve Been Charged With Assault With a Weapon – Really?!?
Clara knows she has a hot temper, and her angry outbursts sometimes get her into trouble, which is exactly what happened a few weeks ago at her son Victor’s soccer game.
A parent from the opposing team wouldn’t stop shouting nonsense, and Clara couldn’t listen to the unbearable screaming any
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January
Repossession of a Rental Property
The owner of a dwelling who is the landlord of the dwelling may repossess it for specific reasons, in general, as a residence for the landlord or for ascendants or descendants in the first degree or for any other relative or person connected by marriage or a civil union of whom the landlord is the m
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