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Press Releases
Press Releases 2021
Communiqué de presse du ministre de la Justice
Communiqué de presse du ministre de la Justice
Announcement of Justice, and the Chairman of the CSJ
Montreal, May 31, 2021 – As of today, the legal aid eligibility thresholds increased by 3.1 %, which is equal to the percentage by which the minimum wage increased on May 1, 2021.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Québec, Simon Jolin-Barrette, and the Chairman of the Commission des services juridiques, Me Yvan Niquette, made the announcement today.
Me Niquette recalled that, on January 1, 2016, the eligibility thresholds for no-cost legal aid were increased, with the minimum wage as a reference point. The current indexation therefore maintains the eligibility thresholds at this level.
As a result, a person who is single and works a 35-hour week at minimum wage, which is $24,570 per year, has access to a lawyer, at no cost, within the framework of the legal aid system. Moreover, legal aid services are free to a family of two adults and two children whose income is less than $40,292.
The Québec legal aid plan includes a component for individuals whose income falls between the eligibility thresholds for free legal aid and the maximum thresholds requiring a contribution (contributory legal aid). According to Me Niquette, the contributory scheme offers a unique formula that allows individuals to be represented in court by a lawyer while knowing, in advance, the maximum amount of their legal fees and the costs that may be claimed from them. The contributory scheme allows an individual to receive legal services if his or her income, assets and liquidities match the eligibility scale in effect and if the individual pays a contribution ranging from $100 to $800, depending on the composition of the person’s family and the person’s financial situation. The eligibility scale for legal aid under the contributory scheme also increased by 3.1 %.
The Commission des services juridiques developed tools to evaluate the number of applicants who, were it not for the increase in the financial eligibility thresholds for legal aid since January 1, 2014, would not have qualified for legal aid. For the 2020-2021 year, the number of applicants amounted to 19,704.
“Offering Quebecers an accessible, efficient and modern justice system is a priority. The services provided by the Commission des services juridiques and by lawyers who work on legal aid mandates are essential and promote access to justice for our most vulnerable citizens. It is essential that the services offered be tailored to the needs and realities of Québec families,” said Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.
The new eligibility scale for services at no cost is as follows:
Class of Applicant Maximum Annual Income
For a single person
$24,570
For an applicant whose family is comprised of:
one adult and one child
$30,062
one adult and 2 children or +
$32,092
spouses without children
$34,195
spouses with 1 child
$38,259
spouses with 2 children or +
$40,291
The new eligibility scale for legal aid under the contributory scheme is as follows:
Class of Applicant Maximum Annual IncomeFor a single person $34,321For an applicant whose family is comprised of:one adult and one child
$41,982
one adult and 2 children or +
$44,818
spouses without children
$47,762
spouses with 1 child
$53,437
spouses with 2 children or +
$56,276
About the Commission des services juridiquesThe Commission des services juridiques is the agency charged with applying the
Act respecting legal aid and the provision of certain other legal services in Québec. Legal aid may be granted to anyone who is financially eligible, in order to cover various legal services involving civil, family, administrative, criminal, health, immigration or youth law matters. It is also the agency charged with offering the Homologation Assistance Service (HAS) and the Service administratif de rajustement des pensions alimentaires pour enfants (SARPA), a child support recalculation service.
For more information, please visit the website of the Commission des services juridiques at:
http://www.csj.qc.ca/.
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Sources: Me Richard La Charité, rlacharite@csj.qc.ca
Director, Communications Department
Commission des services juridiques
(514) 873-3562, extension 232
Élisabeth Gosselin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Québec
(418) 643-4210