Eligibility

To have access to legal aid, your personal situation must meet the requirements set out under the Legal Aid Act and the Legal Aid Regulation.

A person who receives benefits under a last-resort financial assistance program provided for in the Individual and Family Assistance Act, or who is a member of a family receiving such benefits (social assistance benefits)m is automatically eligible to gratuitous legal aid.

Gratuitous legal aid effective May 31, 2023

To have access to gratuitous legal aid, the applicant’s and his family’s financial situation must not exceed any of the following scales:

Gross annual income scale
Single person
$27,755
One adult and one child
$33,960
One adult and two children or more
$36,253
Spouses
$38,628
Two adults and one child
$43,220
Two adults and two children or more
$45,515
Assets scale
Applicant and owner spouse of the household
$90,000
Applicant and non-owning spouse of the household
$45,000
Liquidities scale
Single person
$2,500
Family
$5,000

Contributory legal aid

When the applicant’s financial situation exceeds one of the scales set forth for gratuitous legal aid, he can nonetheless be eligible for legal aid upon payment of a contribution. The contribution is calculated in increments of $100, up to a maximum of $800, in accordance with a scale. It must be paid within 15 days following the date of issuance of the eligibility certificate, but it can also be paid in instalments spread over a maximum period of 6 months.

Calculation

To know which of the gratuitous legal aid levels would apply to the applicant, we must first determine which class he corresponds to (e.g. single person, spouses with one child, etc.).

Are added to the amount laid down for the level the applicant corresponds to, the amounts equivalent to:

  • 100% of excess income;
  • 10% of excess assets; and
  • 100% of excess liquidities.

The resulting total amount is the deemed income used to determine if the applicant is eligible for contributory legal aid.

Single person
$27,756 to $29,132
$100
$29,133 to $30,509
$200
$30,510 to $31,886
$300
$31,887 to $33,263
$400
$33,264 to $34,639
$500
$34,640 to $36,016
$600
$36,017 to $37,393
$700
$37,394 to $38,771
$800
One adult and one child
$33,961 to $35,643
$100
$35,644 to $37,326
$200
$37,327 to $39,009
$300
$39,010 to $40,692
$400
$40,693 to $42,375
$500
$42,376 to $44,058
$600
$44,059 to $45,741
$700
$45,742 to $47,425
$800
One adult and two children or more
$36,254 to $38,050
$100
$38,051 to $39,847
$200
$39,848 to $41,643
$300
$41,644 to $43,440
$400
$43,441 to $45,237
$500
$45,238 to $47,034
$600
$47,035 to $48,830
$700
$48,831 to $50,628
$800
Spouses without children
$38,629 to $40,544
$100
$40,545 to $42,459
$200
$42,460 to $44,375
$300
$44,376 to $46,291
$400
$46,292 to $48,206
$500
$48,207 to $50,122
$600
$50,123 to $52,037
$700
$52,038 to $53,954
$800
Spouses with one child
$43,221 to $45,363
$100
$45,364 to $47,506
$200
$47,507 to $49,649
$300
$49,650 to $51,792
$400
$51,793 to $53,935
$500
$53,936 to $56,078
$600
$56,079 to $58,221
$700
$58,222 to $60,365
$800
Two spouses with two children or more
$45,516 to $47,772
$100
$47,773 to $50,029
$200
$50,030 to $52,286
$300
$52,287 to $54,543
$400
$54,544 to $56,800
$500
$56,801 to $59,057
$600
$59,058 to $61,314
$700
$61,315 to $63,572
$800

Eligibility scale for remote regions

Applicants who have resided for a minimum of six consecutive months in the localities of Mistissini, Oujé-Bougoumou, Waswanipi, or in any locality situated in any part of the territory of Quebec extending north of the 51st degree of latitude (James Bay, Hudson Bay, and Ungava Bay communities) upon submitting their application for legal aid, are considered residents of a remote region.

Free legal aid
You are single
<$33,306
You are single with one child
<$40,752
You are single with two children or more
<$43,504
You have a spouse
<$46,354
You have a spouse and one child
<$51,864
You have a spouse and two children or more
<$54,618
Contributory aid
You are single
$33,307 to $46,526
You are single with one child
$40,753 to $56,910
You are single with two children or more
$43,505 to $60,754
You have a spouse
$46,355 to $64,745
You have a spouse and one child
$51,865 to $72,438
You have a spouse and two children or more
$54,619 to $76,287