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, 2025

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
$29,302
One adult and one child
$35,854
One adult and two children or more
$38,275
Spouses
$40,782
Two adults and one child
$45,630
Two adults and two children or more
$48,053
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
$29,303 to $30,756
$100
$30,757 to $32,210
$200
$32,211 to $33,663
$300
$33,664 to $35,117
$400
$35,118 to $36,571
$500
$36,572 to $38,025
$600
$38,026 to $39,478
$700
$39,479 to $40,933
$800
One adult and one child
$35,855 to $37,631
$100
$37,632 to $39,408
$200
$39,409 to $41,184
$300
$41,185 to $42,961
$400
$42,962 to $44,738
$500
$44,739 to $46,515
$600
$46,516 to $48,291
$700
$48,292 to $50,069
$800
One adult and two children or more
$38,276 to $40,172
$100
$40,173 to $42,069
$200
$42,070 to $43,965
$300
$43,966 to $45,862
$400
$45,863 to $47,759
$500
$47,760 to $49,656
$600
$49,657 to $51,552
$700
$51,553 to $53,450
$800
Spouses without children
$40,783 to $42,804
$100
$42,805 to $44,827
$200
$44,828 to $46,849
$300
$46,850 to $48,872
$400
$48,873 to $50,894
$500
$50,895 to $52,916
$600
$52,917 to $54,939
$700
$54,940 to $56,962
$800
Spouses with one child
$45,631 to $47,893
$100
$47,894 to $50,155
$200
$50,156 to $52,418
$300
$52,419 to $54,680
$400
$54,681 to $56,943
$500
$56,944 to $59,205
$600
$59,206 to $61,468
$700
$61,469 to $63,731
$800
Two spouses with two children or more
$48,054 to $50,436
$100
$50,437 to $52,819
$200
$52,820 to $55,202
$300
$55,203 to $57,585
$400
$57,586 to $59,967
$500
$59,968 to $62,350
$600
$62,351 to $64,733
$700
$64,734 to $67,117
$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
<$35,163
You are single with one child
<$43,026
You are single with two children or more
<$45,931
You have a spouse
<$48,940
You have a spouse and one child
<$54,757
You have a spouse and two children or more
<$57,665
Contributory aid
You are single
$35,164 to $49,120
You are single with one child
$43,027 to $60,083
You are single with two children or more
$45,932 to $64,140
You have a spouse
$48,941 to $68,355
You have a spouse and one child
$54,758 to $76,478
You have a spouse and two children or more
$57,666 to $80,541