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, 2024

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
$28,665
One adult and one child
$35,074
One adult and two children or more
$37,442
Spouses
$39,895
Two adults and one child
$44,638
Two adults and two children or more
$47,008
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
$28,666 to $30,087
$100
$30,088 to $31,509
$200
$31,510 to $32,931
$300
$32,932 to $34,354
$400
$34,355 to $35,776
$500
$35,777 to $37,198
$600
$37,199 to $38,620
$700
$38,621 to $40,043
$800
One adult and one child
$35,075 to $36,812
$100
$36,813 to $38,550
$200
$38,551 to $40,288
$300
$40,289 to $42,027
$400
$42,028 to $43,765
$500
$43,766 to $45,503
$600
$45,504 to $47,241
$700
$47,242 to $48,980
$800
One adult and two children or more
$37,443 to $39,298
$100
$39,299 to $41,153
$200
$41,154 to $43,009
$300
$43,010 to $44,865
$400
$44,866 to $46,720
$500
$46,721 to $48,576
$600
$48,577 to $50,431
$700
$50,432 to $52,288
$800
Spouses without children
$39,896 to $41,873
$100
$41,874 to $43,852
$200
$43,853 to $45,830
$300
$45,831 to $47,809
$400
$47,810 to $49,787
$500
$49,788 to $51,765
$600
$51,766 to $53,744
$700
$53,745 to $55,723
$800
Spouses with one child
$44,639 to $46,851
$100
$46,852 to $49,056
$200
$49,057 to $51,278
$300
$51,279 to $53,491
$400
$53,492 to $55,704
$500
$55,705 to $57,918
$600
$57,919 to $60,131
$700
$60,132 to $62,345
$800
Two spouses with two children or more
$47,009 to $49,339
$100
$49,340 to $51,670
$200
$51,671 to $54,001
$300
$54,002 to $56,332
$400
$56,333 to $58,663
$500
$58,664 to $60,994
$600
$60,995 to $63,325
$700
$63,326 to $65,657
$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
<$34,398
You are single with one child
<$42,089
You are single with two children or more
<$44,931
You have a spouse
<$47,874
You have a spouse and one child
<$53,566
You have a spouse and two children or more
<$56,410
Contributory aid
You are single
$34,399 to $48,052
You are single with one child
$42,090 to $58,776
You are single with two children or more
$44,932 to $62,746
You have a spouse
$47,875 to $66,868
You have a spouse and one child
$53,567 to $74,814
You have a spouse and two children or more
$56,411 to $78,789