Free and Low-Cost Legal Services
If you need legal help and cannot afford a lawyer, there are some free and low cost legal services available.
If you need help with a criminal or family law matter, you should also check with Legal Aid.
East Coast Environmental Law offers a free inquiry service that can provide callers with general legal information about environmental law. This service can help you identify some options to:
- report an environmental occurrence,
- request information from government bodies,
- participate in environmental assessment, and
- learn about decision-making processes, or explore opportunities to challenge environmental decisions.
You must submit inquiries through the East Coast Environmental Law Inquiry Service online form.
Elizabeth Fry NB offers free support to women and gender-diverse people who are impacted by criminalization. Their programming includes:
- Release planning
- Support for record-suspension (pardon) applications
- Legal and community help for court processes
Elizabeth Fry NB also provides support more broadly for marginalized people who are navigating the family law and civil law process.
You can contact Elizabeth Fry NB by phone or email.
(506) 635-8851 Email: efry@nb.aibn.comVisit the Elizabeth Fry NB website for more information about their programming.
The Family Law Information Centres (FLIC) offer information and resources about family law issues. They can answer questions, give you court forms, and refer you to other services, including the Family Advice Lawyer. You do not need an appointment to visit a FLIC. You can call or visit the FLIC for general inquiries or to get forms.
Moncton
If you live in Moncton or the surrounding Counties of Albert, Westmorland, and Kent, call (506) 856-3131 to book an appointment. The Moncton FLIC is located in the Moncton Law Courts: 145 Assomption Blvd, First Floor.
Saint John
If you live in Saint John or the surrounding Counties of Charlotte and Kings, call (506) 658-2261. The Saint John FLIC is located in the Saint John Law Courts: 10 Peel Plaza, Level 2 Floor.
The Family Law Info Clinic is a free service, located in Moncton, that provides 30-minute appointments with a lawyer for you to discuss your family law matters. This Clinic can give information about:
- Divorce and Separation
- Child Support
- Spousal Support
- Parenting arrangements
- Division of marital property
This service is available from September to March.
The Family Law Info Clinic is a partnership between Pro-Bono Student Canada, YWCA Moncton, and Université de Moncton
The Fredericton Legal Advice Clinic (FLAC) provides free summary legal advice to low-income people in New Brunswick. Summary legal advice means that a lawyer will review your problem and give you legal advice on what the law says, what you should do, and what might happen. You can meet with a lawyer in person or online for a 30 minute appointment.
To use FLAC, you must not already have a lawyer representing you.
FLAC can help with landlord and tenant issues, criminal law, family law, and employment law. They may also be able to help with other legal issues. There is no financial eligibility requirement.
You can book an appointment on the FLAC website or by calling (506) 476-0024.
The Imprint Trans ID Clinic is a free service for individuals who want to update their name and gender marker on government documents.
The Clinic serves clients from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia who wish to update their Birth Certificate, Driver’s License, Medicare Card, SIN Number, Passport, and/or Newcomer documents.
You can book an appointment online.
This service is available from September to March.
The Imprint Trans ID Clinic is a partnership between Pro-Bono Students Canada, McInnes Cooper, Université de Moncton, and the University of New Brunswick.
The Justice Client Triage Centre can help answer routine, general questions. This includes questions about:
- Court processes for the New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench and New Brunswick Provincial Court
- Court schedule
- Support payments
You can also use the Justice Client Triage Centre pass along messages within the court, for example if you’re going to be late for a court hearing.
The Justice Client Triage Centre will transfer you to the appropriate court, if they can’t answer your question.
(506) 856-2304The NB Coalition for Tenants Rights provides information and advocacy for tenants in New Brunswick. Their website has helpful information about residential tenancy law and other resources to help you know your rights.
You can contact the Coalition at info@nbtenants.ca. They do not provide legal representation at this time.
The New Brunswick Refugee Clinic offers legal help to low-income people who are making refugee claims at the Immigration and Refugee Board. They also help at-risk people with applications for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
To get legal help from the Refugee Clinic, you must be applying from within Canada.
There is a financial eligibility criteria for their services. The Refugee Clinic will consider many factors in their income assessment.
To make an appointment, call (506) 204-5781.PLEIS-NB offers a toll-free Legal Information Line in both French and English. You can call or email the Legal Information Line to ask for legal information about any topic.
We can answer questions about the law in New Brunswick, legal procedures, legal terms, and the court system. We can also tell you about sources of free or low-cost legal help or other kinds of support.
The Legal Information Line does not give legal advice. Please contact a lawyer if you need legal advice about your situation.
PLEIS-NB offers a toll-free Family Law Information Line in both French and English.
The Family Law Information Line does not give legal advice. Contact a lawyer if you need legal advice about your situation.
The Family Law Information Line gives legal information about family law in New Brunswick and the related legal rules, legal terms, and court procedures.
The Family Law Information Line can answer questions about:
- Child support
- Decision-making responsibility
- Divorce
- Domestic violence
- Parenting time
- Spousal support
- Support enforcement, and more
Sexual Violence NB (SVNB) offers this free service to provide legal guidance and support to survivors of sexual violence. Sexual Violence NB’s Support Advocates and lawyers can provide an initial consultation, discus available options, and provide information about potential outcomes.
This service is available to survivors of sexual violence located in Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John.
You may self-refer to this program by calling or emailing Sexual Violence NB.
(506) 454-0460 Email: ILA@SVNB.caThe UNB Legal Clinic in Fredericton provides free legal services to low-income people who do not qualify for Legal Aid. These services are provided by law students who are supervised by a lawyer.
The Clinic takes clients for:
- Employment law
- Human rights law
- Immigration and Refugee law (help with forms)
- Landlord and tenant matters
- Notary services
- Provincial offences (tickets) – to be announced
- Small claims court matters
- Social benefits issues (like appeals or issues related to Income Assistance, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Employment Insurance, and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit)
- Uncontested Divorce – to be announced
The UNB Legal Clinic uses financial eligibility criteria to decide who is eligible for its services.
To learn more or to make an appointment with the UNB Legal Clinic, email lawclinic@unb.ca or call (506) 452-5856.
The Wills Project is a free service that drafts wills and powers of attorney for eligible individuals. To qualify, you must meet both of the following criteria.
- Less than $35,000 in annual income, and
- Less than $65,000 in global assets, not including your home.
Spots are limited and offered on a first-come first-serve basis.
You can make an appointment by phone or email.
(506) 453-4721 Email: willsclinic@unb.caThis service is available from September to March.
The Wills project is a partnership between Pro-Bono Students Canada, Stewart McKelvey, and the University of New Brunswick.