Free Legal Information for Alberta.
From Calgary to Fort McMurray, when you're arrested, handed an Immediate Roadside Sanction at the side of the highway, or a child-intervention worker shows up at your door, you need answers fast — not a wait until Monday morning. The Legal Hotline gives Albertans free, plain-language legal information from an AI legal assistant trained on Alberta and Canadian law. Call our free line any hour, ask as many questions as you like, and get clear legal information on how Alberta's courts and laws actually work. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Alberta can be booked right on the call if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Alberta.
Need legal help in Alberta right now?
Call our free line and tell our AI legal assistant what's happening — an impaired-driving stop in Calgary, an Immediate Roadside Sanction in Edmonton, a custody dispute, a child-intervention visit — and get clear legal information on how Alberta and Canadian law work and what your options are. Ask as many questions as you like. That's legal information, not legal advice on your specific case, and using the service won't create a lawyer-client relationship — we're not a law firm or legal aid. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Alberta can be booked right on the call if you decide you want representation. If you've been arrested today, say as little as possible to police, ask to speak to a lawyer, and call Legal Aid Alberta at 1-866-845-3425 — free duty counsel is also available by phone if you've been detained.
Choose your area of law in Alberta
How it works
The law in Alberta
Alberta's court system has been renamed in recent years, which trips up almost everyone. There are two trial courts. The Alberta Court of Justice — called the Provincial Court of Alberta until 2023 — is staffed by provincially appointed judges; almost every criminal charge in the province starts here, and it handles youth criminal matters, traffic and provincial offences, a broad range of family and child-intervention applications, and civil claims up to $100,000. The Court of King's Bench of Alberta is the higher trial court, with inherent jurisdiction over civil, serious criminal, and family matters. It has sole authority over divorce and the division of family property, hears civil claims of any value, and is where jury trials take place.Above the trial courts sits the Court of Appeal of Alberta, the province's highest court, which hears appeals from the Court of King's Bench and from the Alberta Court of Justice. Beyond Alberta, the Supreme Court of Canada is the final court of appeal for the entire country, though it hears only a small number of cases, usually with leave. A point that trips up many Albertans: a great deal of everyday dispute resolution doesn't happen in a 'court' at all. Most impaired-driving cases, for instance, are now handled administratively through the SafeRoads Alberta / Immediate Roadside Sanctions program rather than in criminal court — so a driver fighting a roadside sanction and a person facing an assault charge are in entirely different parts of the system.
The substantive law is split between two levels of government, and this division matters. Criminal law — including impaired driving, assault, and theft — is federal, set out in the Criminal Code and applied the same way across every province and territory. Divorce is also federal, under the Divorce Act. But a great deal of the law that shapes daily life is provincial: Alberta's Family Law Act and Family Property Act (property, support, and parenting), the Residential Tenancies Act (renting), the Employment Standards Code (work), the Traffic Safety Act (licensing and roadside sanctions), and the Limitations Act, which sets the deadlines for suing. Whatever your issue, the Legal Hotline can explain in plain English how this system applies to you — that's legal information, not legal advice — and connect you with an Alberta-licensed lawyer if you need one.
Court Structure
- Alberta Court of Justice (formerly Provincial Court) — most criminal charges, youth, traffic, much family & child intervention
- Alberta Court of Justice (civil) — civil disputes up to $100,000
- Court of King's Bench of Alberta — civil (any value), serious criminal, divorce & family property
- Court of Appeal of Alberta — the province's highest court
- Supreme Court of Canada — final appeal for the whole country
- SafeRoads Alberta — administrative reviews of Immediate Roadside Sanctions (not a court)
Key Laws
- Criminal Code of Canada (federal — impaired driving, assault, theft)
- Divorce Act (federal — divorce, parenting after divorce)
- Alberta Family Law Act & Family Property Act
- Residential Tenancies Act (renting & evictions)
- Employment Standards Code
- Limitations Act (two-year basic / ten-year ultimate deadline to sue)
Key Bodies
- Law Society of Alberta (regulates lawyers)
- Legal Aid Alberta (legalaid.ab.ca)
- SafeRoads Alberta (impaired-driving roadside sanctions)
- Alberta Registries / Transportation (licensing)
In Alberta, Most Impaired-Driving Cases Never Reach Criminal Court — They're Decided at the Roadside
Most people assume an impaired-driving stop means a day in criminal court. In Alberta, that's usually no longer true. Since the SafeRoads Alberta program launched, the great majority of impaired-driving cases are handled through Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS) — administrative penalties imposed on the spot under the provincial Traffic Safety Act, not the criminal courts. If a roadside test puts you in the 'warn range' (a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.05 to 0.079), you face an IRS Warn with an immediate short licence suspension. If you blow 0.08 or over, fail, or refuse a test, an IRS Fail brings an immediate 90-day licence suspension followed by a 12-month ignition-interlock term, a 30-day vehicle seizure, a $1,000 fine and victim surcharge, and mandatory education. You have only 7 days to file an appeal with SafeRoads Alberta — and these provincial penalties can apply on top of any federal Criminal Code prosecution. What you do in those first days matters enormously. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how impaired-driving law works here — and a paid lawyer consultation can be booked right on the call if you need one.
Free & low-cost legal help in Alberta
Alberta has a real network of free and low-cost legal help, but most of it runs on business hours and income tests. These organizations are genuinely useful for criminal duty counsel, plain-language legal information, and civil and family problems — just know they can be slow and eligibility-gated. The Legal Hotline is designed to be different: instant, free legal information with no income test, live now on 1-855-LAW-1555. These are also real, currently available Alberta resources worth knowing right now.
Legal Hotline covers all of Alberta
Wherever you are in Alberta, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:
Frequently asked questions — Alberta
Is there a free legal hotline in Alberta I can call right now?
Yes — the Legal Hotline is live for Alberta. Call our free line any hour and our AI legal assistant gives you clear legal information — not legal advice — with no income test and no limit on how many questions you ask. Other real Alberta resources can also help: Legal Aid Alberta (1-866-845-3425) assists financially eligible low-income people, and free duty counsel is available by phone 24/7 if you've been arrested or detained. CPLEA (cplea.ca) offers free plain-language legal information, and clinics like Calgary Legal Guidance and Student Legal Services of Edmonton give free advice to those who qualify. A paid consultation with an Alberta-licensed lawyer can be booked right on the call if you want one.
I was just arrested in Alberta. What should I do tonight?
Stay calm, identify yourself if required, and say as little as possible beyond that — then clearly tell police you want to speak to a lawyer and stop talking. Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms you have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay and the right to remain silent, and police must give you a reasonable chance to call a lawyer. Legal Aid Alberta provides free duty counsel by phone 24/7 to people who are arrested or detained — a reserved number is posted in police stations, and you can reach Legal Aid Alberta at 1-866-845-3425. You can also call the Legal Hotline free for clear information on how the Alberta criminal process — bail, first appearance, disclosure — works; a paid criminal-defence lawyer consultation can be booked right on the call if you want one.
What happens after an Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS) in Alberta?
Alberta now handles most impaired-driving cases through the SafeRoads Alberta Immediate Roadside Sanctions program rather than the criminal courts. If you're in the 'warn range' (0.05 to 0.079), an IRS Warn brings a short immediate licence suspension. If you blow 0.08 or over, fail, or refuse, an IRS Fail brings an immediate 90-day licence suspension, a 12-month ignition-interlock term, a 30-day vehicle seizure, a $1,000 fine and victim surcharge, and mandatory education. Crucially, you have only 7 days to request a review with SafeRoads Alberta — miss it and the penalty stands. These provincial penalties can also apply alongside a federal Criminal Code charge. Call the Legal Hotline free for clear information on how IRS and impaired-driving law work here; a paid lawyer consultation can be booked right on the call if you want to challenge it.
What's the difference between impaired driving and 'over 80' in Alberta?
They're related criminal offences under the federal Criminal Code, and Alberta uses 'impaired driving' or 'over 80', not 'DUI'. 'Impaired' means your ability to drive was affected by alcohol or drugs, proven by how you drove and behaved. 'Over 80' means your blood-alcohol concentration was at or above 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood (0.08) regardless of how you appeared. Separately — and this is what surprises people — Alberta's Immediate Roadside Sanctions program imposes administrative penalties (licence suspension, vehicle seizure, interlock) on the spot under the Traffic Safety Act, often instead of or alongside a criminal charge, with only 7 days to appeal. Call the Legal Hotline free for clear information on how this works; a paid lawyer consultation can be booked right on the call if you want to fight it.
I got an eviction notice in Alberta — how much time do I have?
In Alberta, residential tenancies are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act. A landlord must serve proper written notice for the right reason — the notice period depends on why they're ending the tenancy (for example, unpaid rent has a shorter notice than a no-fault termination). A landlord generally cannot lawfully change the locks or remove you without going through the proper process, and disputes can be resolved through the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) or the Court of King's Bench. Don't ignore the papers and don't move out just because you got a notice. Call the Legal Hotline free for clear information on how the process works; CPLEA (cplea.ca) also explains it, and clinics like Calgary Legal Guidance may help if you qualify.
A child-intervention worker is investigating my family in Alberta. Can I get help?
Yes, and you should get advice early. In Alberta, child-intervention cases are brought under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and heard in the Alberta Court of Justice on tight timelines, with early hearings that shape what follows. You generally have the right to a lawyer, and Legal Aid Alberta may provide one if you qualify financially — call 1-866-845-3425. You can also call the Legal Hotline free for clear legal information about how the child-intervention process works and your rights as a parent — that's information, not advice on your specific case — and a paid family-law lawyer consultation can be booked right on the call if you want representation.
How long do I have to sue someone in Alberta?
For most civil claims, Alberta's Limitations Act sets a basic limitation period of two years from the day you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the claim — not necessarily the day the event happened. There is also an ultimate limitation period of 10 years from the act or omission, regardless of discovery. Some claims have different rules, and missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to sue entirely, so timing is critical. The Alberta Court of Justice handles civil claims up to $100,000 — one of the highest such limits in Canada — while larger claims go to the Court of King's Bench. Call the Legal Hotline free for clear information on how limitation periods apply to your situation; a paid lawyer consultation can be booked right on the call if you need one.
How is the Legal Hotline different from a lawyer or legal aid?
We're built to be a fast first step, not a law firm. When you call the Legal Hotline in Alberta, our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about Alberta and Canadian law instantly — but it does not give legal advice on your specific case, is not a substitute for a licensed lawyer, and using it won't create a lawyer-client relationship. We're not legal aid either: Legal Aid Alberta and clinics like Calgary Legal Guidance offer free help but screen by income and operate mostly in business hours. If you decide you want a lawyer, you can book a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Alberta right on the call. You'll get answers fast now, plus a clear path to representation on the same call.
How do I get a lawyer in Alberta if I can't afford one?
Start with the free and low-cost options. For criminal charges, Legal Aid Alberta (1-866-845-3425) may issue a certificate or provide duty counsel if you qualify financially; tell the court at your first appearance that you're seeking legal aid. For civil and family problems, clinics like Calgary Legal Guidance and Student Legal Services of Edmonton can help, and CPLEA (cplea.ca) offers free plain-language legal information. The Law Society of Alberta's lawyer referral service can connect you with a lawyer for a brief consultation. The Legal Hotline adds instant, free legal information with no income test — call our free line any time.
Does the Criminal Code apply the same way across Canada?
Yes. Criminal law in Canada is federal, so the Criminal Code applies the same way in Alberta as it does in every other province and territory — the offences and maximum penalties for things like impaired driving, assault, and theft don't change when you cross a provincial border. What does vary is how cases are administered locally: which court hears them, local police and Crown practices, and provincial penalties layered on top — most notably Alberta's Immediate Roadside Sanctions, which handle most impaired-driving cases administratively rather than in criminal court. The Legal Hotline is trained on both the federal Criminal Code and Alberta's provincial laws, so the information you get when you call reflects how things actually work where you are.
Can the Legal Hotline help me with an immigration or refugee matter in Alberta?
Immigration and refugee law is federal, governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and decided by bodies like Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Board — so the core rules are the same across Canada. Call the Legal Hotline free for clear legal information on permanent residence, work and study permits, refugee claims, detention, and removal — that's information, not legal advice on your case. Legal Aid Alberta also provides immigration and refugee help to those who qualify (1-866-845-3425). If you want representation, a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Alberta can be booked right on the call.
Alberta Lawyers: Join Our Referral Network — Paid Consultations Are Live
Are you licensed in Alberta and ready for new clients? Our free legal-information line is already live across Canada, and we're building our Alberta network for our live paid-consultation service — connecting people in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, and beyond with lawyers. Join now to receive matched, paying clients in your practice areas — criminal, family, immigration, employment, civil, and more.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy against current Canadian federal and provincial law. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.
Sources & further reading
- Alberta Court of Justice (formerly Provincial Court)
- Court of King's Bench of Alberta
- SafeRoads Alberta — Immediate Roadside Sanction reviews
- Criminal Code of Canada, s. 320.14 (impaired operation / over 80)
- Limitations Act (RSA 2000, c. L-12) — two-year / ten-year limitation
- Legal Aid Alberta
- Law Society of Alberta — Lawyer Referral Service
Free Legal Information for Alberta.
Whether you're in Calgary, Edmonton, the foothills, or a small town up north, legal trouble doesn't keep business hours. The Legal Hotline gives Albertans free, plain-language legal information on Alberta and Canadian law, available any hour — just call our free line and ask as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and we're not a law firm or legal aid. A paid consultation with an Alberta-licensed lawyer can be booked right on the call if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.