Free Legal Information for New Brunswick.
From Moncton to Saint John to Fredericton, when you're arrested, handed an eviction notice, or pulled into a family-court dispute, you need answers fast — not a wait until Monday morning. The Legal Hotline is live in New Brunswick: free, plain-language legal information from an AI legal assistant trained on New Brunswick and Canadian law. Call our free line any hour, ask as many questions as you like, and get clear information about your specific area of law. New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, and its courts run in both English and French. It's legal information, not legal advice, and there's no lawyer-client relationship — a paid consultation with a New Brunswick-licensed lawyer can be booked right on the call.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across New Brunswick.
Need legal help in New Brunswick right now?
Our free legal-information line is live in New Brunswick, and you can call now. Tell our AI legal assistant what's happening — an impaired-driving arrest in Moncton, an eviction in Saint John, a custody dispute in Fredericton — and get clear legal information on how New Brunswick 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 New Brunswick can be booked right on the call. If you've been arrested today, say as little as possible to police, ask to speak to a lawyer, and contact the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission, which operates a free telephone line for people who have been arrested or detained — 24 hours a day.
Choose your area of law in New Brunswick
How it works
The law in New Brunswick
New Brunswick's court system is compact, but knowing which court hears your problem is still the first hurdle. The Provincial Court of New Brunswick is the entry point for almost everyone charged with an offence — under the Criminal Code, other federal statutes, or provincial laws. Most criminal matters begin and many are resolved here, and it also handles a range of provincial-offence cases.Above it sits the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick, the superior trial court, which has original jurisdiction over major civil and criminal cases and is divided into two divisions. The Trial Division hears civil disputes (other than family matters), presides over criminal trials with or without a jury, and hears appeals from summary-conviction matters tried in the Provincial Court; it sits in eight judicial districts across the province. The Family Division deals with all family matters — divorce, division of marital property, spousal and child support, parenting orders, adoption, and child protection. A separate Probate Court handles wills and estates, and the Small Claims Court of New Brunswick resolves money and property disputes up to $20,000. At the top, the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick — which sits in Fredericton — is the province's highest court and the last avenue of appeal, except in the few cases that can go on to the Supreme Court of Canada, the final court for the whole country.
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: family property and support, the Residential Tenancies Act (renting), the Employment Standards Act (work), the Motor Vehicle Act (licensing and roadside suspensions), and the Limitation of Actions Act, which sets the deadlines for suing. One feature is unique to New Brunswick: it is Canada's only officially bilingual province, and you have a constitutionally protected right to use English or French in any court proceeding, with the court understanding your chosen language without an interpreter. Whatever your issue, the Legal Hotline can explain in plain language how this system applies to you — that's legal information, not legal advice — and connect you with a New Brunswick-licensed lawyer if you need one.
Court Structure
- Provincial Court of New Brunswick — entry point for almost all criminal charges
- Court of King's Bench (Trial Division) — major civil & criminal trials, summary-conviction appeals
- Court of King's Bench (Family Division) — divorce, support, parenting, child protection, marital property
- Small Claims Court of New Brunswick — money & property disputes up to $20,000
- Probate Court — wills and estates
- Court of Appeal of New Brunswick (Fredericton) — the province's highest court
- Supreme Court of Canada — final appeal for the whole country
Key Laws
- Criminal Code of Canada (federal — impaired driving, assault, theft)
- Divorce Act (federal — divorce, parenting after divorce)
- Motor Vehicle Act (licensing & roadside suspensions)
- Residential Tenancies Act (renting & evictions)
- Employment Standards Act
- Limitation of Actions Act, SNB 2009 (two-year basic deadline to sue)
Key Bodies
- Law Society of New Brunswick (regulates lawyers)
- New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission
- Public Legal Education and Information Service of NB (PLEIS-NB)
- Office of the Rentalsman / Residential Tenancies Tribunal (renting)
In New Brunswick, a Roadside Breath Test Can Cost You Your Licence Before Any Conviction
Most people assume you're only in trouble if you blow over the criminal limit of 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood. Not in New Brunswick. Since rules took effect on 1 January 2025, a roadside reading in the 'warn range' — a blood-alcohol concentration between 0.05 and 0.079 — triggers an immediate short-term licence suspension under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act: a 7-day suspension, a 3-day vehicle impoundment, and a $200 penalty for a first occurrence, rising for repeats within five years. At 0.08 or higher, or if you refuse to provide a sample, police can issue an Immediate Roadside Suspension — a 90-day licence suspension followed by a 12-month mandatory ignition interlock and a re-education course — instead of, or alongside, a charge under the federal Criminal Code. These administrative penalties apply before any conviction and before you ever see a courtroom. What you say and do at the roadside matters enormously. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how impaired-driving law works here — a paid consultation with a lawyer can be booked right on the call.
Free & low-cost legal help in New Brunswick
New Brunswick 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 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. Alongside it, these are real, currently available New Brunswick resources worth knowing, all available in English and French.
Legal Hotline covers all of New Brunswick
Wherever you are in New Brunswick, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:
Frequently asked questions — New Brunswick
Is there a free legal hotline in New Brunswick I can call right now?
Yes. The Legal Hotline is live in New Brunswick — call our free line any hour and our AI legal assistant gives you clear legal information, not legal advice, with no income test. Ask as many questions as you like, in English or French. Other real New Brunswick resources can also help: the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission assists financially eligible residents with criminal and family matters and runs a free 24-hour telephone line for people who have been arrested or detained; PLEIS-NB offers free plain-language legal information; and the Law Society of New Brunswick's referral service can connect you with a lawyer. A paid consultation with a New Brunswick-licensed lawyer through the Legal Hotline can be booked right on the call.
I was just arrested in New Brunswick. 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. The New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission runs a free telephone line, 24 hours a day, for people who are arrested or detained — and that arrest call has no income limit. The Legal Hotline is live too: call our free line and it will explain how New Brunswick criminal process — bail, first appearance, disclosure — works. A paid consultation with a criminal defence lawyer can be booked right on the call.
What's the difference between impaired driving and 'over 80' in New Brunswick?
They're related criminal offences under the federal Criminal Code, and New Brunswick 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) within two hours of driving, regardless of how you appeared. Separately, since 1 January 2025 New Brunswick's Motor Vehicle Act imposes immediate roadside licence suspensions in the 0.05–0.079 'warn range' and a 90-day Immediate Roadside Suspension at 0.08 or over or for refusing a test — penalties that apply before any conviction. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how this works; a paid consultation with a lawyer to fight the charge can be booked right on the call.
I got an eviction notice in New Brunswick — how much time do I have?
In New Brunswick, most residential tenancy disputes — including evictions — are handled by the Residential Tenancies Tribunal (the Office of the Rentalsman) under the Residential Tenancies Act, not a courtroom. A landlord must serve proper written notice, and there is a process to challenge it through the Tribunal — so don't ignore the papers and don't move out just because you received a notice. Deadlines depend on the reason for the notice, so act quickly. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on the process, and Service New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies service and PLEIS-NB also explain your options in English and French.
Which court handles family law and divorce in New Brunswick?
Family matters in New Brunswick are heard in the Family Division of the Court of King's Bench. It deals with divorce, division of marital property, spousal and child support, parenting orders, adoption, and child protection. Divorce itself runs under the federal Divorce Act, while support, property, and parenting can draw on provincial law. You have a constitutionally protected right to have your case heard in English or French. The Legal Hotline is live: call our free line for clear legal information about how the Family Division process works — that's information, not advice on your specific case. A paid consultation with a family-law lawyer can be booked right on the call. Family Law New Brunswick and its information line are also useful free resources.
How long do I have to sue someone in New Brunswick?
For most civil claims, New Brunswick's Limitation of Actions 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 15 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 Small Claims Court of New Brunswick handles disputes up to $20,000; larger claims go to the Court of King's Bench. Call the Legal Hotline now for free information on how limitation periods apply to your situation; a paid consultation with a lawyer can be booked right on the call.
Can I deal with the New Brunswick courts in French?
Yes. New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, and the right to use English or French in its courts is constitutionally protected. You can use the official language of your choice in any court proceeding, in any pleading, and in any process issuing from a court, and the court must understand your chosen language without the help of an interpreter or simultaneous translation. You cannot be placed at a disadvantage for choosing one official language over the other. Legal aid, PLEIS-NB, and the courts all operate in both languages. The Legal Hotline reflects this bilingual reality — call our free line in English or French and the information you get matches how things actually work here.
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. The Legal Hotline is live in New Brunswick, and our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about New Brunswick 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: the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission offers representation but screens by income and the type of matter, and operates mostly in business hours (apart from its 24-hour arrest line). You can book a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in New Brunswick right on the call. Either way, you get clear answers fast, any hour, with no income test.
How do I get a lawyer in New Brunswick if I can't afford one?
Start with the free and low-cost options. For criminal charges that carry a risk of jail, the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission may provide a lawyer if you qualify financially, and duty counsel can help on your court date; if you've been arrested, its 24-hour line gives free advice with no income limit. For family matters, legal aid also provides family law services, and Family Law New Brunswick offers free guidance. The Law Society of New Brunswick's referral service can connect you with a lawyer for an initial consultation, and PLEIS-NB provides free legal information. The Legal Hotline adds instant, free legal information with no income test, in English or French — call our free line any time — and a paid consultation with a New Brunswick-licensed lawyer can be booked right on the call.
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 New Brunswick 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, such as New Brunswick's Motor Vehicle Act roadside licence suspensions for impaired driving. The Legal Hotline is trained on both the federal Criminal Code and New Brunswick's provincial laws, so when you call our free line the information you get reflects how things actually work where you are.
Can the Legal Hotline help me with an immigration or refugee matter in New Brunswick?
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's free line 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. Settlement services across New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission can also help eligible people. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in New Brunswick can be booked right on the call.
New Brunswick Lawyers: Join Our Referral Network
Are you licensed in New Brunswick and ready for new clients? Our free legal-information line is live across Canada, and we're building a network of New Brunswick lawyers for our live paid-consultation service — connecting people in Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Dieppe, and Miramichi with counsel. Join now to receive matched, paying clients in your practice areas — criminal, family, immigration, employment, civil, and more. Bilingual (English/French) practitioners especially welcome.
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
- Courts of New Brunswick — overview (Provincial Court, Court of King's Bench, Court of Appeal)
- Languages in New Brunswick's courts — the right to use English or French
- Small Claims Court of New Brunswick (claims up to $20,000)
- Limitation of Actions Act, SNB 2009, c L-8.5 (CanLII — basic 2-year & 15-year ultimate periods)
- Criminal Code of Canada, s. 320.14 — impaired operation & 'over 80'
- Impaired driving — penalties & roadside suspensions (Government of New Brunswick)
- New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission
Free Legal Information for New Brunswick.
Whether you're in Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, or a smaller community along the Miramichi, legal trouble doesn't keep business hours. The Legal Hotline is live in New Brunswick with free, plain-language legal information on New Brunswick and Canadian law, available any hour and in both official languages — ask as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and we're not a law firm; a paid consultation with a New Brunswick-licensed lawyer can be booked right on the call. Call our free line now to understand your rights.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.