From St. John's to Corner Brook to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, when you're arrested, handed a notice to vacate, or pulled into a child-protection case, you need answers fast — not a wait until Monday morning. The Legal Hotline is live in Newfoundland and Labrador: free, plain-language legal information from an AI legal assistant trained on Newfoundland and Labrador and Canadian law. Call our free line any hour and ask as many questions as you like — and the guide below explains how the province's courts and laws actually work. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador is coming soon.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Newfoundland and Labrador.
Our free legal-information line is live for Newfoundland and Labrador — you can call now, and this page is built to help you too. When you call, you can tell our AI legal assistant what's happening — an impaired-driving arrest in St. John's, an eviction in Mount Pearl, a custody dispute, a child-protection visit — and get clear legal information on how Newfoundland and Labrador and Canadian law work and what your options are, with no limit on the questions you can ask. That's legal information, not legal advice on your specific case, and using the service won't create a lawyer-client relationship. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador is coming soon 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 contact the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission.
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. But in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Highway Traffic Act imposes administrative licence suspensions that take effect at the roadside, separate from any criminal charge. A reading of 50 mg or more — below the criminal threshold — can trigger an immediate seven-day suspension. Where a driver registers 80 mg or more, or fails or refuses to provide a breath sample, that seven-day roadside suspension is followed, 14 days later, by an automatic 90-day administrative suspension. To reinstate before the criminal case is resolved, drivers must pay reinstatement fees and complete the province's alcohol and drug education program. These administrative penalties apply before you ever see a courtroom and are on top of any prosecution under the federal Criminal Code. What you say and do at the roadside matters enormously. Call the Legal Hotline in Newfoundland and Labrador for free information on how impaired-driving law works here — a paid lawyer consultation is coming soon if you need one.
Newfoundland and Labrador 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 problems like criminal charges, family disputes, and tenancy matters — 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. We're not live in Newfoundland and Labrador yet, but these are real, currently available NL resources worth knowing right now.
Wherever you are in Newfoundland and Labrador, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:
Is there a free legal hotline in Newfoundland and Labrador I can call right now?
Yes. The Legal Hotline is live in Newfoundland and Labrador — call our free line any hour and our AI legal assistant gives you clear legal information (not legal advice) on Newfoundland and Labrador and Canadian law, with no income test and no limit on the questions you can ask. Other real provincial resources can also help: the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission represents financially eligible low-income people in criminal, family, and other matters; PLIAN (the Public Legal Information Association of NL) runs a free Legal Information Line and a Lawyer Referral Service; and The Journey Project offers free legal support to survivors of sexual or intimate partner violence. A paid consultation with a Newfoundland and Labrador-licensed lawyer is coming soon if you want one.
I was just arrested in Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission can provide representation if you qualify financially, and may have duty counsel available. You can also call the Legal Hotline free to have us explain how the criminal process — bail, first appearance, disclosure — works in the Provincial Court; a paid consultation with a criminal defence lawyer is coming soon if you want one.
What's the difference between impaired driving and 'over 80' in Newfoundland and Labrador?
They're related criminal offences under the federal Criminal Code, and Newfoundland and Labrador 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 within two hours of driving, regardless of how you appeared. Separately, the provincial Highway Traffic Act imposes immediate roadside suspensions — a seven-day suspension can apply at 50 mg or more, and a 90-day administrative suspension follows where you register 80 mg or more or refuse a test. Those penalties apply before any conviction. Call the Legal Hotline free for information on how this works; a paid lawyer consultation is coming soon if you want to fight the charge.
I got an eviction notice in Newfoundland and Labrador — how much time do I have?
In Newfoundland and Labrador, residential tenancy disputes are handled under the Residential Tenancies Act, and most are decided by the residential tenancies process rather than a regular courtroom. A landlord must serve you a proper written notice with the correct notice period for the reason, and you cannot be lawfully removed without following that process and obtaining the required order. Deadlines depend on the reason for the notice, so 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; PLIAN's Legal Information Line can also explain it, and Legal Aid may be able to help if your matter qualifies.
A child-protection worker is investigating my family in Newfoundland and Labrador. Can I get help?
Yes, and you should get advice early. In Newfoundland and Labrador, child-protection cases are heard in the Supreme Court (Family Division), often on tight timelines, with early hearings that shape what follows. You generally have the right to a lawyer, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission may provide one if you qualify financially. You can call the Legal Hotline free for clear legal information about how the child-protection process works and your rights as a parent — that's information, not advice on your specific case — and a paid consultation with a family-law lawyer is coming soon if you want representation.
How long do I have to sue someone in Newfoundland and Labrador?
It depends on the type of claim. Under Newfoundland and Labrador's Limitations Act, many claims — including personal injury, negligent misrepresentation, defamation, and false imprisonment — carry a basic limitation period of two years, while certain other actions, such as recovering a debt, have a longer period of six years. The clock generally runs from when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the claim, and there is a long-stop deadline of 30 years for actions the Act covers. Missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to sue entirely, so timing is critical. Small Claims handles disputes up to $25,000; larger claims go to the Supreme Court. Call the Legal Hotline free for information on how limitation periods apply to your situation; a paid lawyer consultation is coming soon 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. The Legal Hotline is live in Newfoundland and Labrador: our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about Newfoundland and Labrador 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. The Legal Aid Commission offers free representation but screens by income and the type of legal problem, and operates mostly in business hours. If you decide you want a lawyer, a separate paid service is coming soon: a consultation with someone licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador. You'll get answers fast today, plus a clear path to representation once that service is live.
How do I get a lawyer in Newfoundland and Labrador if I can't afford one?
Start with the free and low-cost options. For criminal and family matters, the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission may provide a lawyer if you qualify financially — apply online, by mail, or through your nearest area office, and tell the court at your first appearance that you're seeking legal aid. PLIAN runs a Lawyer Referral Service that connects you with a participating lawyer for a short, low-cost initial consultation, and survivors of sexual or intimate partner violence can get free legal support through The Journey Project. The Legal Hotline adds instant, free legal information with no income test — call our line any hour.
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 Newfoundland and Labrador 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 the Highway Traffic Act's roadside licence suspensions for impaired driving. The Legal Hotline is trained on both the federal Criminal Code and the province's own 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 Newfoundland and Labrador?
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. The Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission also provides immigration and refugee help to those who qualify. If you want representation, a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador is coming soon.
Which court will hear my case in Newfoundland and Labrador?
It depends on the type and size of your problem. Almost every criminal charge starts in the Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, which also runs the Small Claims division for civil disputes up to $25,000 and handles many traffic, youth, and family matters. Larger civil claims, indictable criminal matters, probate, divorce, and child protection are heard in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador — the General Division for civil and criminal work and the Family Division (including the Unified Family Court) for family matters. Appeals go to the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador, the province's highest court. Call the Legal Hotline free and it will help you understand which court fits your situation — that's legal information, not legal advice — and a paid consultation with a Newfoundland and Labrador-licensed lawyer is coming soon if you need one.
Are you licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador and ready for new clients? Our free legal-information line is already live across Canada, and we're building a network of Newfoundland and Labrador lawyers ahead of launching paid consultations — connecting people in St. John's, Mount Pearl, Corner Brook, and beyond with counsel. Register your interest now to receive matched referrals in your practice areas when the paid-consultation service goes live — 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 [email protected].
Whether you're in St. John's, on the west coast in Corner Brook, or in Labrador, legal trouble doesn't keep business hours. The Legal Hotline is live in Newfoundland and Labrador with free, plain-language legal information on Newfoundland and Labrador and Canadian law, available any hour — call our line and ask as many questions as you like. A paid consultation with a Newfoundland and Labrador-licensed lawyer is coming soon if you need one, and this guide is here to help you understand your rights right now.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.