Nova Scotia Legal Hotline — Free Legal Information

Need legal help in Nova Scotia right now?

The Legal Hotline is live in Nova Scotia, and you can call our free line right now. Tell our AI legal assistant what's happening — an impaired-driving arrest in Halifax, a Small Claims dispute in Dartmouth, a divorce, a child-protection visit — and get clear legal information on how Nova Scotia and Canadian law work and what your options are. You can 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. If you want representation, a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Nova Scotia is coming soon. If you've been arrested today, say as little as possible to police, ask to speak to a lawyer, and contact Nova Scotia Legal Aid as soon as you can.

Choose your area of law in Nova Scotia

Criminal Law →

Charged with an offence in Nova Scotia? Most criminal charges start in the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia, which handles all summary offences and many indictable ones. The Criminal Code is federal law, so your rights are the same in Halifax or Yarmouth — learn them before you talk to anyone.

Impaired Driving →

Nova Scotia calls it impaired driving or 'over 80', not DUI. The criminal limit is 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood, but a roadside reading in the 0.05 'warn range' alone can suspend your licence under the Motor Vehicle Act. Understand it before your court date.

Family Law →

Divorce runs under the federal Divorce Act; property, support, and parenting can fall under Nova Scotia's Parenting and Support Act. As of 2022, all family matters across the province are heard in the Supreme Court (Family Division).

Immigration Law →

Immigration is federal. Get clear information on permanent residence, work and study permits, refugee claims, detention, and removal under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act — wherever you are in Nova Scotia.

Employment Law →

Nova Scotia's Labour Standards Code sets minimum rights, but common-law notice on termination can be far larger. Wrongful dismissal, unpaid wages, and human-rights complaints all have remedies — find out where you stand before you sign anything.

Civil Law →

Most civil claims in Nova Scotia carry a two-year limitation period under the Limitation of Actions Act, 2014, and the deadline can pass before you realise it. Small Claims Court handles disputes up to $25,000; larger claims go to the Supreme Court.

How it works

Call the Legal Hotline free, day or night — no form, no income test, no waiting for business hours. The line is live across Nova Scotia and every province and territory, including Quebec.

Tell our AI legal assistant what's happening. It's trained on Nova Scotia and Canadian law and gives you clear legal information about your situation — not legal advice on your specific case. Ask as many questions as you like.

Need a lawyer? A paid consultation with one licensed in Nova Scotia is coming soon. For now, the free line gives you the legal information to understand your options.

The law in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia's court system is compact, but knowing which court hears your problem is still the first hurdle. There are three trial-level courts. The Provincial Court of Nova Scotia deals mainly with criminal charges — it has exclusive jurisdiction over all summary offences and handles many indictable charges too, so the great majority of criminal cases in the province begin here; only the most serious indictable offences, such as murder, must go to the higher court. The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia is the highest trial court, with broad authority over serious criminal trials and large civil disputes. Its Family Division hears family law matters — and since January 2022 the Family Division's reach extends across the entire province, so divorce, parenting, support, and child protection are all dealt with there. Separately, the Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia provides a faster, less formal forum for civil claims up to a maximum of $25,000.

Above the trial courts sits the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, the province's highest court, which hears appeals from the Supreme Court, the Provincial Court, and various provincial tribunals such as the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. Beyond Nova Scotia, 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 people up: a Small Claims matter and a serious criminal charge are heard in entirely different parts of the system, and an appeal from one trial court does not always go where you'd expect.

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: Nova Scotia's Parenting and Support Act (parenting and support), the Residential Tenancies Act (renting), the Labour Standards Code (work), the Motor Vehicle Act (licensing and roadside suspensions), and the Limitation of Actions Act, 2014, which sets the deadlines for suing. Whatever your issue, the Legal Hotline will be able to explain in plain English how this system applies to you — that's legal information, not legal advice — and connect you with a Nova Scotia-licensed lawyer if you need one.

Court Structure

Provincial Court of Nova Scotia — most criminal charges; all summary offences
Supreme Court of Nova Scotia — serious criminal trials & large civil disputes
Supreme Court (Family Division) — all family law matters province-wide (since 2022)
Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia — civil disputes up to $25,000
Nova Scotia Court of Appeal — 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)
Parenting and Support Act (Nova Scotia — parenting & support)
Residential Tenancies Act (renting & evictions)
Labour Standards Code (minimum employment rights)
Limitation of Actions Act, 2014 (two-year basic deadline to sue)

Key Bodies

Nova Scotia Barristers' Society (regulates lawyers)
Nova Scotia Legal Aid (nslegalaid.ca)
Residential Tenancies Program (residential disputes)
Registry of Motor Vehicles, Service Nova Scotia (licensing)

In Nova Scotia, 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 Nova Scotia. If a roadside reading puts you in the 'warn range' — a blood-alcohol concentration between 0.05 and 0.079 — police can immediately suspend your licence under the Motor Vehicle Act, even with no criminal charge and no day in court: that's seven days for a first occurrence within ten years, rising to 15 days for a second and 30 days for a third. Separately, if you are criminally charged with impaired operation under the Criminal Code, the Registry of Motor Vehicles imposes an administrative suspension of three months, beginning seven days after the incident — and that is on top of, not instead of, any driving prohibition a criminal court orders if you are later convicted. What you say and do at the roadside matters enormously. Call the Legal Hotline's free line in Nova Scotia for clear information on how impaired-driving law works here — a paid consultation with a lawyer is coming soon if you need one.

Free & low-cost legal help in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has a 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, family, and social-justice 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. We're not live in Nova Scotia yet, but these are real, currently available Nova Scotia resources worth knowing right now.

Nova Scotia Legal Aid

The province's publicly funded legal-aid program, helping financially eligible Nova Scotians with criminal, family, and social-justice matters (including income security and housing issues such as landlord disputes, income assistance, CPP, and EI). It offers legal information, summary advice, and full representation by a lawyer. Eligibility is based on a needs test considering family income, expenses, debt, and assets. Apply through your nearest office or online.

Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS)

A non-profit that produces clear, free legal information for Nova Scotians and runs a Legal Information Line and a Lawyer Referral Service. Its website explains common criminal, family, housing, and civil problems in plain language — a strong first stop if you can't afford a lawyer.

Nova Scotia Barristers' Society — Lawyer Referral Service

Operated in partnership with LISNS, the referral service connects you with a lawyer in your area of law for an initial consultation at a reduced fixed rate. It's a practical way to get tailored advice without committing to full representation upfront.

Dalhousie Legal Aid Service

A community legal clinic and law-school clinical program in Halifax that provides free legal help to low-income people in areas such as income assistance, housing, and certain criminal and family matters, with services delivered by law students supervised by lawyers. Eligibility is income-based.

Access to Justice & Law Reform Institute / Nova Scotia courts self-help resources

The Courts of Nova Scotia website publishes self-help guides, forms, and plain-language explanations for people representing themselves in Provincial Court, Supreme Court, Family Division, and Small Claims Court. It's a reliable, official starting point if you're navigating a matter on your own.

Legal Hotline covers all of Nova Scotia

Wherever you are in Nova Scotia, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:

HalifaxDartmouthSydneyTruroNew GlasgowGlace BayKentvilleBridgewaterAmherstYarmouth

Frequently asked questions — Nova Scotia

Is there a free legal hotline in Nova Scotia I can call right now?

Yes. The Legal Hotline is live in Nova Scotia — call our free line any hour and an AI legal assistant gives you clear legal information about your situation, with no income test and as many questions as you like. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it doesn't create a lawyer-client relationship. Other Nova Scotia resources can also help: Nova Scotia Legal Aid assists financially eligible people with criminal, family, and social-justice matters, and the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS) offers free plain-language legal information and a Lawyer Referral Service. A paid consultation with a Nova Scotia-licensed lawyer is coming soon.

I was just arrested in Nova Scotia. 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. Nova Scotia Legal Aid can help if you qualify financially — contact them as soon as you can. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Nova Scotia yet, but when it launches we'll explain how Nova Scotia criminal process — bail, first appearance in Provincial Court, disclosure — works, and connect you with a criminal defence lawyer if you want one.

What's the difference between impaired driving and 'over 80' in Nova Scotia?

They're related criminal offences under the federal Criminal Code, and Nova Scotia 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). Separately, Nova Scotia's Motor Vehicle Act imposes immediate roadside licence suspensions in the 0.05–0.079 'warn range' and an administrative suspension when you're criminally charged — penalties that apply before any conviction. When we launch in Nova Scotia, you'll get free information on how this works, then a lawyer if you want to fight the charge.

How long is my licence suspended if I'm charged with impaired driving in Nova Scotia?

If you're criminally charged with impaired operation under the Criminal Code, the Registry of Motor Vehicles imposes an administrative suspension of three months, starting seven days after the incident — police typically give you a seven-day temporary licence first. That administrative suspension is in addition to any driving prohibition a criminal court orders if you're later convicted. For a roadside 'warn range' reading (0.05–0.079) with no charge, the Motor Vehicle Act suspension is seven days for a first occurrence within ten years, rising to 15 and then 30 days for repeats. You can apply to the Registrar to have an administrative suspension reviewed. When the Legal Hotline launches, you'll get free information on how these suspensions work, then a lawyer if you need one.

How much can I claim in Small Claims Court in Nova Scotia?

The Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia handles civil disputes up to a maximum of $25,000. It's designed to be a timely, less formal, and reasonably cost-effective forum, so many people represent themselves. If your claim is larger than $25,000, it generally has to go to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, which is more formal and where legal help is usually worthwhile. Remember that a limitation period still applies — for most claims that's two years under the Limitation of Actions Act, 2014. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Nova Scotia yet; when it launches you'll get free information on which court fits your dispute and how the deadlines apply.

A child-protection worker is investigating my family in Nova Scotia. Can I get help?

Yes, and you should get advice early. In Nova Scotia, child-protection cases are heard in the Supreme Court (Family Division), which since 2022 deals with all family matters across the province, and they run on tight timelines with early hearings that shape what follows. You generally have the right to a lawyer, and Nova Scotia Legal Aid may provide one if you qualify financially. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Nova Scotia yet, but when it launches we'll give 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 can book you a family-law lawyer if you want representation.

How long do I have to sue someone in Nova Scotia?

For most civil claims, Nova Scotia's Limitation of Actions Act, 2014 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. Small Claims Court handles disputes up to $25,000; larger claims go to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Nova Scotia yet — when it launches you'll get free information on how limitation periods apply to your situation, then a lawyer if you need one.

How is the Legal Hotline different from a lawyer or legal aid?

We're a fast first step, not a law firm. The Legal Hotline is live in Nova Scotia: our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about Nova Scotia and Canadian law instantly, any hour — 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. Nova Scotia Legal Aid and community legal clinics offer free help but screen by income and operate mostly in business hours. If you want a lawyer, a separate paid service — a consultation with someone licensed in Nova Scotia — is coming soon. For now, you get clear legal information fast, with no income test.

How do I get a lawyer in Nova Scotia if I can't afford one?

Start with the free and low-cost options. For criminal, family, and social-justice problems, Nova Scotia Legal Aid may provide a lawyer if you qualify financially — tell the court at your first appearance that you're seeking legal aid. The Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS) offers free legal information and a Lawyer Referral Service that connects you with a lawyer for a reduced-rate initial consultation. In Halifax, Dalhousie Legal Aid Service helps low-income people in areas like housing and income assistance. When the Legal Hotline launches in Nova Scotia, it will add instant, free legal information with no income test.

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 Nova Scotia 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 (in Nova Scotia, most criminal charges start in the Provincial Court), local police and Crown practices, and provincial penalties layered on top, such as the Motor Vehicle Act licence suspensions for impaired driving. When the Legal Hotline launches in Nova Scotia, it will be trained on both the federal Criminal Code and Nova Scotia's provincial laws so 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 Nova Scotia?

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. The Legal Hotline is live in Nova Scotia, so you can call our 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. Nova Scotia Legal Aid also provides immigration and refugee help to those who qualify. If you want representation, a paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Nova Scotia is coming soon.

Nova Scotia Lawyers: Join Our Network Ahead of Paid Consultations

Are you licensed in Nova Scotia and ready for new clients? Our free legal-information line is already live across Canada, and we're building our Nova Scotia network ahead of launching paid lawyer consultations — connecting people in Halifax, Dartmouth, Sydney, Truro, and beyond with lawyers. Register your interest now to receive matched referrals in your practice areas when that service goes live — criminal, family, immigration, employment, civil, and more.

For Lawyers →

Last updated: 10 June 2026. Reviewed by the Legal Hotline Editorial Team.

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].

Free Legal Information for Nova Scotia.