From Montreal to Gaspé, when you're arrested, your spouse leaves, or a problem lands you in front of the Court of Québec, you need answers fast — not a wait until Monday morning. The Legal Hotline is here for Quebec: free, plain-language legal information from an AI legal assistant trained on Quebec and Canadian law. Call our free line any hour and ask as many questions as you like, and use the guide below to understand how Quebec's distinctive civil-law system actually works. A paid consultation with a lawyer licensed in Quebec is coming soon if you need one.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Quebec.
The Legal Hotline is live for Quebec, and this page is built to help you right now. Call our free line and tell our AI legal assistant what's happening — an impaired-driving arrest in Montreal, a separation in Quebec City, a problem with your landlord, a contract dispute — and get clear legal information on how Quebec and Canadian law work and what your options are. Ask as many questions as you like. Quebec is unlike anywhere else in Canada: its private law runs on the Civil Code of Québec, a civil-law code, not the common law used in the other provinces. 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 Quebec 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 call Quebec's legal-aid 24-hour arrest line at 1-800-842-2213.
Most people assume the only consequence of an impaired-driving stop is the criminal charge that follows. Not in Quebec. The criminal offence — driving with a blood-alcohol concentration at or over 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood (0.08), or while impaired — is set by the federal Criminal Code. But on top of that, Quebec's Highway Safety Code lets police impose an immediate administrative licence suspension at the roadside, commonly 90 days — and, in more serious cases such as a very high blood-alcohol reading, a refusal, or a repeat offence, have your vehicle seized for 30 or 90 days at your expense — long before you ever see a judge. These administrative measures, run through the SAAQ, are separate from and on top of any criminal prosecution. What you say and do at the roadside matters enormously. Call the Legal Hotline for free information on how impaired-driving law works here — the federal charge and Quebec's administrative penalties both — and a paid lawyer consultation is coming soon if you need one.
Quebec has a strong network of free and low-cost legal help, but most of it runs on business hours and income tests, and a lot of the public information is built around Quebec's distinctive civil law. These organizations are genuinely useful — 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 Quebec yet, but these are real, currently available Quebec resources worth knowing right now.
Wherever you are in Quebec, the line is free and answered 24/7 — including:
Is there a free legal hotline in Quebec I can call right now?
Yes. The Legal Hotline is live for Quebec — call our free line any hour and our AI legal assistant will give you clear legal information on Quebec and Canadian law, 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 Quebec resources can also help: Legal Aid Québec (the Commission des services juridiques) assists financially eligible people and runs a 24-hour arrest line at 1-800-842-2213, Éducaloi explains Quebec law in plain language on its website, and Juripop (1-855-587-4767) offers free short legal-information consultations. A paid consultation with a Quebec-licensed lawyer is coming soon if you want one.
I was just arrested in Quebec. 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. Quebec's legal-aid system runs a free 24-hour line for people who are arrested or detained: 1-800-842-2213. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Quebec yet, but when it launches we'll explain how Quebec criminal process — appearance, bail, 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 Quebec?
They're related criminal offences under the federal Criminal Code, and Quebec 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, Quebec's Highway Safety Code lets police impose an immediate roadside licence suspension — commonly 90 days — and, in more serious cases (a very high reading, a refusal, or a repeat offence), a 30- or 90-day vehicle seizure, all before any conviction and administered through the SAAQ. When we launch in Quebec, you'll get free information on how this works, then a lawyer if you want to fight the charge.
Why is Quebec law different from the rest of Canada?
Quebec is the only province with a civil-law system for its private law. While the other provinces and territories use the common law inherited from England, Quebec's contracts, property, civil liability, and family-property rules are set out in the Civil Code of Québec (the CCQ), a code in the French civil-law tradition. This affects real things: how a contract is formed, who is liable when you're hurt, how property is split on separation, and how long you have to sue. Criminal law and divorce are federal and the same across Canada, but most of the law that governs daily life in Quebec comes from the CCQ and other provincial statutes. When the Legal Hotline launches, it will be trained on Quebec's civil-law system so the information reflects how things actually work here.
My spouse and I are separating in Quebec — how is property divided?
Quebec does not use the common-law 'equalization' you may have heard about in other provinces. Instead, the Civil Code of Québec imposes a mandatory partition of the 'family patrimony' — which generally includes the family residences, household furniture, family vehicles, and retirement savings and pensions built up during the marriage or civil union. The value (not necessarily the property itself) is divided equally, and you cannot contract out of these rules. Other property may be governed by your matrimonial regime. Note that unmarried (de facto) couples are treated very differently under Quebec law. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Quebec yet; when it launches we'll explain how family patrimony works — that's information, not advice on your case — and book a family-law lawyer if you want one.
How long do I have to sue someone in Quebec?
For most personal claims, the Civil Code of Québec sets a prescription period of three years (article 2925 CCQ) — generally running from the day your right of action arose or from when you knew the facts giving rise to it, not necessarily the day the event happened. Some claims have different periods, and missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to sue entirely, so timing is critical. The Court of Québec hears civil claims under $100,000; larger claims go to the Superior Court. The Legal Hotline isn't live in Quebec yet — when it launches you'll get free information on how prescription applies to your situation, then a lawyer if you need one.
Which court will hear my case in Quebec?
It depends on what your problem is. The Court of Québec handles civil claims up to $100,000 — with exclusive jurisdiction below about $75,000 (a figure indexed each year) and jurisdiction shared with the Superior Court from $75,000 to $100,000 — plus less serious criminal and penal offences and youth and child-protection matters. The Superior Court of Quebec hears civil claims of $100,000 or more, serious criminal trials, divorce and the partition of family property, class actions, and injunctions. Appeals go to the Court of Appeal of Quebec, the province's highest court, and in rare cases on to the Supreme Court of Canada. Many everyday disputes are also handled by specialised tribunals rather than a court. When the Legal Hotline launches in Quebec, it will help you understand which part of the system your situation falls into — that's legal information, not legal advice.
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. Our AI legal assistant gives you general legal information about Quebec and Canadian law instantly when you call — 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 are not legal aid: Legal Aid Québec offers representation but screens by income and operates mostly in business hours. If you decide you want a lawyer, a separate paid service — booking a consultation with someone licensed in Quebec — is coming soon. You'll get answers fast, with a clear path to representation on the way.
Does the Criminal Code apply the same way in Quebec?
Yes. Criminal law in Canada is federal, so the Criminal Code applies the same way in Quebec 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 at the provincial border, even though Quebec runs on civil law for its private matters. What does vary is how cases are administered locally: which court hears them, local police and prosecution practices, and provincial penalties layered on top, such as Quebec's Highway Safety Code roadside licence suspensions for impaired driving. When the Legal Hotline launches in Quebec, it will be trained on both the federal Criminal Code and Quebec's own 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 Quebec?
Immigration and refugee law is mainly 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. Quebec is distinctive in that it also runs its own selection programs for many economic immigrants, so some steps involve Quebec authorities as well. When the Legal Hotline launches in Quebec, you'll be able to get clear legal information on permanent residence, work and study permits, refugee claims, detention, and removal — that's information, not legal advice on your case. In the meantime, Legal Aid Québec provides immigration and refugee help to those who qualify. If you want representation, we'll be able to book you a consultation with a lawyer licensed in Quebec.
Are you a member of the Barreau du Québec and ready for new clients? The Legal Hotline is already live across Canada giving callers free legal information, and we're building our network of Quebec lawyers ahead of launching paid consultations — connecting people in Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau, and beyond with counsel. Register your interest now to receive matched referrals in your practice areas when that 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 Montreal, Quebec City, the Outaouais, or a small town in the regions, legal trouble doesn't keep business hours. The Legal Hotline is here for Quebec with free, plain-language legal information on Quebec's civil-law system and Canadian law, available any hour when you call our free line — ask as many questions as you like. A paid consultation with a Quebec-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.