LEGAL INFORMATION YOU CAN WATCH
Canadian legal questions, answered clearly.
Source-linked guides for urgent legal problems, with full transcripts and official source lists. Each page identifies its jurisdiction, source-check date and publication provenance.
CANADA
5 sourced legal guides
▶4:17 Can I get protection from a stalker who is not a partner or family member?
Yes. Criminal harassment and a general peace bond do not require the person to be your partner or relative. The criminal-harassment test changed on 18 July 2026, so older summaries can mislead. A peace bond is preventive and has its own requirements. Civil protection depends on provincial law: Manitoba and Quebec have relevant non-family routes, while an ordinary civil injunction needs a proper legal basis and evidence. Seek emergency help if danger is immediate.
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▶4:07 Court soon in Alberta, and you cannot afford a criminal lawyer?
Contact Legal Aid Alberta about duty counsel immediately and keep your required court appearance. Brief criminal duty counsel assistance is free regardless of income, but it does not provide ongoing trial representation. A legal aid certificate has separate eligibility requirements and usually involves repayment. If legal aid is refused and you cannot afford a lawyer, a supported Rowbotham application may seek a pause until counsel is funded where representation is essential to a fair trial. Funding and adjournments are not automatic.
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▶4:01 Court soon in BC, and you cannot afford a criminal lawyer?
Contact your courthouse about criminal duty counsel now, and apply to Legal Aid BC if you need a lawyer for the case. Criminal duty counsel has no financial eligibility test, but offers limited assistance. Ongoing representation has separate coverage and financial requirements. Keep your required court appearances. If legal aid is refused and you cannot afford counsel, a supported Rowbotham application may seek a pause until counsel is funded where representation is essential to a fair trial.
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▶4:14 Court soon in Ontario, and you cannot afford a criminal lawyer?
Contact the duty counsel office serving your Ontario courthouse immediately and apply to Legal Aid Ontario for ongoing representation if needed. Attend as required unless the court changes the arrangement. Duty counsel, a legal aid certificate and advice after arrest are different services. If legal aid is refused and you cannot afford counsel, a Rowbotham application may be available where a lawyer is essential to a fair trial. It requires evidence and a court decision; it is not automatic.
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▶3:58 How does family violence affect parenting arrangements in Canada?
Yes. Under the Divorce Act, family violence must be considered when deciding parenting time and decision-making responsibility, with the child’s safety, security and well-being given primary consideration. Violence can include coercive control, psychological or financial abuse, and a child’s exposure to abuse of another family member. The court assesses the evidence, parenting capacity and risks; there is no automatic equal-time rule. Measures can include supervised time or transfers, communication restrictions and different decision-making arrangements. Provincial law also matters; Ontario and British Columbia have their own statutory rules.
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