This session will direct you to dependable sources of legal information; help you assess the reliability of legal information; explain the difference between legal information and legal advice; and tell you where to find legal advice and representation. Participants will receive a copy of the PLE Northeastern Alberta Resource Directory, play bingo and be eligible to win some great prizes in this fun & interactive learning session.

1. Helpful websites for finding answers to your legal questions
FINDING GOOD LEGAL RESOURCES

2. Portage College Public Legal Education Program
Visit us online at for
news on upcoming FREE seminars and
events. You can also download a copy of
our Legal Resource Directory with listings
of all lawyers, courthouses, RCMP
detachments and other legal
organizations for Northeast Alberta.

3. About this session
One of our
program
objectives is
distributing
Public Legal
Education
Information
(PLEI).
 This session will direct you to dependable sources of
legal information;
 Help you assess the reliability of legal information;
 Explain the difference between legal information
and legal advice;
 and tell you where to find legal advice and
representation.
 Participants will also receive a copy of the PLE
Northeastern Alberta Resource Directory.

4. Reliability of legal information
Understand
the difference
between
primary &
secondary
sources of law
 Primary sources are the actual law
 Statues & regulations (federal/provincial)
 Municipal by-laws
 Court decisions
 Court forms
 Secondary sources explain the laws and
the legal process
 Websites, pamphlets, textbooks, directories etc.

5. Reliability of legal information
Reliability
check
 Where is its Jurisdiction? Does it apply in your
area/province?
 For example, it’s an Ontario law it doesn’t apply in
Alberta, or if it’s a U.S. law, it doesn’t apply in
Canada.
 Is it Current?
 Look for the date of publication. Laws change.
 What is it’s Source?
 Was the information produced or reviewed by legal
experts?

6. The difference between legal information and legal advice
Legal Advice
Is…
 True legal advice forms an agreement
between an attorney and his/her client
based on a particular legal matter the
client is experiencing.

7. The difference between legal information and legal advice
Legal Advice
Is Not…
 Content from websites, pamphlets,
friends or family DOES NOT constitute
legal advice.

8. The difference between legal information and legal advice
What Legal
Advice Is
 In a nutshell, legal advice has the
following characteristics:
 Requires legal knowledge, skill, education
and judgment
 Applies specific law to a particular set of
circumstances
 Affects someone's legal rights or
responsibilities
 Creates rights and responsibilities in the
advice-giver

9. The difference between legal information and legal advice
What Legal
Advice Is
 Legal information (such as information posted on a website) is
general in nature while legal advice proposes a
specific course of action a client should take.
 For instance, it's the difference between telling
someone what to do (legal advice) as opposed to
how to do it (legal information).
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3

10. Where can you access legal advice?
Legal Aid Alberta provides
lawyers at an affordable cost for
people who need assistance for
certain criminal or civil matters
and don't have the resources to
hire a lawyer.
The Law Society of Alberta
Referral Service can refer you
to a lawyer who will provide
you with 30 minutes of free
legal advice. The referral
service can be reached at 1-
800-661-1095 (in Alberta
only) or 228-1722 in Calgary.
Student Legal Services in
Edmonton at 780-492-2226 and
Calgary Legal Guidance at 403-
234-9266 may be able to
provide you with free legal
advice.

11. Where can you access legal advice?
The Edmonton Community Legal
Centre is a non-profit organization
offering free legal advice and
representation for low-income
Albertans with specific civil law
issues (no family or criminal law)
To see if you qualify for assistance
and to book an appointment, call
the ECLC at 780-702-1725.
Appointments can be done over the
phone.
Law Information Centres (LInC)
provide people representing
themselves in court or in a legal
matter with assistance in completing
court forms and understanding court
procedures, access to legal
information, cases and precedents,
information about alternatives to
court such as mediation, and legal
advice options. Call Ph: 780-644-
8217 for more information.
Youth Criminal Defence Office
(Legal Aid)
Immediate legal advice for
youth under arrest – 24 hours/7
days a week. Between the hours of
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. the call will
be forwarded to a call centre
answering service. The call
answering service at (780) 422-
8383 will contact the on-call
lawyer.

12. Finding Sources of Legal Information

13. Offline
 This Resource Directory is a listing of legal resources for
North Eastern Alberta.
 It is published every two years with grant funding from
the Alberta Law Foundation.
 Available through our office or can be downloaded at
PLEonline.ca (save to smartphone, tablet or computer)
 Listings include provincial services, Legal services in
Alberta, lawyer listings, RCMP and Victim Services,
community services, Aboriginal communities & resources,
and PLEI resources.

14. Online
Traffic
Employment
Family
Court
Aboriginal
Youth

15. Alberta Courts - www.albertacourts.ab.ca
Log on to the Alberta Courts website to find comprehensive
information on Court of Appeal, Court of Queen’s Bench,
Provincial Court and Resolution & Court Administration
Services. Find out about topics such as:
 being on a jury
 how to get an emergency protection order
 how to get an order to help my child on drugs
 how to get a divorce
 how to get a divorce certificate
 how to get a marriage licence
 how to get child support
 how to mediate a family law matter

16. Alberta Justice and Solicitor General -
www.justice.alberta.ca
www.justice.alberta.ca provides Information
about Alberta's justice system, its major
participants and links to publications.
This site offers comprehensive information on
Aboriginal justice, civil matters, courts,
employment, families, fines enforcement, human
rights and diversity, laws & legislation, safe
communities initiatives, will and estates, and
more.

17. Alberta Law, Justice & Citizens' Rights -
www.services.gov.ab.ca/Living
Log on to www.services.gov.ab.ca/Living then
choose the Alberta Law, Justice & Citizens' Rights
tab at bottom of page to access a
comprehensive listing (one stop hub) of Alberta
and Federal links to
o Programs and Services
o Online Services
o Financial Resources
o Forms
o Publication
o Legislation
o Licensing & Registration

18. Bearpaw Legal Education & Resource Centre -
www.bearpaweducation.ca
The BearPaw website provides public legal education
and information specifically designed by and for
Aboriginal people, focusing on areas of the law that
are of special significance to Aboriginal people.
The BearPaw Digital Library provides open access to
a wide range of legal education materials,
information relating to social justice issues, and other
content relevant to the Aboriginal community. The
library features videos, factsheets, articles, web links,
feedback options, and more.

19. Canadian Legal FAQs - www.law-faqs.org
Laws made by the federal government apply
across Canada, while provincial laws only
apply in a particular province.
Canadian Legal FAQs are organized by
information that applies nationally or to
Alberta. The FAQs can also be accessed by
topic.
This page links to both National and Alberta
information.

20. CanLII - www.canlii.org
This website provides access to court judgments,
tribunal decisions, statutes and regulations from
all Canadian jurisdictions.
CanLII is a non-profit organization managed by
the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.
CanLII's goal is to make Canadian law
accessible for free on the Internet.
Searching this database is FREE and easy.

21. Alberta Employment Standards –
www.work.alberta.ca
Employment Standards are minimum standards of employment for
employers and employees in the workplace. In Alberta, our
employment standards are contained in the Employment Standards
Code and the Employment Standards Regulation.
Log on to the Alberta Job, Skills, Training & Labour website to learn
about
 Employment Standards Code
 Employment Standards Regulation
 Fact Sheets
 Submit a Complaint
 Check Your Complaint Status

22. Family Law Questions & Answers -
www.legalaid.ab.ca
Find answers to questions about:
 Family Law Basics
 Common-Law Relationships/Adult Interdependent
Relationships
 Ending an Adult Interdependent Relationship or
Marriage
 Division of Matrimonial Property
 Division of Property between Unmarried Couples
 Children and Guardians
 Consent to Travel (with child)
 Grandparents Rights
 Family Violence

23. Alberta Human Rights Commission –
www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca
The Alberta Human Rights Commission has a
two-fold mandate:
 to foster equality
 to reduce discrimination
It fulfills this mandate through public education
initiatives and the resolution and settlement of
complaints of discrimination.
Visit this website to find publications on Human
Rights in the workplace, the Complaint Process,
Information & Resources for Aboriginal Peoples,
youth and minorities.

24. John Howard Society of Alberta -
www.johnhoward.ab.ca
The John Howard Society of Alberta is a non-
profit agency concerned with the problem of
crime and its prevention. They provide free
resources, activities and lesson plans for
teachers on subjects such as:
 Alcohol & Drugs
 Bullying & Cyberbullying
 Family Violence
 Gangs
 Newcomers
 Youth and the Law in the Digital Age
 Youth Criminal Justice Act

25. Justice Canada - www.justice.gc.ca
Justice Canada is the online source of the
consolidated Acts and regulations of Canada.
The consolidations are generally updated every
two weeks.
Frequently accessed Acts:
 Access to Information Act
 Canada Elections Act
 Canada Labour Code
 Copyright Act
 Criminal Code
 Divorce Act
 Financial Administration Act
 Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
 Income Tax Act
 Pension Act
 Privacy Act
 Youth Criminal Justice Act

26. LawCentral Alberta - www.lawcentralalberta.ca
www.lawcentralalberta.ca offers an online
collection of links to legal information and
education. A website of the Legal Resource Centre,
LawCentral- Alberta is all about linking Albertans
to legal information, education and help.
Be sure to visit the LawCentral Canada site for
federal information and resources (link is on the
Alberta site and there is a francophone site as
well) and A-Link which offers a glossary of legal
terms.

27. Laws for Landlords & Tenants -
www.landlordandtenant.org
The Landlord and Tenant website
offers information on laws, rights &
responsibilities of landlords and
tenants in Alberta.
There are helpful publications and
podcasts available for download.

28. Legal Avenue - www.LegalAve.ca
This new website contains resources about family law.
This includes information about marriage and divorce,
adoption, elder care, domestic violence, and child
support.
Future developments will include updates to the family
law content and expansion to include information on
other areas of law.
LegalAve is not only intended for Albertans looking for
legal information, it also helps service providers make
effective referrals and stay current about the programs
and services of other organizations

29. Parole Board of Canada - www.pbc-clcc.gc
The Parole Board of Canada (PBC), as part of the
criminal justice system, makes independent, quality
conditional release and record suspension decisions
and clemency recommendations.
The Board contributes to the protection of society by
facilitating as appropriate, the timely reintegration
of offenders as law-abiding citizens.
Find information on:
 Parole
 Record Suspensions (formerly Pardons)
 Victims of Crime
PLEASE NOTE: This is the primary source for info on Record Suspensions.
Do not confuse it with websites that want you to pay for their services.
There is no guarantee that you will receive a pardon through 3rd
parties. Only the PBC can grant record suspensions.

30. Safe Roads Alberta - www.saferoads.com
Safe Roads is a program of The
Alberta Office of Traffic Safety,
Alberta Transportation and
provides education and information
on traffic laws and safety to help
prevent motor vehicle collisions,
build safer roads, establish and
enforce traffic laws.

31. Alberta Youth Law - www.youthlaw.ca
YouthLaw is a website of the Children's Legal &
Educational Resource Centre (CLERC). CLERC provides
free legal services to children and youth who have
nowhere else to go for legal support.
This website is a public legal information tool and
provides information to young people with respect to
Alberta civil law.
The website also provides young people with the
opportunity to “Ask a Lawyer a Question” directly by
email.

32. Visit us at www.PLEonline.ca
Partners in
providing Public
Legal Education:
We hope you find these resources useful and please get in touch with us
should you require help finding specific resources.
P.O. Box 417, 9531 – 94 Avenue
Lac La Biche, AB T0A 2C0
Phone: 780.623.5680 or 1.866.623.5551 (toll free) ext. 5680
General E-mail inquiries can be sent to public.legal@portagecollege.ca