Frequently Asked Questions

  • If you are unable to afford a lawyer, and if you do not qualify for Legal Aid Alberta, ECLC may be able to help you. There are certain requirements that must be met to receive ECLC services. Please email or call us at 780-702-1725, where our Intake Department can assess your eligibility.

  • We do not charge fees to talk to our intake staff or for summary legal advice clinic appointments.

    Sometimes there are costs if our staff lawyers open a file for representation. These fees can include file open files, disbursement fees, and court filing fees.

  • No, but our volunteer lawyers can provide advice on how to prepare for court.

  • No. ECLC is a non-profit organization that offers free legal advice to clients who qualify financially for our services.

  • Legal coaching appointments give you a 30- 45-minute appointment with a volunteer lawyer. You will receive advice and resources that will help you to feel confident taking next steps for your legal matter. Lawyers might provide information about the law and court process to enable a person to represent themselves in court, tribunals, or negations.

  • If you have a legal clinic appointment the lawyer may:

    • Explain your legal issue
    • Outline steps that you can take
    • Help you fill out documents
    • Refer you to other organizations

  • After your appointment, you will be sent a letter summarizing the advice you received during your appointment. Letters are generally sent via email and are sent out within 3-7 days.

  • You can contact our Intake Department and they can help re-assess for additional appointments.

  • If you are reaching out on behalf of someone, it is best to encourage the client to first contact us directly, as we require consent before allowing a third party to speak on a person’s behalf.

    Once consent is obtained, you can help the person through our Intake process if they require support.

  • When an inquiry is made for legal support, it goes to the Intake Department. The Intake team will assess a client's financial eligibility for our service, and determine if they have the type of legal matter ECLC can help with. We do this through a series of questions either by phone or email.

    If a client is eligible for our service, the Intake team may follow up to gather more information, such as documentation pertaining to the legal matter, and then finally booking an appointment.