Consultation juridique en ligne

We believe that the legal aid system is not designed in a way that ensures that everyone receives the best possible defence. However, we may accept your case under the appearance of legal aid. Our lawyers also occasionally take pro bono cases. In order to better understand the legal aid system and how private bar lawyers are paid, contact us or click here.

When Justice requires that you be represented in an appeal, we will gladly take your case with a legal aid mandate. Fortunately, we are able to devote time to cases covered by legal aid.

Impaired driving is a highly complex and specialized field of law that requires a great deal of experience and knowledge in order to understand and use the different means of defence. Below are a few examples of questions that the lawyer must answer in such cases:

1. Can the Crown prove that the person was in care and control of his motor vehicle at the time of the offence?
2. Were the devices used in good working condition and maintained in accordance with the man-ufacturer’s manual?
3. Were the devices used handled correctly?
4. Did the police conduct the tests as soon as practicable?
5. Once pulled over, were the police obliged to wait 15 minutes before taking a breath sample?
6. Were there violations of the constitution while obtaining samples or observing symptoms?
7. Did the police deprive the accused of his or her right to seek a lawyer’s assistance without delay?
8. Was the order to collect a breath sample valid?
9. Under the circumstances, was the individual detained beyond what is considered an ac-ceptable length of time?
10. Did the police have reasonable grounds for suspicion to summon the person to take a breath sample with the approved detection device?
11. Did the police have reasonable grounds to conduct the arrest?
12. Did the person have a reasonable excuse not to breathe into the breathalyzer?

Those are a few examples of questions that lawyers specializing in this branch of law must ask themselves. Since each case is unique, several other elements may need to be analyzed.

Pursuing an appeal is very costly. The bulk of the expense arises from producing the necessary documents for the Court of Appeal to make a decision. Strict rules must be respected or the appeal will be dismissed. In the case of a long trial, having the shorthand notes transcribed and producing the appendices to the legal brief can easily cost several thousand dol-lars, sometimes up to $10 000. However, we are now able to do all the preparatory work within the firm which prevents us from having to hire independent companies to prepare the docu-mentation for us. This significantly reduces the fees we bill our clients. A ceiling price is usually determined with respect to legal fees, helping avoid unpleasant surprises

We are committed to providing accessible legal services. Our lawyers are very competent and offer their services at a reasonable price. For more details on our rates, click here.

There is only one way to find out: call your local legal aid office and make an appointment. Please note that it is not possible to verify your eligibility by telephone or online.