Can the court clerk give me advice?
Short answer
In Quebec, the court clerk may assist you in preparing a pleading or filling out a form and may inform you about how the proceeding unfolds, but cannot give you legal advice (art. 543 of the Code of Civil Procedure).
In detail
Article 543 lists what parties may obtain information about from the court office: how the proceeding and the enforcement of the judgment unfold, the essential elements of the procedure, and the rules on where the application is to be filed, on the communication of exhibits, on the taking of evidence and on legal costs. The clerk “assists them, if need be, in preparing a pleading or filling out a form made available to them, but cannot give them legal advice”.
That limit is not administrative politeness: in Quebec, giving legal consultations and advice on behalf of others is the exclusive preserve of a practising advocate or legal adviser (s. 128 of the Act respecting the Barreau du Québec), and illegally practising the profession of advocate is an offence (ss. 132 and 133).
For free legal information — which is not advice — there are the Info Justice centres (formerly the Centres de justice de proximité), whose jurists are gradually being deployed directly in courthouses.
What to document
Note the date of each call or visit to the court office, the name of the person you spoke with and what you were told. It saves you doing the same step twice and documents your efforts.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- Code of Civil Procedure, art. 543 (Légis Québec)
- Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128, 132 and 133 (Légis Québec)
- Rollout of the Juristes en palais de justice project (Government of Quebec, April 8, 2026)
Related questions
- Where can I find free or low-cost legal help in Quebec?
- Do I have to send a formal notice before suing?
- What should I write in a formal notice and how do I send it?
- How much does it cost to file a small claims application?
- When do I have to file my evidence with the court?
See all the answers · the full guide collection · Lire en français
What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.