Legal information is general information about the law and legal processes.  Legal information can help a caller identify their problem(s) and the choices available to address their legal issue.

Legal referrals help callers access organizations in their communities that can provide further information or that can provide direct help.  Referrals may also be made to published materials or material found on the internet.  Legal information and referrals are provided by the Legal Resource Agent that takes your call.  This person is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice.

Legal advice is provided by a staff lawyer. If you qualify for advice, the staff lawyer will discuss your legal problem and advise on ways to resolve the problem.  It is important to note that it is not always possible to discuss all legal problems in detail over the phone and legal advice may be limited because of that.

The Alberta Law Line provides a maximum of 4 hours of legal service to clients for each legal problem.  The Alberta Law Line: 

• Does not offer second opinions about what your lawyer is doing on your behalf 
• Does not give opinions about another person's problems, unless they have personally given us permission to discuss their problem with you 
• Does not provide lawyers who will attend court 
• Does not provide legal information or advice to corporations, businesses, or government departments
• Does not provide assistance to people whose legal problem has no connection to Alberta