Do you have a civil legal issue? SLA may be able to help you with the following matters:
Small claims ($50,000 limit)
Consumer contracts
Bailment/personal Property
Debt/collection agencies
Motor vehicle damage
Wrongful dismissal
Return of personal property
Sale of goods/consumer law
Automobile transactions
Vehicle insurance
SLA is unable to assist in the following civil matters:
Matters requiring appearances in the Court of King’s Bench
Personal injury claims
Drafting commercial contracts
Matters involving the sale of interest in land
What Might Happen?
Civil proceedings are each subject to their own unique circumstances, but most result in fairly lengthy proceedings.
Civil Terminology to Get Familiar With:
Applicant: The person who filed the claim.
Burden of Proof: In a civil proceeding, the Applicant has the burden of proving their claim. This burden may shift in certain circumstances.
Defendant: The person who is being sued.
Default Judgment: This is where a judgment is obtained against a defendant without a hearing. This type of judgement is only possible in certain cases under strict procedures.
Mediation: An informal method of resolving a dispute where the parties attempt to reach an agreement with the assistance of a mediator. Both parties are given an equal opportunity to describe and discuss the sources of conflict, and the mediator acts as a neutral party who helps the parties to reach a mutually acceptable solution. If the matter cannot be resolved at a mediation session it will then be set for a hearing before a judge and both parties will be notified in writing of the date and time of the hearing.
Pre-Trial Conference: An informal hearing that takes place between the parties and a judge, at which time each party will be given an opportunity to set out their position and attempt to reach a resolution. If no resolution can be reached the judge will direct the matter to proceed to trial and may issue pre-trial orders.
Standard of Proof: In a civil proceeding, a judge must find the defendant guilty on a “balance of probabilities.”
Student Legal Assistance operates year round. However, please note that Caseworkers are unavailable and cannot make Court appearances on their client’s behalf during winter and spring examination periods.
