Notice: SLA caseworkers can only assist with civil matters in the Alberta Court of Justice (Civil Division) within their approved scope of services.
Do you have a civil legal issue? SLA may be able to help you with the following matters:
Civil claims within the monetary limit of the Alberta Court of Justice
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 or Federal Court of Canada
Personal injury claims beyond the minor injury cap
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:
Plaintiff: The person who filed the claim.
Burden of Proof: In a civil proceeding, the Plaintiff 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.
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, the party bringing the claim (the Plaintiff) must prove the facts supporting their claim on a balance of probabilities. This means the justice must be satisfied that the claimant’s version of events is more likely than not to be true before finding the defendant civilly liable.
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.
