Legal information vs legal advice
KnowMyRights.ca publishes legal information. That is different from legal advice, and the distinction matters.
The distinction
Legal information is general: what a statute says, what a regulation requires, what a tribunal publishes about its own process. It applies to everyone in the same situation and does not change based on the details of any one file.
Legal advice is specific: a licensed representative reviews the facts of a particular matter, applies the law to those facts, and offers a professional judgment about strategy, risk, or outcome. Legal advice creates a lawyer-client (or paralegal-client) relationship, carries professional duties, and is regulated by each province.
Why this matters (UPL)
In every Canadian province, only licensees of the law society may offer legal advice or represent a person in a legal matter. Providing legal advice without a licence is known as the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) and is prohibited by statutes such as the Law Society Act, 1998 (Ontario) and the equivalent legislation in other provinces.
KnowMyRights.ca is built to stay firmly on the information side of that line. The 4-part format, the neutral tone, the citation of government sources, and the escalation prompts to consult a licensee are all deliberate design choices.
What KnowMyRights.ca can and cannot do
We can
- Quote what statutes, regulations, and official guidance say
- Translate legal language into plain English
- Describe official forms, tribunal websites, and intake portals
- Show anonymized scenarios that illustrate how a law generally applies
- Direct readers to government sources and published self-help guides
- Surface questions worth raising with a lawyer or paralegal
We cannot
- Predict how a specific case will turn out
- Recommend a specific strategy tailored to one file
- Draft legal documents for a specific matter
- Appear on a reader’s behalf before a tribunal or court
- Offer an opinion on whether a settlement offer is fair
- Replace the professional judgment of a licensed representative
How to find a licensed lawyer or paralegal
Each province publishes an official directory of licensed representatives and operates referral and legal-aid programs. Community legal clinics serve clients with low and moderate incomes at no cost for many issues.
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