Resources
The Law Society does not employ lawyers at its office, and therefore cannot provide legal services or advice. For legal assistance, please contact a lawyer. You may find a lawyer using our Lawyer Referral Service.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
For Emergency Services, please call 911.
For a complete list of emergency numbers, see the GNWT Municipal and Community Affairs site.
SHELTERS
For a listing of transition houses and family violence shelters in the NWT, visit the Healing Journey’s website.
LEGAL AID COMMISSION
LEGAL AID
Legal Aid can provide a lawyer for people who cannot afford a lawyer themselves.
Legal Aid does not provide legal assistance in all legal problems. Click here for a list of areas where Legal Aid may be provided.
You can call Legal Aid at 1 844 835 8050 toll free or 1 867 767 9361.
You can also find out about Legal Aid from a community court worker. Click here for a list of community court workers.
FREE LEGAL INFORMATION/ADVICE
Legal Aid provides an Outreach Clinic to provide up to 2 hours of confidential legal advice.
There are two weekly Outreach Clinics in Yellowknife on a first come-first served basis:
- Tuesday from 1:30-4:30 PM, and
- Wednesday from 1:30-4:30 PM.
You can also make in-person and telephone appointments at other times.
The Yellowknife Outreach Clinic is located on the 3rd floor of YK Centre East, Suite 305, 4915 48th Street. Service disponible en Francais.
Outreach Clinics will be held in other NWT communities as well.
For more information about Outreach Clinics click here.
You can call the Outreach Clinic at 1 844 497 1319 toll free or 1 867 767-9384.
COURT REGISTRIES
The Court Registry is where court documents are filed, and where court fines can be paid.
The NWT Supreme Court Registry is located in Yellowknife. It is located on the Third Floor, 4903 – 49 Street, Yellowknife.
You can call the Supreme Court registry al 1 867 767 9288.
Supreme Court Registry hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
The NWT Territorial Court has registries in Yellowknife, Hay River and Inuvik:
- Yellowknife
Third floor, 4903 – 49 Street
Yellowknife
Telephone 1 867 767 9289
Yellowknife Registry hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
- Hay River
#201, 8 Capital Drive
Hay River
Telephone 1 866 885 2535 toll free, or 1 867 874 6509
Hay River Registry hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM until 12:00 noon and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Inuvik
151 Mackenzie Road
Hay River
Telephone 1 866 344 3940 toll free, or 1 867 777 7300
Hay River Registry hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM until 12:00 noon and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
For more information about all Court Registries, click here.
SMALL CLAIMS COURT/CIVIL CLAIMS COURT
Small Claims Court, now called Civil Claims Court is a court where you can bring claims up to $35,000. You can represent yourself in Civil Claims Court, or you can hire a lawyer to assist you.
Civil Claims Court procedures are designed to be simpler, less formal and faster than in other courts.
Every Civil Claims Court claim must go through a mandatory mediation session with a
Civil Claims Court Judge before being scheduled for trial.
More information on Civil Claims Court, including court forms and a listing of fees, can be found here.
The Legal Aid Outreach Clinic may be able to assist you with a Civil Claims Court claim or defence.
Click here for a list of lawyers approved to work in the NWT who have indicated they work in civil litigation, and who may be able to represent you in Civil Claims Court.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The Sheriff’s office provides assistance in NWT courtrooms. The Sheriff’s office also seizes good and evicts tenants when there is a court order to do so. The Sheriff’s office is responsible for delivering jury notices to possible jurors. For more information about the Sheriff’s office, click here.
NWT LAW FOUNDATION
The Northwest Territories Law Foundation was established pursuant to Part VII of the Legal Profession Act for the purpose of receiving the interest which banks must pay on client’s funds held by lawyers in mixed trust accounts. It is similar in form to Law Foundations established in most provinces.
The objectives of the Law Foundation are to use the funds collected in this manner to provide funding in the following areas:
- Conducting research into and recommending reform of law and the administration of justice;
- establishing, maintaining and operating law libraries;
- contributing to the legal education and knowledge of members and the people of the Territories and providing programs and facilities for that purpose;
- providing assistance to legal aid programs and programs of a similar nature;
- contributing to the Assurance Fund; and
- doing all other things that are, in the opinion of the board, incidental or conducive to the attainment of these objectives.
For further information, or to apply for a grant or scholarship, please visit the Law Foundation website.
