In Quebec, a person generally cannot practise law unless they are officially licensed. If you’re a fan of legal dramas, the mention of fake lawyers probably makes you think of Mike Ross from the show Suits. While that’s fiction, real cases of illegal law practice do happen. The Barreau du Québec (Quebec’s professional order for lawyers) handles about 70 such cases per year. How can you tell the difference between impostors and actual lawyers?
A recent high-profile case of illegal law practice involved Megan Lalonde, a fake lawyer who tricked several people by offering legal services she wasn’t licensed to provide. Since April 2024, she’s been facing a lawsuit from the Barreau du Québec for practising law illegally. The Barreau ordered her to pay a $7,500 fine, which she hasn’t paid and is disputing. In August 2024, she was also sentenced to 45 days in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of fraud and obstructing police work. The fraud was related to her illegal law practice in five cases since 2021. And it’s not over yet: she’s set to appear in court again in the coming months for other fraud-related cases.
This story gives us a glimpse into the ins and outs of illegal law practice in Quebec.
Strict conditions for practising law
To practise law in Quebec, you must usually be a member of either the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires (Quebec’s professional order for notaries).
This requirement generally applies to anyone who offers legal consultations or legal advice. Legal advice involves giving a personalized response on how the law would apply to a specific situation, among other things.
You must also be a member of the Barreau to claim to be a lawyer. A non-member of the Barreau who acts in a way that leads others to believe they are a lawyer could be practising law illegally. This could be the case if they falsely claim to be a lawyer or use titles like “Maitre” or “Me” in French.
The consequences can be serious for someone who falsely presents themselves as a lawyer or gives legal advice without being a member of the Barreau. They may face a fine of up to $62,500, or even $125,000 for repeat offenders. In some cases, they can even be accused of a crime, like fraud. Fraud typically involves tricking someone to steal their money.
Newcomers: a common target for impostors
In a 2019 case in Montreal, a couple reached out to a man who claimed to be a lawyer. They were facing threats in their home country and were desperately trying to immigrate to Canada. The man collected their personal information, filled out their asylum claim, and promised to help them throughout their immigration process. Their asylum claim ended up being rejected. The couple then investigated and found out that the man wasn’t actually a licensed lawyer.
Newcomers are a common target for fraudsters. According to Tamara Davis, the Barreau de Montréal’s executive director, impostors often pose as immigration lawyers. They claim to be able to handle immigration files in exchange for money.
These types of fraudsters usually target people who want to
- apply for asylum in Canada,
- appeal a denial of their asylum claim,
- sponsor their spouse or partner living abroad.
These fake lawyers will often ask for large sums of money and then disappear without actually doing anything for the client. In other cases, they may submit poorly prepared applications for the people they’re scamming. This will usually affect the chances of their applications being approved and can lead to devastating consequences, like being deported.
How to protect yourself
The best way to protect yourself against scams when looking for a lawyer or notary is to check that they’re a member of the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires.
In many cases, people who illegally practice law in Quebec used to be lawyers in another country. Another frequent case of illegal practise is that of former lawyers who have been disbarred and continue practising law despite being unauthorized to do so.
Fake lawyers may use different strategies to seem legitimate. A few commonly used ones are
- adding logos of the Quebec and Canadian government to their website,
- being active on social media,
- posting fake reviews to give the impression that they have many satisfied clients,
- asking clients to sign administrative documents that seem real, such as immigration forms.
Your options if you’ve been scammed
If you’ve dealt with a fake lawyer, you can file a complaint with the Barreau du Québec or the Barreau de Montréal.
In situations where they’ve scammed you out of your money, you may also have other options. For example, you could sue the impostor in court. If the claim is for $15,000 or less, you can file this claim in the small claims court. The court can then order the scammer to reimburse you, and in some cases, to pay you damages for the harm they caused you beyond financial losses.
Finally, in some cases, you can also report the incident to the police for fraud.