Job prospects Civil Lawyer in Québec

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "civil lawyer" in Québec or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Québec

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Lawyers and Quebec notaries (NOC 41101) in Quebec for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Employment in this group primarily depends on the number of legal disputes and the ability to pay from their various clients.   

The generally rising cost of living, particularly housing, and the high interest rates are eroding households' spending capacity and reducing their willingness to engage in legal proceedings.   

For lawyers, several traditional fields remain in demand, such as family law, tax law, and immigration law, while newer sectors, such as intellectual property law, are growing. In the field of commercial law, businesses and organizations are expected to continue seeking professionals in this area.    

For notaries, the demand for wills and mandates in the event of incapacity is expected to remain strong due to the aging population. Additionally, the decline in mortgage rates is likely to support a recovery in the housing market. The anticipated activity in the real estate market during the forecast period should create demand for mortgage contracts that must be registered by a notary. 

Here are some key facts about Lawyers and Quebec notaries in Quebec:

• Approximately 27,550 people work in this occupation.
• Lawyers and Quebec notaries mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Legal services (NAICS 5411): 71%
  • Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 7%
  • Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (NAICS 52, 53): 5%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 93% compared to 82% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 7% compared to 18% for all occupations
• 73% of lawyers and quebec notaries work all year, while 27% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• 36% of lawyers and quebec notaries are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 44% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 56% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 51% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 49% compared to 11% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Québec by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "civil lawyer" Lawyers and Quebec notaries (NOC 41101) or across Canada.

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