At a glance Canada Legal Referral is a collection agency and commercial credit reporting company headquartered in Concord, Ontario.
The full legal name is Canada Legal Referral Inc., also known as Canlegal. It operates as Référence Légale-Canada Ltée in Quebec. The company has been in business since 1995.
If Canada Legal Referral contacts you, don't confirm any personal details or make a payment until you have written verification of the debt.
What is Canada Legal Referral?
Canada Legal Referral (Canlegal) is a collection agency and commercial credit reporting company that recovers unpaid debts and provides credit risk assessments for businesses across Canada.
The company's full legal name is Canada Legal Referral Inc. Canlegal is headquartered in Concord, Ontario, with a second office in Montreal, Quebec. The company has been in business since 1995.
Source: Canlegal – About
Contact Canada Legal Referral
1-800-241-0560
Contact this debt collection agency to verify details, dispute the debt or resolve your account.
Visit agency websiteWhy is Canada Legal Referral calling me?
If Canada Legal Referral is calling, a creditor has sent your unpaid account to them for collection.
The call could also be about an old debt you've forgotten, an account referred to Canlegal by mistake, or a scam using their name.
Canada Legal Referral also operates as a commercial credit reporting agency. Not every contact from them is about personal debt collection.
Don't confirm any personal details or agree to pay until you have written proof of the debt.
Who does Canada Legal Referral collect for?
Canada Legal Referral collects debts for businesses of all sizes across Canada. Canlegal focuses on commercial debt collection and business-to-business accounts.
The company also provides commercial credit reporting through the Canlegal Risk Score, which pulls data from government registries, financial institutions, court records, and the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy.
If you don't recognize the creditor name on a collection letter or call, pull your credit report from Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada. It shows which creditor placed the account in collections.
Know a company Canada Legal Referral collects for?
Canada Legal Referral phone numbers
These numbers are commonly associated with Canada Legal Referral:
| Phone number | Type |
|---|---|
| Main |
Some numbers are submitted by users. We call to verify each one and recheck periodically, but numbers can change.
Got a call from a number not shown here?
If you receive a call from a different number claiming to be Canada Legal Referral, verify the debt in writing and confirm the details before paying.
Is Canada Legal Referral legitimate?
Canada Legal Referral Inc. is a legitimate collection agency which has operated since 1995.
If someone claims to be from Canada Legal Referral, verify the debt in writing before paying anything.
Source: BBB – Canada Legal Referral
Will Canada Legal Referral affect my credit score?
A collection account from Canada Legal Referral will severely damage your credit score once it's reported to Equifax or TransUnion.
It stays on your credit report for 6 years from the date of your first missed payment. Paying it won't remove the mark from your credit file but updates the status to paid, which looks better to future lenders.
Check your own report to see whether Canada Legal Referral has reported the account and whether the information is correct.
What to do if Canada Legal Referral calls you (step by step)
Step 1: Ask for written verification. Get the original creditor's name, amount, account number and the date of last activity. Don't confirm anything until you've reviewed it in writing.
Step 2: Don't share personal details. No address, date of birth or banking information until you've confirmed the debt is yours.
Step 3: Check your credit report to see what Canada Legal Referral has reported about you. Get your free credit score and report with Borrowell.
Step 4: Dispute the debt in writing if it's wrong. Keep copies of everything you send.
Step 5: Check the statute of limitations in your province before you pay or acknowledge the debt in writing.
Step 6: Settle if the debt is correct. Sometimes, Canada Legal Referral might accept a one-time lump sum for less than the full balance. Get any agreement in writing before you pay.
Step 7: Pay by a traceable method like online banking, e-Transfer, or card. Get a receipt.
Step 8: Get help if you can't pay. Talk to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or non-profit credit counsellor.
Source: Government of Canada (FCAC) – Dealing with a debt collector
Not in Ontario, Alberta, BC, Nunavut or the NWT? Find a trustee in your province
What if the debt is old?
Every province has a time limit on how long a collection agency like Canada Legal Referral can sue you for an unpaid debt.
| Province / Territory | Limitation period |
|---|---|
| Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia | 2 years |
| Quebec | 3 years |
| Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon | 6 years |
Once the limitation period expires, Canada Legal Referral can still sue you, but you can raise the expired limitation period as a complete defence. The defence isn't automatic. You have to file a defence in court and plead the expired limitation period. If you don't, the court will grant default judgment as if the limitation didn't apply.
Making a payment or acknowledging the debt in writing restarts the limitation period, but only if it hasn't already expired.
These limitation periods apply to most consumer debts like credit cards, lines of credit, and personal loans. Different rules may apply to government debts, court judgments, or secured debts like mortgages.
For more information, read our guide about debt statute of limitations.
How to stop calls from Canada Legal Referral
Send Canada Legal Referral a cease and desist letter. Once they receive it, they have to stop phoning. The debt doesn't go away, and they can still take legal action.
Use our cease and desist letter templates
Provincial law doesn't give you this right in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island or the Yukon.
However, if the debt's on a loan, line of credit, or credit card, send the letter by registered mail under federal law. If Canada Legal Referral is physically based in Ontario, use Ontario's law instead.
Read more: How to stop collection calls in Canada.
How to file a complaint about Canada Legal Referral
If you think that Canada Legal Referral is breaking any debt collection rules, contact the consumer protection authority in your province.
Before filing, document the dates and times of contact, the phone number used, what was said, and copies of any emails, letters or texts.
For contact details and links to your provincial office, visit the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Consumer Affairs Offices directory.
Canada Legal Referral locations
Locations that Canada Legal Referral operate in:
Provinces served
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Legal Name
Canada Legal Referral Inc.
Also known as
Canlegal
Référence Légale-Canada Ltée.
American Legal Referral
FAQs
Canada Legal Referral can't take money from your pay directly. The company has to sue you first, win a court judgment, and then request a garnishment order.
Once a court order is in place, your employer deducts a portion of your income. The percentage varies by province.
A collection account from Canada Legal Referral lowers your credit score if it's reported to Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada.
Collections typically stay on your credit report for six years from the date of last activity. Paying the debt changes the status to paid but doesn't remove it early.
You can offer Canlegal a lump sum for less than the full amount or propose a monthly payment plan. Get any deal in writing before you pay.
A settlement shows as "settled" rather than "paid in full" on your credit report, but it clears the account.
The debt doesn't disappear. Canada Legal Referral can keep contacting you or recommend that the creditor take legal action.
If a court issues a judgment against you, the creditor can garnish your wages or freeze your bank account.
No. The name is misleading. Canada Legal Referral is a collection agency and commercial credit reporting company, not a law firm.
The company doesn't provide legal advice or legal representation. It collects debts and produces commercial credit reports.
Yes. If you don't respond to collection attempts, the creditor can instruct Canada Legal Referral to recommend legal proceedings. A court judgment can lead to wage garnishment or a bank account freeze.
If a collection agency is breaking the rules, file a complaint with your province's consumer protection office.
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Joe launched CollectionAgencies.ca in 2025. He has worked in Canadian personal finance since 2023. He maintains the directory, researches collection agencies across Canada and manages the site's editorial content. Agency listings are sourced from provincial licensing records and legislation.