Difference between revisions of "Free and Low-Cost Legal Help"

If you are a person with a low income experiencing separation or divorce, you may be eligible for free legal advice from Supreme Court family duty counsel. Duty counsel are lawyers who can provide advice about: parenting arrangements, child support, property (limited advice), tentative settlement agreements, and court procedures. They can also attend judicial case conferences at some courts. Duty counsel may be able to help you even if you are not financially eligible. Duty counsel are available by appointment or on a walk-in basis in Vancouver. At other locations, duty counsel services are on a drop-in basis.  

*Family Advice Lawyers

If you are a parent with a low income and experiencing separation or divorce, you may be eligible for free legal advice from a family advice lawyer. These lawyers are available at the Vancouver Justice Access Centre, the Nanaimo Justice Access Centre, the Family Justice Centre in Kelowna, the New Westminster Family Justice Centre, and at courthouses in Kamloops, Prince George, Surrey and Victoria. Services are available by referral from a family justice counsellor or a child support officer.  

For more information about this service, call Enquiry BC at 604.660.2421 (from Vancouver), 250.387.6121 (from Victoria) or 1.800.663.7867 (from anywhere else in the province), and ask to be connected to a family justice counsellor’s office in one of the locations above.

*Family LawLINE

If you are a person with a low income experiencing a family law issue, you may be eligible for free legal advice over the telephone from a family lawyer. To be considered for this service, call the LSS province-wide Call Centre at 604.408.2172 (Greater Vancouver) or 1.866.577.2525 (call no charge, elsewhere in BC). The Provincial Call Centre is open the following hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9:30 am to 3 pm, and Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Pro Bono Legal Services

*Access Pro Bono Society of BC: [http://www.accessprobono.ca www.accessprobono.ca]

Access Pro Bono promotes access to justice in BC by providing and fostering quality pro bono legal services for people and non-profit organizations of limited means. Access Pro Bono provides summary legal advice through its network of legal clinics around the province. It also provides representation services in limited situations, through its Roster Programs, Civil Chambers Duty Counsel Project (Vancouver), and the Nanaimo Children's Lawyer Project. The client access phone numbers for all services are 604.878.7400 in Greater Vancouver or 1.877.762.6664 from anywhere else in the province.  

*BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre: [http://www.bcpiac.com www.bcpiac.com]

BCPIAC is a non-profit, public interest law office. Its task is to provide representation to groups that would not otherwise have the resources to effectively assert their interests. Call 604.687.3063 in Vancouver.

*Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS): [http://www.clasbc.net www.clasbc.net]

The purpose of the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) is to provide legal advice and assistance and to use and develop the law for the benefit of people who are physically, mentally, socially, economically or otherwise disadvantaged or whose human rights need protection. Call 604.685.3425 in Vancouver or toll free 1.888.685.6222.  

**Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA): [http://www.amssa.org www.amssa.org]

AMSSA provides leadership in advocacy and education in British Columbia for anti-racism, human rights, and social justice. AMSSA supports its members in serving immigrants, refugees and culturally diverse communities. Call 604.718.2780 in Vancouver or 1.888.355.5560.

**Immigrant Services Society of BC: [http://www.issbc.org www.issbc.org]

Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISS) will continue to be a leader in identifying the needs of immigrants and refugees and in developing, demonstrating and delivering effective, quality programs and services which meet those needs. Call 604.684.7498 or 604.684.2561 in Vancouver.

**MOSAIC: [http://www.mosaicbc.com  www.mosaicbc.com]

MOSAIC is a multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect immigrants and refugees in the course of their settlement and integration into Canadian society. Call 604.254.9626 in Vancouver.

**S.U.C.C.E.S.S.: [http://www.successbc.ca  www.successbc.ca]  

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. supports the well being of Canadians and immigrants from diverse ethnic origins through the provision of social, educational and health services, business and community development, and advocacy. Call 604.684.1628 in Vancouver for general inquiries.  

*Justice Access Centres (Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria): [http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/justice-access-centre/ www.ag.gov.bc.ca/justice-access-centre/]

The justice access centres are the place to come when you need help with family and civil law issues that affect your everyday life, such as separation or divorce, income security, employment, housing or debt. The Justice Access Centres have information and services you need to reach solutions to your problems. Services are provided in person, but you can call for information:  

*Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC): [http://www.tenants.bc.ca www.tenants.bc.ca]

TRAC is a Vancouver-based non-profit organization that offers services on legal information for tenants, publications on tenants’ rights, organizing tenants and workshops. Call 604.255.0546 in Vancouver or toll free 1.800.665.1185.