Find Out More in Learning about the Law
| This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by People's Law School in April 2022. |
Free and low-cost legal help
| Access Pro Bono | Access Pro Bono has free legal advice clinics across BC. Lawyers volunteer to provide free legal advice to those who can’t afford a lawyer or can’t get legal aid. | Lower Mainland: 604-878-7400 Toll-free: 1-877-762-6664 accessprobono.ca |
| BC Human Rights Clinic | Operated by the Community Legal Assistance Society, the BC Human Rights Clinic provides assistance and representation to those who need help dealing with a provincial human rights complaint. | Lower Mainland: 604-622-1100 Toll-free: 1-855-685-6222 bchrc.net |
| Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) | CLAS provides legal advice and some representation to low-income British Columbians facing a range of problems, including eviction, foreclosure of their mortgage, and human rights complaints. | Lower Mainland: 604-685-3425 Toll-free: 1-888-685-6222 clasbc.net |
| Family Justice Centres | These centres are located throughout BC and provide free services (including mediation) to couples going through a separation or divorce. | gov.bc.ca |
| Lawyer Referral Service | This service operated by Access Pro Bono can help you find a lawyer who will meet with you for a free 15-minute consultation. | Lower Mainland: 604-687-3221 Toll-free: 1-800-663-1919 accessprobono.ca |
| Legal Aid BC | You may be able to get free legal help (legal aid) if your legal problem is covered by Legal Aid BC’s rules and your income and the value of your property are below a certain limit. Legal Aid BC also has free booklets on legal topics in English and many other languages. |
Lower Mainland: 604-408-2172 Toll-free: 1-866-577-2525 legalaid.bc.ca |
| MOSAIC | A non-profit that provides free programs and services to help new immigrants and refugees with their settlement in Canada. They provide legal advocacy in areas such as family law and immigration law. |
Lower Mainland: 604-254-9626 mosaicbc.org |
| MyLawBC’s Family Resolution Centre | Operated by Legal Aid BC, this program offers free mediation for couples to work out parenting and child support arrangements. | mylawbc.com/mediation |
| PovNet | Their Find an Advocate tool can help you find a legal advocate in your area. Legal advocates provide free support, advocacy and information to low-income people experiencing legal problems. Advocates usually work out of community agencies. | povnet.org |
More information
| BC Association of Community Response Networks (BCCRN) | Provides information and help to anyone who is being abused or neglected, or is supporting someone who is. | bccrns.ca |
| Clicklaw | A website operated by Courthouse Libraries BC that provides legal information, education, and resources from across BC. | clicklaw.bc.ca |
| Court Information Program for Immigrants | This Justice Education Society program provides free legal information to new immigrants and refugees. Services are provided in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Hindi, French and Spanish. | courtinformation.ca |
| Dial-A-Law | From People's Law School, Dial-A-Law has brief legal information on over 190 topics. You can listen on the telephone or online. You can also read the information online. | Lower Mainland: 604-687-4680 Toll-free: 1-800-565-5297 dialalaw.ca |
| Employment Standards Branch | This BC government office provides free legal information to employees and employers about their rights and responsibilities under BC law. They answer questions and deal with complaints against employers. | Toll-free: 1-800-663-3316 gov.bc.ca/employmentstandards |
| Families Change: Guide to Separation & Divorce | This Justice Education Society website provides information on separation and divorce for children, teens, and parents. | familieschange.ca |
| Family Law in BC | This website from Legal Aid BC provides free legal information, publications, and self-help guides on a wide range of family law issues. | family.legalaid.bc.ca |
| JP Boyd on Family Law | This resource, available online and in print, offers information about family law and the court process in British Columbia. | wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca |
| Legal Rights for Youth | This Justice Education Society website describes the legal rights for youth living in British Columbia. | legalrightsforyouth.ca |
| Mediate BC Society | Mediate BC can put you in touch with a mediator who can help people (including separating couples) work together to find a solution to legal problems. | Lower Mainland: 1-604-684-1300 Toll-free: 1-877-656-1300 mediatebc.com |
| Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry | Nidus provides information to British Columbians about personal planning, including information on making a representation agreement or enduring power of attorney. | nidus.ca |
| People's Law School | People's Law School provides free education and information to help British Columbians effectively deal with the legal problems of daily life. | Lower Mainland: 604-331-5400 peopleslawschool.ca |
| Public Guardian and Trustee | The office of the Public Guardian and Trustee provides services to those who need help managing their affairs. | Lower Mainland: 604-775-1007 trustee.bc.ca |
| Residential Tenancy Branch | The BC government department responsible for landlord-tenant matters. Their website has free dispute resolution guides, policy guidelines, and information sheets. | Lower Mainland: 604-660-1020 Victoria: 250-387-1602 Toll-free: 1-800-665-8779 gov.bc.ca/landlordtenant |
| Seniors First BC | A non-profit that provides information on legal topics for older adults and those who care for them. | Lower Mainland: 604-688-1927 Toll-free: 1-866-437-1940 seniorsfirstbc.ca |
| Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) | A non-profit that provides tenants with legal education and assistance. You can phone them if you have a problem with renting. | Toll-free: 1-800-665-1185 tenants.bc.ca |
| VictimLink | This is a toll-free, confidential service for victims of crime. Available across BC, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and in 150 languages, it provides information and support to victims. | Toll-free: 1-800-563-0808 victimlinkbc.ca |
| Victimsinfo.ca | A website for victims and witnesses of crime in BC. It gives people the information they need to deal with the consequences of crime. | victimsinfo.ca |
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 Learning about the Law Wikibook © People's Law School is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.
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