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 February 2023. |
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 and 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, this 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, human rights complaints, and work-related issues. | 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 connect with a lawyer for a free 15-minute consultation to see if you want to hire them. | Lower Mainland: 604-687-3221 Toll-free: 1-800-663-1919 accessprobono.ca |
| Legal Aid BC | This non-profit provides free legal advice and representation for certain types of legal problems if you meet financial eligibility guidelines. |
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 |
| 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 and several other languages. | 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. | 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: 1-833-236-3700 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 information, publications, and self-help guides on a wide range of family law issues. | family.legalaid.bc.ca |
| Legal Rights for Youth | This Justice Education Society website describes the legal rights for youth living in BC. | Toll-free: 1-855-875-8867 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 a range of services to those who do not have the legal capacity to protect their own interests. | Lower Mainland: 604-660-4444 Toll-free: 1-800-663-7867 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, advocacy, support, and referrals to older adults and those who care for them. | Lower Mainland: 604-336-5653 Seniors Abuse and Information Line (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. | Lower Mainland: 604-255-0546 Toll-free: 1-800-665-1185 tenants.bc.ca |
| VictimLink | This is a toll-free, confidential, multilingual 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 © 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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