The People`s Law School is a non-profit organization dedicated to making the law accessible to all. Their website under peopleslawschool.ca provides education and free information to help people deal with the legal problems of everyday life. Topics include consumer and debt issues, workplace issues, wills and estates. If you have a low income and have a family law problem, you may be eligible for free telephone legal advice from a family law lawyer. Family LawLINE lawyers provide brief “Next Step” advice on family law matters. Call Legal Aid BC at 604-408-2172 in the Vancouver area or toll free at 1-866-577-2525 elsewhere in British Columbia. The Tenant Resource and Advice Centre (TRAC) offers a telephone information line to help tenants with legal problems. They also provide free representation to tenants at dispute resolution hearings in limited situations. Call 604-255-0546 in Vancouver or toll-free 1-800-665-1185 or visit tenants.bc.ca.
A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a bailiff appointed to keep the peace. Justices of the peace may perform certain judicial tasks, such as conducting court proceedings, issuing court orders, and many other services. Justices of the peace do not need formal legal training. Visit Justice of the Peace (Provincial Court of British Columbia) for more information. Free or low-cost legal aid options include legal aid, pro bono services, legal clinics, and lawyers. Also learn the best sources of legal information to solve legal problems. Visit Youth Services for legal services and resources for youth. Legal Aid BC has increased the amount a person can earn to get legal aid. Lawyers from across British Columbia participate in the Lawyer Referral Service, which can connect you with a lawyer for a free half-hour consultation.
The service is operated by Access Pro Bono. Call 604-687-3221 in the Lower Mainland or toll-free 1-800-663-1919 elsewhere in British Columbia or visit accessprobono.ca. After explaining your problem, the service will give you the name of a lawyer who will apply this type of law in your area of the province. You contact the lawyer to make an appointment. The lawyer will meet with you for a free consultation lasting up to 30 minutes. The lawyer can first advise you on your options. If you and the lawyer agree, you can hire that lawyer at its regular price. MOSAIC provides legal advice and representation to low-income immigrants and refugees. They help newcomers navigate the Canadian legal system. Call 604-254-9626 in Vancouver or visit mosaicbc.org.
Get advice from a lawyer about your situation. Our counsel counsel help tens of thousands of clients each year. Instead of hiring a lawyer to handle your entire legal case, you can hire a lawyer to handle specific parties. In this way, these tasks “stand out” of the parts you can do yourself. Unbundled legal services give you support where you need it most, at a cost you can manage. You only pay for the tasks the lawyer is working on. Unbundling works well for many people and many types of legal issues, but not for everyone. To learn more about unbundled legal services and whether they might be right for you, visit unbundlinglaw.ca. Legal Aid BC, the province`s legal aid provider, provides free legal information on family law, criminal law, immigration and Aboriginal legal issues. Their main website legalaid.bc.ca contains many publications in languages other than English.
Their Family Law in BC under family.legalaid.bc.ca website provides information on self-help for people in family conflict. Information for Aboriginal people can be found on the Aboriginal Legal Aid in British Columbia website under aboriginal.legalaid.bc.ca. In communities across the province, lawyers provide free support and advocacy to marginalized and low-income people with legal problems. Lawyers help with legal matters such as rent or work issues, domestic violence, access to government benefits, and immigration matters. Advocates usually work outside of community organizations such as community centres, churches or women`s centres. Lawyers are trained to help people assert their rights, including with the accompanying documents. PovNet has a Find an Advocate card to povnet.org. Clicklaw`s HelpMap in clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap lists dozens of defenders in British Columbia. Visit Clicklaw for information on legal services and resources. Look for Clicklaw`s help card to find free, low-cost legal services in your community. The Community Legal Aid Society (CLAC) provides legal advice and support to people who are disadvantaged or whose human rights need to be protected. Visit clasbc.net or call 604-685-3425 in Vancouver or toll-free 1-888-685-6222.
If you are not qualified to be represented by a legal aid lawyer, you may still be eligible for other legal aid services. These include court-appointed lawyers and lawyers who provide advice by telephone. If you have a low income and are facing certain types of criminal, family or immigration problems, you may be able to get a lawyer free of charge from legal aid. Contact Legal Aid BC by visiting legalaid.bc.ca or by calling 604-408-2172 in the Greater Vancouver Area or toll-free 1-866-577-2525 elsewhere in British Columbia. Their website lists the locations of legal aid services across the province. If you are in custody and waiting for a bail hearing, you can get legal advice over the phone evenings, weekends and holidays. Legal Aid BC lawyers can be reached toll-free at 1-888-595-5677. “Pro bono” means “for the common good”. Through pro bono legal services, lawyers provide free legal advice and assistance pro bono to those who cannot afford a lawyer or legal aid.
