Law Society seeks feedback on alternate legal service providers

** Update October 25, 2018: Consultation on the draft proposal for alternate legal service providers is being extended to December 31, 2018. Written submissions may be sent by email to consultation2018@lsbc.org. 

The decision to extend the consultation was made following suggestions from the Access to Justice BC Committee and others, and will provide lawyers and other interested individuals and groups with more time to consider and respond to this important access to justice proposal and the issues it raises. **

Download the consultation paper and draft proposal

The Law Society is seeking input from the profession regarding a proposal to establish a new class of legal service professional who would hold a limited scope licence to practise in the area of family law. The concepts advanced in the scope of practice proposed in Schedule A of the discussion paper are not conclusions. They have been prepared to focus discussion. The Law Society will consider written submissions received by 5:00 pm on December 31, 2018.

Submissions on this consultation paper are collected under authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSBC 1996, c. 165, s. 26(c). The information will be used to analyze and develop the policy initiative described in the consultation. Please note that all submissions will be published on the Law Society website. If you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of this information, contact Michael Lucas in the Policy and Legal Services department, Law Society of British Columbia, 8th Floor, 845 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4Z9, 604.669.2533 or mlucas@lsbc.org.

In December 2014 the Benchers unanimously adopted a task force report that recommended the Law Society seek an amendment to the Legal Profession Act authorizing it to establish and regulate new classes of legal service providers in order to address unmet and underserved legal needs. Research suggests that as much as 85 per cent of people with a legal problem will not get the assistance of a lawyer. Many of these people are left to solve their legal problems on their own. The Benchers endorsed the recommendation that finding ways to connect these people with educated, regulated and insured legal professionals practising under a limited scope licence would be in the public interest.

Earlier this year the Alternate Legal Service Provider Working Group was established to advance the project. The working group focused first on family law, as it is frequently identified as an area of need where the absence of skilled help can exacerbate the hardship families suffer. The working group held a series of focus group consultations, which provided feedback from lawyers, the judiciary, self-represented litigants and professionals who work at clinics that promote access to justice. The consultation paper is informed by that feedback. The consultation paper explains the background in greater detail, and further information can be found on the Alternate Legal Service Providers page of the Law Society website.

The working group will reconvene after the consultation has closed and will consider the written submissions it receives. It will analyze the proposals in the consultation paper in light of that feedback, and further refine its thinking prior to making a final recommendation to the Benchers regarding the proposal.

The Law Society encourages all lawyers, regardless of their area of practice, to read the report and consider making a written submission on this important initiative.