If you’re facing a legal problem, here are some resources and services to help you find the support you need.
Note: As the regulator of lawyers, the Law Society cannot refer you to a specific lawyer or provide legal advice.
Services
| Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia | Provides free legal services to people and non-profit organizations of limited means throughout BC. |
| BC First Nations Justice Council | Represents Indigenous people in BC on justice-related issues to bring about transformative change to the legal system. |
| Legal Aid BC | Provides legal assistance to BC residents living in poverty and has a number of publications for the public. |
| Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC | Provides culturally appropriate legal services to Indigenous people and communities consistent with their needs. |
| Rise Women’s Legal Centre | Provides accessible family law services to economically-disadvantaged, self-representing women and gender diverse people in BC. |
| Seniors First BC | Provides information, legal advocacy, support and referrals to older adults across BC who are dealing with issues affecting their well-being or rights. |
Learn more about the law
| CanLII Search+ | An AI-powered legal research tool that can convert your question into a structured query to target the most relevant documents from the case law, legislation and commentary available on CanLII. |
| Clicklaw | A comprehensive website of legal information for the public. Operated by Courthouse Libraries BC, Clicklaw brings together the learning materials and educational resources of over 20 legal organizations throughout the province. |
| Dial-a-Law | A starting point for information on the law in BC in over 130 topic areas. Operated by the People's Law School, the information is available online, as audio recordings and by telephone at 1.800.565.5297 (604.687.4680 in the Lower Mainland). |
| People's Law School | Provides free and impartial public legal education, including what to do when a family member dies, and the most common consumer problems faced by British Columbians. |
Information on self-representation
| Supreme Court of British Columbia | Provides information packages designed to assist people who are representing themselves in court. |
| Unbundled Legal Services | Provides a self-assessment tool to help people decide if unbundling is a good fit for their situation, a directory of lawyers offering unbundled services, and tips for working with a lawyer on an unbundled matter. |
Resources by practice area
The Tenant Survival Guide Wikibook gives tenants a basic understanding of residential tenancy law in British Columbia.
JusticeBC is the provincial government’s web-based gateway for British Columbians who want information about the family and criminal justice systems, and justice reform.
The Justice Education Society provides resources to help people access British Columbia’s justice system and resolve their legal matters. Most services are available free of charge and include several websites on the courts, small claims, family law, victim services and more.
AdminLawBC is an online help guide for British Columbians navigating the world of administrative law.
JP Boyd on Family Law from Vancouver lawyer John-Paul Boyd is now updated for the new Family Law Act. Written in plain language, with rollover definitions for legal words and phrases, JP Boyd on Family Law provides practical, in-depth coverage of family law and divorce law in BC.
Family Law in British Columbia is a website operated by Legal Aid BC and dedicated to helping families use the law.
Justice access centres in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria are available to help with family and civil law issues, such as separation or divorce, income security, employment, housing or debt.
More information
There are many online resources that provide definitions of legal terms, including:
Typescripts of reasons of the BC Court of Appeal (from 1974), the Supreme Court of BC (from 1971) and the County Court (from 1977-1990) are housed in the University of Victoria library.
BC Provincial Court (Family) Rules and Forms
Courthouse Libraries BC is the primary provider of legal information services to the legal community and the public of BC. Some of the free and fee-based services include:
- searching legal databases
- access to bills, statutes, regulations, case law and texts
- locating and noting up cases and legislation
- access to all CLBC electronic and print resources through a web-based catalogue
- access to electronic and Internet resources on public computers in the libraries
- website with legal links and research guides
- print, scanning, fax and e-mail services
- Lawyers' Reading Room (free online library for BC lawyers and articling students)
The Law Library of UBC and The University of Victoria Diana M. Priestly Law Library are open to the public who may use library resources for study and research.
- File a Complaint
- Complaints about Lawyers' Fees
- Complaints about Sexual Misconduct, Harassment or Discrimination
- Certificate of Authentication
- Lawyer Conduct and Competence
- Finding a Lawyer
- Lawyer Directory
- Legal resources for the public
- Custodianships: When Lawyers Can No Longer Run their Practice
- Lost Files and Wills