Timeline
The Law Society has taken several steps over the years to facilitate the unbundling of legal services.
2017-2018
The Law Society liased with Mediate BC to develop a roster of family law lawyers who are prepared to provide unbundled legal services.
2016
The Law Society worked with Mediate BC on its Family Unbundled Legal Services Project to develop a family law toolkit that includes sample retainer agreements, among other tools. The toolkit is now available on the Courthouse Libraries website. The Family Unbundled Legal Services Project is the recipient of $60,000 from the access to justice fund the Law Society has established with the Law Foundation of BC.
2013
To address concerns lawyers have about unbundling, the Law Society made further changes to the Code of Professional Conduct for BC. For example, the amended Code requires that a lawyer specify, in writing, the nature, extent and scope of services to be provided. Fulfilling that requirement will go a long way toward ensuring lawyers and clients understand exactly what services are being contracted for, and warding off potential complaints.
The amendments to the Code also address concerns about potential conflicts of interest where a person is represented by a lawyer under a limited scope retainer. The changes make it easier for lawyers at medium- and large-sized firms to provide pro bono services at court-annexed and non-profit legal clinics, without inadvertently bringing their firm into a conflict of interest .
2008
The Law Society made unbundling possible with changes to the Law Society Rules. The Benchers approved recommendations from the Unbundling of Legal Services Task Force that permit lawyers to offer limited scope legal services.