As the regulator of the legal profession, the Law Society cannot provide legal assistance or advice to the public. Below are some resources to access if you need assistance.
Public legal information
- Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia provides free legal services to people and non-profit organizations of limited means throughout BC.
- AdminLawBC is an online help guide for British Columbians navigating the world of administrative law.
- BC First Nations Justice Council represents Indigenous people in BC on justice-related issues to bring about transformative change to the legal system.
- Clicklaw is 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. Clicklaw Wikibooks are collaboratively developed, plain-language legal publications that can be printed. The following wikibooks are currently available:
- A Death in Your Family from People’s Law School covers what to do first when a family member dies, making funeral arrangements and where to find support.
- Consumer Law Wikibook from People's Law School describes some of the most common consumer problems faced by British Columbians and in particular by newcomers to the province. It covers problems with a purchase, home repairs, loans, debt, identity theft and scams.
- 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.
- Legal Help for British Columbians, 3rd ed., covers over 40 common legal problems faced by low-income clients in BC. This edition includes new chapters on immigration and mental health. The guide also contains a list of legal agencies that provide information, assistance, advice and representation for low-income clients in BC.
- The Tenant Survival Guide Wikibook gives tenants a basic understanding of residential tenancy law in British Columbia.
- Dial-a-Law is 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).
- Family Law in British Columbia is a website operated by Legal Aid BC and dedicated to helping families use the law.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- People's Law School provides free and impartial public legal education.
- Rise Women’s Legal Centre is a full-service storefront legal clinic, provided by West Coast LEAF and the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, that focuses on providing legal representation to low-income women in the Lower Mainland. Students and lawyers work together to provide women with legal advice on family law and related matters, file documents in court, represent them in their hearings and generally assist women with accessing their legal rights.
- Seniors First BC is a charitable, non-profit society that provides information, legal advocacy, support and referrals to older adults across BC who are dealing with issues affecting their well-being or rights.
- The Supreme Court of British Columbia website has information packages designed to assist people who are representing themselves in court.
- Unbundled Legal Services was launched by the People's Law School to explain unbundling of legal services for the public. The website features a self-assessment 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.
Glossary of legal terms
There are many online resources that provide definitions of legal terms, including:
Legal research
- Canadian Legal Information Institute (CANLII) (caselaw and statutes/regulations)
- The Canadian Legal Research and Writing Guide
- LexisNexis Quicklaw (fee service)
- WestlawNext Canada
Laws, statutes and regulations
- BC Statutes
- Consolidated Acts of Canada
- BC Regulation Bulletins
- Canada Gazette
- Consolidated Regulations of Canada
- Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII)
Law libraries
- 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.
- Canadian Association of Law Libraries
- Thomson Rivers University Law Library
Courts and court information
- BC Provincial Court
- BC Superior Courts
- BC Supreme Court Registries
- Federal Court of Canada
- Supreme Court of Canada
- 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
- BC Supreme Court Civil Rules
- BC Supreme Court Criminal Rules
- Federal Court Rules and Forms
- Supreme Court of Canada Rules
- Court and tribunal decisions
- Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) provides free, online access to legal documents from Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments for both legal practitioners and the general public .