Unbundled legal services can be an affordable alternative.
Unbundling legal services is where a lawyer provides legal services for part of a client’s legal issues instead of seeing the matter through from start to finish. Unbundled legal services are especially helpful to self-represented litigants, who often are not self-represented by choice, but are unable to afford to retain legal counsel. For example, someone preparing for a hearing before a judge in a family court matter might need some help from a lawyer to explain what documents will be required, how to fill them out, and what kinds of questions to expect from the judge. Unbundled legal services was made possible in BC in 2008 through amendments to the Law Society Rules. Not all lawyers offer such services, but the number continues to grow.
Resources
The People's Law School launched Unbundled Legal Services to explain unbundling 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.
Visit the BC Family Unbundling Roster for a list of family lawyers and paralegals who provide unbundled legal services
The National Self-Represented Litigants Project offers a number of resources on its website, including: a national database of lawyers offering unbundled services; choose British Columbia from the drop-down menu for a list of lawyers in BC offering unbundled services.