Help from a lawyer

The BC Family Law Unbundling Roster website has a list of family lawyers who do select legal tasks for clients. You pay for the legal tasks you want help with, and you handle the rest of your case yourself. This arrangement usually costs less than full legal representation.

Legal Aid BC provides free legal advice to parents with low incomes who are working with a family justice counsellor to try and reach an agreement in a separation or divorce.

Duty counsel for both Provincial and Supreme Courts help people with their family court matters. Services might vary in different locations. These lawyers might also be able to give you legal advice about your legal options.

To find out how to contact family duty counsel near you, check the Legal Aid BC website or call your nearest legal aid location or local court registry.

You can get free legal advice over the phone from a family law lawyer. Family LawLINE lawyers give brief ​“next-step” advice about the following issues to callers who don’t qualify for other services:

• parenting arrangements,
• decision-making responsibility,
• contact with a child,
• guardianship,
• protection orders,
• child support,
• spousal support,
• property division,
• child protection matters,
• family agreements, and
• court procedures.

Call Legal Aid BC at 604-408-2172 (Greater Vancouver) or 1-866-577-2525 (elsewhere in BC)

An intake worker will ask you questions about your financial situation and your legal issue. If you qualify, you’re transferred to an available Family LawLINE lawyer. Interpreters are available if required.

The Lawyer Referral Service can give you the name of a family law lawyer who can talk with you for 15 minutes free of charge.

Call 604-687-3221 (Greater Vancouver) or 1-800-663-1919 (elsewhere in BC). 

You can briefly describe your issue to the lawyer, and they can tell you if you have a case. You can decide to hire the lawyer or call the service for another name. Ask the lawyer what they charge per hour.

Legal Aid BC provides free legal help from a lawyer if you qualify. Tell Legal Aid BC if you’re leaving an abusive partner.

Contact the Call Centre at 604-408-2172 (Greater Vancouver) or 1-866-577-2525 (elsewhere in BC).

Call Centre recorded messages are available in Cantonese, English, French, Mandarin, Punjabi, and Spanish. Interpreters are available for more than 100 languages.