It’s a good idea to talk to a lawyer before you decide how you’ll plead (guilty or not guilty), or whether you’ll choose to explore other options. A lawyer can explain any options and help you understand your legal documents.
Even if you’ve been denied legal aid, you can get some free legal advice. The following help may be available to you.
Talk to a lawyer
- Criminal duty counsel: If you don’t have your own lawyer, see when duty counsel will be at the courthouse where you’re charged. Duty counsel are lawyers who can give you free brief advice before your trial. When available, they can give you advice about the charges against you, court procedures, and your legal rights. They can’t give advice on how to run your trial or help you at your trial. They can speak on your behalf the first time you appear in court, but can’t act as your permanent lawyer. Usually, they’ll be available on your scheduled court dates.
- Call Legal Aid BC at 604-408-2172 (Greater Vancouver) or 1-866-577-2525 (elsewhere in BC), or your local courthouse to find out when duty counsel will be there. (See the Provincial Court of BC website for links to courthouse locations.)
- Lawyer Referral Service: You can get the name of a local lawyer to talk to for half an hour for free, to briefly describe your issue and find out whether they can help you. You can find out what they’d charge if you need more help and decide whether you want to hire them. Call 604-687-3221 (Greater Vancouver).
- Access Pro Bono clinics: You can also get brief legal help from pro bono (free) clinics. Call 604-878-7400 (Greater Vancouver) or 1-877-762-6664 (elsewhere in BC).
Contact Indigenous legal services
- BC First Nations Justice Council: If you’re Indigenous, you can access justice centres and Gladue services. Call 1-877-602-4858 for more information.
- Indigenous Justice Centres offer culturally appropriate advice and representation services across BC. Eligible callers can also get help through the Virtual Indigenous Justice Centre (VJIC). Call 1-866-786-0081 for more information about the VIJC.
- Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC (NCCABC): You can get support from a Native Courtworker. NCCABC helps Indigenous people involved in the criminal justice system. Call 604-985-5355 (Greater Vancouver) or 1-877-811-1190 (elsewhere in BC) for more information.
- UBC Indigenous Community Legal Clinic: The University of British Columbia’s Indigenous Community Legal Clinic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside provides free legal advice, accompaniment to court, and advocacy to Indigenous people who don’t qualify for legal aid. Call 604-822-5421 (Greater Vancouver) for more information.
Get other help
- Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP): If you live in Greater Vancouver, you may be able to get free legal advice or help from LSLAP if you’re charged with a summary offence and the Crown prosecutor isn’t asking for a jail sentence if you’re found guilty. Call 604-822-5791 or visit the LSLAP website to find the nearest location.
- The Law Centre: If you live in Victoria, the Law Centre may be able to help you if you’re eligible and qualify financially. Call 250-385-1221 for more information.
- Thompson Rivers University Community Legal Clinic: If you live in Kamloops and can’t afford a lawyer, you can get free legal help and advice in a range of areas. Call 778-471-8490 for more information.
Contact a lawyer in private practice
- You can contact a lawyer in private practice for specific advice on how to handle your own case. Find out if the lawyer is willing to help and what it’ll cost. One or two meetings with a private lawyer to get basic advice about your particular case could be worth the cost.
Visit the Clicklaw website
For more information about the law, visit Clicklaw. The website has links to legal information, education, and help. You can find out about your rights and options, get toll-free numbers for law-related help, find a legal advocate, and learn about the law and the legal system.