Chapter 5: Who Can Help

For an emergency, always call 911 to reach the police. If your area doesn’t have 911 service, call your local police emergency phone number. For all other calls, use the non-emergency police number.

Call VictimLinkBC to:

• find a local victim service, counselling, or outreach program, or
• find a transition house.

VictimLinkBC services are available in up to 240 languages and dialects, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Phone or text: 1-800-563-0808 (toll-free) TDD: 604-875-0885 (to call collect, call the Video Relay Service at 711), or email victimlinkbc@bc211.ca.

The BC government funds victim service programs throughout the province that provide information, referrals, emotional support, safety planning, and practical help to victims of crime. These are free services. To find a victim service program in your area, contact VictimLinkBC: phone or text 1-800-563-0808 (toll-free) TDD: 604-875-0885 (to call collect, call the Video Relay Service at 711), or email victimlinkbc@​bc211.​ca. You can also consult the Victim Services directory.

The BC government funds programs that offer counselling and outreach to women and children impacted by family violence:

• Stopping the Violence counselling provides individual and group counselling for women who have experienced childhood abuse, sexual assault, and family violence in their relationships.
• PEACE (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Empowerment) programs provide group and individual counselling for children ages 3 to 18, who have witnessed abuse, threats, or violence in the home.
• Outreach Service programs provide emotional support, information and referrals, accompaniment, and transportation to other necessary services.
• Multicultural Outreach Service programs provide services to ensure immigrants and newcomers receive help from workers who speak their own language and are familiar with their culture.

These are free services. To find a program in your area, contact VictimLinkBC: phone or text 1-800-563-0808 (toll-free) TDD: 604-875-0885 (to call collect, call the Video Relay Service at 711), or email victimlinkbc@​bc211.​ca. You can also consult the Victim Services directory.

Transition houses, safe homes, and second stage housing programs provide a range of services. These include temporary shelter and support services to women (with or without dependent children) who have experienced violence or who are at risk of experiencing violence. For more information, see the BC Housing website or contact VictimLinkBC: phone or text: 1-800-563-0808 (toll-free) TDD: 604-875-0885 (to call collect, call the Video Relay Service at 711), or email victimlinkbc@​bc211.​ca.

If you need a lawyer but can’t afford one, you may qualify for a free lawyer to take your case. Legal aid provides free lawyers for people whose income is below a certain level and whose legal problem is covered by legal aid. You can get a lawyer if you and/​or your children are at risk of physical violence from your partner. Other situations covered by legal aid include if you’re being denied parenting time, contact with, or access to your children, or if you’re unable to represent yourself in court because you’re suffering from emotional abuse or mental trauma.

You can call the toll-free, province-wide legal aid call centre (see phone numbers below) or apply for legal aid at locations throughout the province. Look on the legal aid website at legalaid​.bc​.ca/​s​e​r​v​i​c​e​s​/​h​o​w​-​t​o​-​apply for the phone number of the legal aid location nearest you.

If you can’t speak English, and you can’t bring along someone else who can, legal aid will pay for an interpreter. If you’re denied legal aid, you may be able to ask for a review of the decision.

If you need help navigating the legal aid application process, contact an organization that serves women. These organizations often have advocates who know the process and can help you apply.

Legal Aid Call Centre:
Greater Vancouver: 604-408-2172
Elsewhere in BC: 1-866-577-2525 (toll-free)

If you don’t qualify for a legal aid lawyer to take your case, you may still qualify for free advice from family duty counsel. Duty counsel are lawyers who can help you with family problems if you qualify financially. Duty counsel can give you advice and speak on your behalf in court on simple matters.

They may be able to help you even if your income is above the guidelines. For the location and hours of duty counsel offices:

• see the Legal Aid BC website 
• call your local legal aid location
• call your local court registry 

If you don’t have your own lawyer, you can call the Lawyer Referral Service. They’ll give you the name and number of a lawyer in your community. You can have a brief meeting with this lawyer for free.

Greater Vancouver: 604-687-3221
Elsewhere in BC: 1-800-663-1919 (toll-free)

The Access Pro Bono Society of BC has free legal clinics around the province for people who can’t get legal aid or afford a lawyer.

Greater Vancouver: 604-878-7400
Elsewhere in BC: 1-877-762-6664 (toll-free)

If you are a person with a low income experiencing a family law issue, you may be eligible for free legal advice over the telephone from a Family LawLINE lawyer.

Call the Legal Aid BC Call Centre:

Greater Vancouver: 604-408-2172
Elsewhere in BC: 1-866-577-2525 (toll-free)

Justice Access Centres (JACs) are located in Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Surrey, Vancouver, and Victoria. Visit the centres to:

• learn about the family and civil court system and court procedures,
• get legal information,
• get and fill out court forms,
• find out how to get free legal advice, and
• learn about ways to solve your problems without going to court.

For more information, see the BC government website.

At the Vancouver JAC, you’ll also find Supreme Court Self-Help and Information Services (drop-in only), located at 290 – 800 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC.

Indigenous Justice Centres (IJCs) provide culturally appropriate information, advice, support, and representation directly to Indigenous people in their communities. There are currently four IJCs in the province with more being developed.

Family justice counsellors are located at Family Justice Centres throughout the province. They can provide you with information about the Provincial Court process and family law issues, including parenting and support. Family justice counsellors provide information and support with protection order applications, as well as dispute resolution services and referrals to other community resources. Their services are free. Call Service BC and ask the operator to transfer you to the Family Justice Centre nearest you:

Greater Vancouver: 604-660-2421
Greater Victoria: 250-387-6121
Elsewhere in BC: 1-800-663-7867 (toll-free)
Video Relay Service (VRS): 1-800-663-7867
Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD): 711

Qmunity offers information, referrals, and peer support to the queer, trans, and Two-Spirit community, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Monday to Friday).

Greater Vancouver: 604-684-5307 (ext. 100)

BC211 is a phone service that provides free information and referrals to community, government, and social services.

Call 211 (24 hours a day)

Family Law in BC website

The Family Law in BC website provides information about family law, including:

• a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a family law protection order in Provincial Court,
• links to court forms,
• links to organizations and people who can help you, and
• much more. 

Clicklaw

The Clicklaw website links to legal information, education, and help for British Columbians. Here, you can find out about your rights and options to solve legal problems, toll-free numbers for law-related help, and learn about family law and the legal system.

BC Government

Legal information and links to the court forms on the BC Government website:

• Supreme Court forms
• Provincial Court forms

Find information about victim services.

BC Laws

The BC Laws website links to all BC legislation, including the Family Law Act (under Laws — Family Law Act).