Justice Access Centres provide one-on-one help from staff and self-help and information services. Resources include booklets, videos and websites.
If the centre does not have the materials you need, they will refer you to resources outside of the centre that can help you.
The self-help resource room is for people who need help finding out about options for solving their family and civil law problems. Here, you can find information about your issue, the legal system, the services available for you and how disputes can be solved without going to court. If you're going to court, we can explain court procedures and help you prepare to represent yourself.
We provide a wide range of information and resources to serve you at any stage in your situation. You'll find:
You'll find staff to help you:
Self-help room staff provide legal information, but not legal advice. Legal information is general information about the law that helps someone identify a legal issue and related options. Legal advice involves applying the law to a particular situation and providing a legal opinion and specific advice about the next steps to take.
We're here to help you with family and civil law issues, including:
The centres do not deal with criminal issues, small claims court forms and filings and some other specific legal solutions.
At the justice access centres, we can tell you about key community and government agencies for issues such as mental health, alcohol and drug use, income security, debt or housing. These services are located right in your community and sometimes their staff even work at our centre. We can contact them for you if you wish and book appointments as needed.
If you have immediate safety concerns, staff may refer you to a community support organization, VictimLinkBC or the police. (If necessary, staff may give you information about how to get into court quickly, and refer you to legal advice.)
If you need help resolving a dispute about child support, staff can refer you to a family justice counsellor or the child support officer at the centre.
If you're not receiving the child support your child is entitled to receive, staff may refer you to the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP).
We work closely with you to consider your needs and discuss your options. With our network of support services, including legal services, we know how to connect you with the right kind of help, whether it’s at the centre or in the community.
Here is what you can expect:
Justice access centres offer dispute resolution services (mediation with a family justice counsellor or facilitated negotiation with a child support officer). If dispute resolution services at the justice access centre are not appropriate for your situation, staff will do their best to either help you with the next step or refer you to others who can help you.
Depending on your situation, you may be eligible to receive advice from a lawyer at the centre. If not, staff can refer you to other lawyers or to organizations that can give you advice, sometimes for free.
Staff can also give you information about getting help from a legal aid lawyer (if you qualify), community agency, pro bono clinic where lawyers provide free services, or private lawyer.
Services provided by justice access centre staff are free. You may be asked about your income, because staff may refer you to services that are based on financial need.
The personal information you provide is confidential. Your basic identifying information and a record of the services you receive may be accessed by staff at the centre as needed. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Act applies to all information you may share with staff.
British Columbia has a central authority that assists left-behind parents whose children have been abducted across international borders.