Legal help at Justice Access Centres
Last updated on September 5, 2024On this page
Getting legal help
At Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres, we offer services and referrals to help you solve your legal problems. One of these services is helping you to access legal advice about family-related issues.
Depending on your situation, you may be eligible to receive free advice from a lawyer at the centre. If not, we can refer you to other lawyers or organizations that can give you advice, sometimes for free.
We can also give you information about the legal representation services available. These could include services from:
- A legal aid lawyer (if you qualify)
- A community agency
- A pro bono clinic where lawyers provide free services
- A private lawyer
Getting legal advice
Justice Access Centre staff do not provide legal advice. However, they can refer you to legal advice from a lawyer with a community partner, or in some locations, a co-located service. Those lawyers may be able to advise you on your problems about:
- Separation and divorce issues
- Guardianship, parenting arrangements and contact with a child
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Ownership of companion animals
- Protection orders for family violence
The advice may include information about your rights, obligations and legal options specific to your situation.
The lawyer may be able to:
- Help with negotiations
- Review agreements
- Prepare court forms and other documents
- Explain how to represent yourself in court
If you are a person with a low income experiencing a family law issue, you may be eligible for free legal advice from a Legal Aid BC lawyer.
If your income is higher than the financial guideline limits for legal advice services, you may still receive up to one hour of advice from a family advice lawyer if you’re in mediation and have received a referral through a Family Justice Counsellor.
In Nanaimo, for issues that are unique to Indigenous people, we will refer you to our Indigenous community legal worker.
We may refer you to other legal resources most appropriate for your situation if:
- You can’t afford a lawyer
- You need advice in another area of law
Getting legal representation
Legal Aid BC funds:
- Duty counsel located at the courthouses
- Family advice lawyers located at Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres
- The Family LawLINE telephone legal advice service
Legal Aid BC will pay for a lawyer to represent you in court if your legal problem is covered by the legal aid rules and you meet the financial guidelines.
To apply for legal aid, see How to apply for legal aid on the Legal Aid BC website. If you don't qualify for legal aid or your issue is not covered, we will do our best to clarify your problem and refer you to other community services.