Links
The following websites can give you more information about family law matters.
BC Association of Community Response Networks
Information about community response networks and the association that supports them, plus resources and links to other sites to help prevent abuse and neglect of all adults 19 and older.
BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses
Website of
a non-profit association of transition houses, safe homes, second stage houses, and other groups that serve the needs of abused women and their children.
Child Abuse Prevention website (Ministry of Children and Family Development)
A two-part website: "Preventing Child Abuse in your Community" sets out what everyone can do to prevent child abuse, and "Just for Teens" helps teens find the resources and support they need.
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Shelternet
Information in 10 languages about understanding abuse, finding a shelter, and the effects of abuse on teens and children. Includes the telephone numbers of shelters across Canada.
Adoptive Families Association of BC
Provides support and advice for people before, during, and after the adoption process.
Adoption (Ministry of Children and Family Development)
Information about adoption, including how to adopt inside and outside BC, as well as information for adoptive parents, adopted adults, and birth parents.
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Child Abuse Prevention website (Ministry of Children and Family Development)
A two-part website: "Preventing Child Abuse in your Community" sets out what everyone can do to prevent child abuse, and "Just for Teens" helps teens find the resources and support they need.
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Legal Services Society (LSS)
Publications about legal topics, information about how to apply for legal aid, information for lawyers who provide legal aid, and more.
Representative for Children and Youth
Information for children, youth, and families who need help dealing with the child welfare system.
BC Mediator Roster Society
Contains a list of qualified family mediators and information about mediation and how it works.
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Families Change (information about divorce and separation for children and youth)
Clear and objective information that appeals to young people — a Law Courts Education Society of BC website that includes A Kids Guide to Separation and Divorce (for children aged 5–12) and A Teen Guide to Parental Separation and Divorce.
Family Justice (Ministry of Attorney General)
Basic information on family law topics and alternatives to court for family disputes.
Family Law and You: Representing Yourself in BC Supreme Court (Justice Education Society online video)
Family Mediation Canada
Information about qualified family mediators and a "Find a mediator" search tool.
BC Association of Community Response Networks (to help prevent abuse and neglect of all adults 19 and older)
BC Centre for Elder Advocacy Support (to prevent elder abuse and to provide assistance and support to older adults who are, or may be, abused)
Canada Benefits (government benefits and services)
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Parent Support Services Society of BC
Website intended to promote healthy family relationships by supporting children, parents, and others in parenting roles in BC communities. Includes information about Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Circles and a link to the manual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Legal Guide.
Seniors (Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport)
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Dial-A-Law
Transcripts of taped information written by lawyers, about various law topics and your rights.
Legal Services Society (LSS)
Publications about legal topics, information about how to apply for legal aid, information for lawyers who provide legal aid, and more.
Multilingual Legal Glossary
A glossary of 5,000 Canadian legal and court-related terms in plain language. Terms are searchable in English, with definitions available in Chinese, Farsi, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
MultiLingoLegal.ca
Information about the law and community resources in BC in nine languages. A joint project of the Latin American Community Council and MOSAIC.
Access Pro Bono Society of BC
Access Pro Bono carries on the services and programs formerly offered by the Western Canada Society to Access Justice and Pro Bono Law of BC, including summary legal advice clinics in community centres, social agencies, churches, and courthouses located throughout the province; a province-wide roster program providing representation services to individuals and non-profit organizations of limited means; a superior courts civil duty counsel project in Vancouver; and a children's lawyer project in Nanaimo.
BC Mediator Roster Society
Information about the mediation process, mediation developments and resources in BC, and searchable directories of civil, family, and child protection mediators.
Dial-A-Law
Transcripts of taped information written by lawyers, about various law topics and your rights.
Family Mediation Canada
Information about an association of lawyers, social workers, and human services and health care professionals who provide mediation relating to separation and divorce, adoption, child welfare, parent/teen, and age-related issues, among other things. Also contains a searchable directory of family mediators across Canada (click "Find a Mediator").
Lawyer Referral Service
A telephone service that refers callers to lawyers who practice in particular areas of law. The caller can then meet with that lawyer for up to 30 minutes for a fee of $25 plus taxes.
Legal Services Society (LSS)
Publications about legal topics, information about how to apply for legal aid, information for lawyers who provide legal aid, and more.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, BC Division, Volunteer Legal Advocacy Program
Information about legal information and advocacy available by telephone, e-mail, or in person to people living with multiple sclerosis in the Lower Mainland (including the Fraser Valley), Victoria, and Kamloops.
Nanaimo Justice Access Centre
Information about the centre and the services it provides (includes information, assessment, mediation, and referrals). The centre can help you solve family law problems without going to court, or prepare you to participate effectively in negotiation, mediation, or the court process.
Pro Bono — Lawyer Consultant Program
Information about the BC Salvation Army's Pro Bono (free) legal advice program.
Service BC
Information about services (including legal services) available through government agents at Service BC centres across BC.
Vancouver Justice Access Centre
Information about the centre and the services it provides (includes information, assessment, mediation, and referrals). The centre can help you solve family law problems without going to court, or prepare you to participate effectively in negotiation, mediation, or the court process.
Vancouver Justice Access Centre Self-Help and Information Services
Information about how the centre can help you prepare to represent yourself in a Supreme Court family or civil case, and links to other legal information websites and services.
Attorney General — Family Justice website
Basic information on family law topics and alternatives to court for family disputes.
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others. Its HelpMap assists in finding people and resources in the community who can help with legal problems.
Courthouse Libraries BC Family Law Practice Portal
Find out about recommended books and resources, new publications and news related to family law.
Canadian Legal Information Institute (CANLII)
A site that allows users to search for Canadian federal and provincial legislation, case law, and some other decisions (for example, from tribunals). However, this site does not provide access to the latest BC legislation, which is only available by subscription from the provincial government.
The Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Society of British Columbia
Analytical articles on various types of law, news from the legal community, information about recent court decisions, and more.
Electronic Law Library (ELL)
Quick and easy access to legal information — including updates about cases and decisions, and general information about the law.
Family Relations Act review discussion papers
Links to discussion papers by the Ministry of Attorney General about its Family Relations Act review — a first step towards modernizing family law in BC and supporting co-operative approaches to resolving family law disputes.
JP Boyd's BC Family Law Resource
A comprehensive survey of family law, divorce law, and the court process in BC, maintained by a family lawyer as a public service.
People's Law School
Legal information on a variety of topics, including family law, in plain language.
Court Services Branch
Court Services Branch delivers all court administration services in BC.
Justice Education Society — Family Law and You: Representing Yourself in BC Supreme Court
Link to an online video in four parts to help self-represented people deal with legal proceedings in BC Supreme Court (for example, divorce, custody, access, guardianship, and/or child support).
Provincial Court of BC
Information about Provincial (Family) Court.
Supreme Court of BC
Information about the Supreme Court of BC.
Supreme Court Scheduling page
Contains links to lists of dates and times available for various Supreme Court processes, including trials and judicial case conferences.
Canada Benefits (government benefits and services)
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Department of Justice Canada — Support Enforcement
An online summary of the law on enforcing child and spousal support orders in Canada, including links to the relevant federal, provincial, out-of-province/interjurisdictional, and international enforcement legislation. Also includes a glossary of terms and links to provincial support enforcement programs.
Family Justice (Ministry of Attorney General)
Basic information on family law topics and alternatives to court for family disputes.
Family Law and You: Representing Yourself in BC Supreme Court (Law Courts Education Society online video)
Family Maintenance Enforcement Program
Website of the provincial government program that helps people collect support payments that were ordered by a judge — contains, among other things, information about the program and the forms needed to register.
Federal Child Support Guidelines
Covers child support orders made in British Columbia — tables and a clear set of rules that courts must use to set child support, based on how much the payor earns and how many children need support. Each province uses a different table.
Interjurisdictional Support Orders (Ministry of Attorney General)
A Ministry of Attorney General website containing information and forms/instructions to get or change support orders when either the recipient or the payor lives outside BC — does not apply to orders made under the Divorce Act.
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Department of Justice Canada — Support Enforcement
An online summary of the law on enforcing child and spousal support orders in Canada, including links to the relevant federal, provincial, out-of-province/interjurisdictional, and international enforcement legislation. Also includes a glossary of terms and links to provincial support enforcement programs.
Family Justice (Ministry of Attorney General)
Basic information on family law topics and alternatives to court for family disputes.
Family Law and You: Representing Yourself in BC Supreme Court (Law Courts Education Society online video)
Family Maintenance Enforcement Program
Website of the provincial government program that helps people collect support payments that were ordered by a judge — contains, among other things, information about the program and the forms needed to register.
Interjurisdictional Support Orders
A Ministry of Attorney General website containing information and forms/instructions to get or change support orders when either the recipient or the payor lives outside BC — does not apply to orders made under the Divorce Act.
Spousal support calculator (without children only; JP Boyd's BC Family Law Resource)
Clicklaw
Website aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC links to legal information and education designed for the public from 24 contributor organizations, as well as selected others.
Child Abuse Prevention website (Ministry of Children and Family Development)
A two-part website: "Preventing Child Abuse in your Community" sets out what everyone can do to prevent child abuse, and "Just for Teens" helps teens find the resources and support they need.
Families Change (Law Courts Education Society)
Clear and objective information that appeals to young people — a Law Courts Education Society of BC website that includes A Kids Guide to Separation and Divorce (for children aged 5–12) and A Teen Guide to Parental Separation and Divorce.
Family Justice (Ministry of Attorney General)
Basic information on family law topics and alternatives to court for family disputes.
Representative for Children and Youth
Information for children, youth, and families who need help dealing with the child welfare system.
Shelternet
Information in 10 languages about understanding abuse, finding a shelter, and the effects of abuse on teens and children. Includes the telephone numbers of shelters across Canada.
