Introduction to Legal Help for British Columbians

Legal Guide Caveat

Purpose of this Guide

This Legal Help guide is a resource for non-legal professionals in rural British Columbia who have clients or patients with legal problems and little money to deal with them.

It is meant to help you:

• guide your client or patient in taking the first steps toward addressing their legal problem; and

• make the best referrals for your client or patient to information, assistance, advice or representation to address the legal issue.

Reason for this Guide

Because legal resources are often not available locally in rural British Columbia, the usual first “point of contact” to get help with a legal problem is not a lawyer or legally trained advocate, but a friend or helping professional such as a counsellor, doctor, nurse, teacher, government worker or religious leader.

It is hoped that this guide will help you—the friend or helping professional— provide basic information and appropriate referrals to friends, clients or patients who find themselves with common legal problems.

What is “rural” B.C.?

There is no formal definition of the term “rural” in this guide, but the term generally describes those areas of British Columbia that do not have services such as lawyers, legal advocates, government agents or court registries accessible by local transportation or a drive of less than 45 minutes.

Organization of this Guide

There are three sections to this guide.

• Part One describes common legal problems faced by low-income clients in rural BC, such as “Family”, “Consumer & Debt” and “Human Rights”.
• Part Two describes legal resources and how to obtain them. It includes sources of legal information, assistance, advice and representation, such as Legal Aid, Workers Advisers and Electronic Law Library. Each resource is numbered for easy reference.
• Part Three is a form entitled Preparing for Your Interview. When completed, it will contain a lot of the information a lawyer or advocate will want to know at a first interview with a client.

Thanks to

A special thanks to Allan Parker, Andree Harley, Linda Locke and Glen Ferrier for their input and assistance with this guide. Also, thank you to the Law Foundation for providing the funding and to Jill Veitch for editing and layout support.

Please Note

This Guide explains the law and legal procedures in general. It is not intended to give legal advice on your particular legal problem, and should not be relied on for that purpose. Information in this guide is accurate as at November 2007. Please note that fees and guidelines outlined in the guide are subject to change.

Your Comments

Your comments on the content and format of this booklet are most appreciated. Please forward them to:

Cliff Thorstenson, Lawyer

Nicola Valley Advocacy Centre

Box 819, Merritt, B.C. V1K 1B8

Tel. (250) 378-9632 Fax. (250) 378-9796

Email: cthor@uniserve.com

In contract law, a promise made by someone about a certain state of affairs, like "the plumbing was replaced last year" or "I had a vasectomy two years ago." See "misrepresentation."

Under the Family Law Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a guardian of a child, including a parent who is not a guardian, has with that child. Under the Divorce Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a married spouse has with a child. See "guardian" and "parental responsibilities."

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

(1) A lawyer or a person other than a lawyer who helps clients with legal issues, or (2) to argue a position on behalf of someone.