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Resolving Family Law Problems out of Court

1 byte removed, 22:02, 16 September 2021
Free and lower-cost options
Generally, people have to pay for their mediator, collaborative lawyer, arbitrator, or parenting coordinator. Sometimes these specialists charge on a sliding scale, but often the fees they charge will be in the neighbourhood of $200 to $400 per hour and up. They will also usually require the parties to pay significant retainers in advance. (A ''retainer'' is money paid to a lawyer as a deposit against the fees they will charge in the future.) These costs are the major challenge involved in getting access to legal assistance. The reality is that many people do not have the money to pay these fees or have a limited budget in which to work. Here is a list of services that may be able to assist:
#*some mediation services about issues involving children and support are provided at no cost by [http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/divorce/family-justice/who-can-help/family-justice-counsellors family justice counsellors]; , #*pro bono assistance from a collaborative negotiation team may be available through the Pro Bono Collaborative Divorce Project run by the [http://www.bccollaborativerostersociety.com/ BC Collaborative Roster Society], as long as you meet certain eligibility requirements;,#*pro bono mediation may be available through the Pro Bono Family Mediation Clinic run by the [https://www.facebook.com/northshoreprobono/posts/1039542002903682 North Shore Pro Bono Society], again, if you meet certain eligibility requirements;,#*Legal Aid will pay for a limited amount of mediation in certain circumstances; , and,#*you may be able to hire one of these specialists to work on an ''unbundled'', or ''limited scope'', basis, and they will charge for their services on an as-needed basis rather than requiring that a large retainer be paid up front.
For more information on unbundled legal services, see the website of the [https://unbundlinglaw.peopleslawschool.ca/ People's Law School]. For more information about retainers and how lawyers usually charge for their services, see the [[You_%26_Your_Lawyer|You and Your Lawyer]] section in the chapter on [[Understanding the Legal System]].
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