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Legal Information

Local Resources:

The Sunshine Coast Resource Centre offers free legal information through Legal Aid BC and helps to connect you with other legal resources. Their Legal Advocacy Program also provides full representation on additional issues such as tenancy, income and disability assistance, employment issues and more. For more information, go to their website or email them at help@resourcecentre.ca.

Do you know about the Brydges Line? 

Brydges Line is a province-wide toll-free telephone service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call to speak to a lawyer if you’re:

  • arrested;

  • detained; and

  • under active investigation by the police or another law enforcement agency for a criminal offence and in custody, but you are not yet charged, and you need emergency legal services.

Brydges Line services are available at 1-866-458-5500. More information is available on their website.

Plain Language Resources

  • Aboriginal Legal Aid: Legal aid help specific to Indigenous populations.
  • BC Court Forms: Contains all BC court forms. Supreme Court forms can be listed numerically by clicking the link under the compatibility instructions.
  • Civil Resolution Tribunal: Online tribunal for resolving motor vehicle injury disputes up to $50,000, small claims up to $5000, strata property disputes of any amount, societies and cooperative associations disputes of any amount and shared accommodation and housing disputes up to $5000.
  • Clicklaw: A directory of plain language legal resources in BC. The most useful sections for library staff are “Solve Problems” (centre of the home page), HelpMap (top-right) and Common Questions (bottom)
  • Clicklaw Wikibooks: Online plain language legal books on the familiar wiki platform. Wikibooks are written collaboratively by lawyers and advocates. All information is reviewed for accuracy and currency. Easy navigation and the ability to save and print sections.
  • JP Boyd on Family Law: One of the most popular wikibooks. A great resource for questions about Family Law such as: separation and divorce, child support and custody and family violence. Also has definitions (Getting Started) and Supreme and Provincial court forms with completed examples (Court Forms & Documents).
  • Nidus: Provides resources on personal planning (planning for incapacity or end-of-life).
  • People’s Law School: Provides step-by-step guidance for everyday legal issues such as: consumer, home & neighbours, money & debt, work, cars, health and more. The Frequently Asked Questions are also helpful.

More BC Resources

  • Access Pro Bono - access to justice for individuals and non-profit organizations of limited means throughout BC with programs designed to make it easy to obtain legal help.
  • BC Laws - Free public access to the Statutes & Regulations of B.C.
  • Courthouse Libraries B.C. - Provides legal information resources and information services, both for members of the legal community and the public.
  • Dial-A-Law - Provided by the Canadian Bar Association, this is a library of scripts prepared by lawyers on a variety of popular legal topics.
  • Family Law in BC - Self-help guides with step-by-step instructions on topics such as how to file for a divorce and lots of fact sheets on other family law topics such as grandparents' rights, custody, access, divorce, child support, etc.
  • JusticeBC provides general information on criminal and family law in British Columbia, including special sections addressing the particular needs of victims, witnesses, family members, accused etc., and many links to family law resources and services provided by government.
  • PovNet - Applications & Forms (EI, Disability, etc.). Good resource for lower income individuals.
  • The Representative for Children and Youth - Legal Resources - Legal information resources designed to provide B.C. children, youth, and the people helping them with legal issues with information about relevant resources
British Columbia Codes British Columbia Codes – Includes the current Building Code, Plumbing Code and Fire Code.
Clicklaw – An Internet subject guide to authoritative legal resources in BC and Canada. Developed and maintained by the BC Courthouse Library Society. No library card is required to access this resource on the Internet.
Clicklaw Wikibooks are collaboratively developed, plain language legal publications that are published and kept up-to-date on a wiki, where they can also be printed and downloaded. They are free to download and share with British Columbians who seek reliable, up-to-date information to address legal problems or learn about the law. Popular books:
BC Laws - Free public access to the Statutes & Regulations of B.C.
PovNet - Offers connections to local community advocates who can help with applying for EI, Disability, etc. Good resource for lower income individuals.
CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute) - Provides access to court judgments, tribunal decisions, and statutes and regulations from all Canadian jurisdictions.
courthouse library bc Courthouse Libraries B.C. - Provides legal information resources and information services, both for members of the legal community and the public.
Dial-A-Law - Provided by the People's Law School, this is a library of scripts prepared by lawyers on a variety of popular legal topics.
Legal Aid BC’s Family Law - Legal help for people in BC. Self-help guides with step-by-step instructions on topics such as how to file for a divorce and lots of fact sheets on other family law topics such as grandparents' rights, custody, access, divorce, child support, etc.
Justice Education Society - Provides information and services to the public (particularly youth and school teachers).
People's Law School - a non-profit charitable society providing public legal education and information to British Columbians since 1972. Services include support for un-bundling legal help to meet your budget: Unbundled Legal Services.
Department of Justice Canada - Canadian laws, their programs and services, and much more.
  Office of the Conflict of Interest - Office of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner’s Annual Reports
The Representative for Children and Youth - Legal Resources  - Legal information resources designed to provide B.C. children, youth, and the people helping them with legal issues with information about relevant resources.
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