I have a legal problem. Where do I start?
Start with this website.
Ask a Human to get personalized assistance. Legal Navigators respond to thousands of questions each year and they can help you take the next step to move forward with your legal issue. Or, Ask AI to get immediate answers to your legal questions. You can also browse the Common Questions on this page.
In BC, many government departments and non-profit organizations provide free legal help information online. To start, it is important to understand what kind of legal issue you have.
Family Law: Issues related to separation, divorce, protection orders and adoption. See Family Law in BC (opens in a new tab) or HowToSeparate.ca. (opens in a new tab)
Civil Law: Issues related to agreements between people and organizations. This includes issues related to employment, housing, lawsuits, and other legal disputes. For disputes less than $5000, see the Civil Resolution Tribunal (opens in a new tab). For claims between $5001 and $35,000 see SmallClaimsBC.ca (opens in a new tab). For claims over $35,000 see SupremeCourtBC.ca (opens in a new tab). For disputes related to employment, housing and other government regulated issues, see AdminLawBC.ca (opens in a new tab).
Criminal Law: Issues related to crime, as described in the Canadian Criminal Code (opens in a new tab). See Legal Aid BC (opens in a new tab).
If you are searching for legal help online, be specific about your legal issue and be sure to include “BC” in your keyword search. A great online resource for all legal issues is Clicklaw BC. (opens in a new tab)
If you have a legal problem, it is a good idea to talk to a lawyer to get legal advice. Even if you are going to handle your own case, a lawyer can help you at every step in the legal process. See the Legal Help section to view the answer for “How can I get free legal aid in BC?” to learn about services provided by Legal Aid BC (opens in a new tab), Access Pro Bono (opens in a new tab) and BC Advocates. (opens in a new tab)
Others found these helpful...
- Ask a Human / Ask AI (opens in a new tab)
LegalHelpBC provides free legal help, responding to inquiries by Legal Navigators (Ask a Human) or the JES AI chatbot (Ask AI).
- LegalAid.bc.ca (opens in a new tab)
Provides free lawyers to income qualified clients for specific legal issues.
- Clicklaw (opens in a new tab)
An online hub for legal information covering a broad range of legal issues from BC organizations. Law librarians respond to thousands of legal questions each year.
- AccessProbono.ca (opens in a new tab)
Provides a range of legal advice services on a wide range of legal issues, including family, immigration, criminal, debt, employment, welfare and housing matters.
- Peoples Law School (opens in a new tab)
The PLS website provides a range of legal help information, especially for consumer law, debt, wills, etc.
- Lawyer Referral Service (opens in a new tab)
The service from Access Pro Bono helps you find a lawyer. Call or book online to get the name of a local lawyer to talk to for 15 minutes for free.
- BC Provincial Court (opens in a new tab)
This court deals with a broad range of legal issues, and their website can help you navigate cases relating to crime, family, Small Claims (lawsuits), tickets and more.
- PovNET (opens in a new tab)
Provides a directory of BC poverty and family law advocates and pro bono lawyers working on issues like housing, income, employment, immigration, etc.
- BC Criminal Justice Services (opens in a new tab)
This division of the BC government provides a range of information and services to assist British Columbians with their criminal law issue.
- Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) (opens in a new tab)
Provides free legal assistance on loss of housing, human rights complaints, mental health law, accessing government benefits, work-related issues, and sexual assault.
- BC Family Justice Services (opens in a new tab)
This division of the BC government provides a range of information and services to assist British Columbians with their family law issue.
- Amici Curiae (AC) Friends of Court (opens in a new tab)
Volunteers provide free help with legal forms and appearances for a series of issues including housing, income support, aboriginal law, and transgender issues.