BC Council for Families

Despite recent changes to legal aid services in BC making the news -- including the closure of five regional legal aid centres, the LawLINE phone service that offers free legal advice on civil and poverty disputes, as well as the Community Advocate Support Line, which provides support services for advocates working on behalf of clients -- Legal Services Society of BC is continuing to produce valuable publications and resources on family law.

One of the latest is a revised edition of Living Together or Living Apart: Common-Law Relationships, Marriage, Separation, and Divorce. Now available in English in print and online, the booklet includes information about living common-law or being married, the process for separation and divorce, how to work out custody, support, and access issues if there are children involved, and how to sort out money matters. It also describes legal options and where to get help.

Also newly updated and available free through the People's Law School: Legal Help for British Columbians: A Guide to Help Non-legal Professionals Make Legal Referrals for Clients. Order copies online from the People’s Law School website or view the guide online at Clicklaw.

Legal Services Society of BC provides a range of legal information, advice, and representation services that help people resolve their legal problems. These services include booklets about the law and referrals to other agencies, or a lawyer to represent someone in court.