Resources
Caring for Children: Parents Rights and Responsibilities
This booklet discusses parents' responsibilities, children's rights, the legal meaning of abuse and neglect, dealing with the Ministry of Children and Development, and where to get help. (You will have to scroll down the page to find the booklet.)
Clicklaw
Clicklaw is a website that can help you find information and services in your own language. It contains legal information and education from more than 24 public legal education contributors.
Court Tips for Parents
This resource includes 7 videos that help parents prepare for going to Supreme Court about a child support order. Topics include presenting your case, what to expect and common questions about the process. The videos are only available in English.
Dial-A-Law Family Law Scripts
The BC branch of the Canadian Bar Association has prepared a number of helpful audio and text scripts – most are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi. To listen to a script on the telephone, call 604-687-3221 (Vancouver) or toll free in BC at 1-800-663-1919. The website provides text versions of the scripts as well as print-friendly versions.
Families Change
This website uses videos, audio and text to help children, teens and parents become more prepared to handle a family break up. The site provides information about Child Support, and includes the Online Course: Parenting after Separation.
Family Law in BC
This website, produced by Legal Services Society, provides a broad range of information about family law. Topics include separation and divorce, child and spousal support, adoption and custody. There is also some information about non-family law topics, including family violence, income assistance and immigrant issues. Most of the website’s information is in English, but there are also resources in French, Spanish, Punjabi, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
Immigrant Legal
BC's Immigrant Legal Toolkit website offers a variety of resources related to the issues of family law and domestic violence, such as booklets and fact sheets, commonly used forms, and listings of online resources. You can also search for organizations in your area that offer services in your language.
Justice Access Centre
If you live in Nanaimo or Vancouver, you can find free help for family issues, such as separation or divorce, as well as civil law matters such as employment and housing, at a Justice Access Centre.
Justice Access Centre Self-Help and Information Services
This website can help you if you are representing yourself in Supreme Court. You will find links to family law resources that can help you, legal advice services and alternatives to court. The website is only available in English.
Justice BC—Family Justice Information and Support
This website of the BC Ministry of Justice provides general information about family law in British Columbia.
Living Together or Living Apart: Common-Law Relationships, Marriage, Separation, and Divorce
This booklet explains the basics of family law in BC. It includes information about living common-law or being married, the process for separation and divorce, and how to work out care for the children and money matters. Also describes legal options and where to get help. Available in Arabic, Chinese (Traditional), English, Farsi (Persian), French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Parenting after Separation
Parenting after Separation is a free 3-hour workshop for parents that are divorcing or separating. Topics include the impact of separation on children, decision-making and legal options. Workshops and Parent Handbooks are available in English, French, Punjabi and Chinese.
Justice Education Society also offers free Finances After Separation workshops. For more information, or to book a session, phone 604-775-0856 or visit www.JusticeEducation.ca/parents.
Parents' Rights, Kids' Rights: A Parent's Guide to Child Protection Law in BC
Explains what can happen if the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development has concerns about a child's safety and well-being or is planning to remove a child from the family home. Also provides detailed information about developing agreements with the ministry, what happens in court during child protection hearings, and what family members and advocates can do if they have concerns about a child's foster care or a complaint about a social worker.
More Family Law Resources
This document contains practical tips and strategies that judges have used in their own courtrooms. Includes a section on how self-represented litigants can work more effectively with judges. More details
This resource assists both SRLs & opposing counsels to work together. It offers advice on creating a good working relationship & aims to understanding of both sides about the challenges each faces. More details
This resource is designed to support you through the experience of representing yourself in a legal process. It talks about stress and how mindfulness can help, as well as three mindfulness practices. More details
This checklist helps you prepare yourself before going to court. This version includes some examples. Check out the link to "other formats" below, which gives you a blank version of the checklist that you can customize. More details
This initial "getting you started" primer gives an overview of the self-rep process, and the other guides you can find from us on various topics. If you are or are going to be a self-represented litigant in family or civil court, this primer is for you. More details