
November 25, 2009
Clicklaw update LSS reaches out to more remote communities Hot off the press from LSS Enhancements coming to the Family Law in BC website! << go to main page	Changes coming to legal aid offices, services, and staff By now, you will have heard that LSS is making changes to its offices and civil advice services, effective April 1, 2010. Here is specific information about those changes. Changes to LSS office locations LSS will replace regional centres in Kamloops, Prince George, Kelowna, Surrey, and Victoria with local agents (lawyers in the community whose staff take legal aid applications and provide other legal aid services) and an expanded, province-wide call centre. The regional centres will remain open until the end of March 2010. Until then, please continue to refer your clients to these offices if they need legal aid. LSS is withdrawing services currently provided at the Nanaimo Justice Access Centre (a partnership with the Ministry of Attorney General), with the exception of one Aboriginal community legal worker. The Ministry of Attorney General will continue to provide its own services at the Nanaimo Justice Access Centre. A local agent will accept legal aid applications that were previously taken at the centre. The Terrace Regional Centre will remain open as part of an LSS program to improve services to Aboriginal British Columbians who have historically experienced additional barriers to accessing the justice system. The Aboriginal community legal workers in Nanaimo and Port Hardy are also part of this program. The Vancouver Regional Centre will remain open and continue to provide services. Twenty-two communities around the province are already served by local agents. Local agents are a proven and effective service delivery model. We will provide more information about new local agents as this information becomes available. The expanded call centre will continue to take legal aid applications by telephone from people throughout BC. The call centre is a toll-free service for anyone who does not wish to apply in person. Call 604-408-2172 (Lower Mainland) or 1-866-577-2525 (outside the Lower Mainland) between 9 am and 4 pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and between 9 am and 2:30 pm Wednesday. Changes to legal aid services LSS will continue to provide core services in family, child protection, immigration, and criminal law. These services include free legal information publications and websites; family and criminal duty counsel services; and family advice lawyer services and legal representation services for those who qualify. At the end of March, LSS will discontinue the LawLINE and the Community Advocate Support Line (CASL). These civil advice programs are highly valued by LSS and community workers and their clients but have been operating on a year-to-year basis. LSS has not been able to secure ongoing funding for these services. Changes to staffing Changes such as these are not without their consequences, the most serious of which is the reduction of 58 positions at LSS. Regional centre staff have all provided excellent service to our clients with low incomes for many years. The loss of their knowledge, skills, and commitment cannot be underestimated. However, changes must be made to sustain and improve the broad range of information, advice, and representation services to individuals in BC. Why are these changes necessary? The reason for these changes is to reduce the society's operating costs so LSS can balance its budget and put more money into core services in family, child protection, immigration, and criminal law. The changes are part of a long-term strategy to focus spending on services rather than infrastructure and to reshape LSS into an organization that is better able to respond to fluctuations in demands and revenues. This strategy began earlier in the year, when LSS announced other service and staffing reductions, and will continue through next year with a review of the Vancouver Regional Centre's infrastructure and costs to determine whether additional savings can be achieved for the 2011/2012 budget. Regarding the society's funding, in 2009/2010, the government allocated an additional $2 million for the Exceptional Case Fund (major criminal trials), but that allocation will not be available in 2010/2011. Nor will LSS have any future deficit authorization, which means we must have a balanced budget each year. LSS' non-government revenues from the Notary Foundation and our own investments continue to decline because of low interest rates. Funding from the Law Foundation has been confirmed for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. These non-government revenues are insufficient to sustain the discontinued services. Updates During times of change, it is particularly important that you have access to accurate, reliable, and timely information about legal aid services. To find up-to-date information, please: visit the LSS website (click on "Media," then "News releases"); subscribe to the Electronic Legal Aid Newsletter (ELAN); and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/legalaidbc.
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November 25, 2009

Changes coming to legal aid offices, services, and staff

By now, you will have heard that LSS is making changes to its offices and civil advice services, effective April 1, 2010. Here is specific information about those changes.

Changes to LSS office locations

LSS will replace regional centres in Kamloops, Prince George, Kelowna, Surrey, and Victoria with local agents (lawyers in the community whose staff take legal aid applications and provide other legal aid services) and an expanded, province-wide call centre. The regional centres will remain open until the end of March 2010. Until then, please continue to refer your clients to these offices if they need legal aid.

LSS is withdrawing services currently provided at the Nanaimo Justice Access Centre (a partnership with the Ministry of Attorney General), with the exception of one Aboriginal community legal worker. The Ministry of Attorney General will continue to provide its own services at the Nanaimo Justice Access Centre. A local agent will accept legal aid applications that were previously taken at the centre.

The Terrace Regional Centre will remain open as part of an LSS program to improve services to Aboriginal British Columbians who have historically experienced additional barriers to accessing the justice system. The Aboriginal community legal workers in Nanaimo and Port Hardy are also part of this program.

The Vancouver Regional Centre will remain open and continue to provide services.

Twenty-two communities around the province are already served by local agents. Local agents are a proven and effective service delivery model. We will provide more information about new local agents as this information becomes available.

The expanded call centre will continue to take legal aid applications by telephone from people throughout BC. The call centre is a toll-free service for anyone who does not wish to apply in person. Call 604-408-2172 (Lower Mainland) or 1-866-577-2525 (outside the Lower Mainland) between 9 am and 4 pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and between 9 am and 2:30 pm Wednesday.

Changes to legal aid services

LSS will continue to provide core services in family, child protection, immigration, and criminal law. These services include free legal information publications and websites; family and criminal duty counsel services; and family advice lawyer services and legal representation services for those who qualify.

At the end of March, LSS will discontinue the LawLINE and the Community Advocate Support Line (CASL). These civil advice programs are highly valued by LSS and community workers and their clients but have been operating on a year-to-year basis. LSS has not been able to secure ongoing funding for these services.

Changes to staffing

Changes such as these are not without their consequences, the most serious of which is the reduction of 58 positions at LSS. Regional centre staff have all provided excellent service to our clients with low incomes for many years. The loss of their knowledge, skills, and commitment cannot be underestimated. However, changes must be made to sustain and improve the broad range of information, advice, and representation services to individuals in BC.

Why are these changes necessary?

The reason for these changes is to reduce the society's operating costs so LSS can balance its budget and put more money into core services in family, child protection, immigration, and criminal law. The changes are part of a long-term strategy to focus spending on services rather than infrastructure and to reshape LSS into an organization that is better able to respond to fluctuations in demands and revenues.

This strategy began earlier in the year, when LSS announced other service and staffing reductions, and will continue through next year with a review of the Vancouver Regional Centre's infrastructure and costs to determine whether additional savings can be achieved for the 2011/2012 budget.

Regarding the society's funding, in 2009/2010, the government allocated an additional $2 million for the Exceptional Case Fund (major criminal trials), but that allocation will not be available in 2010/2011. Nor will LSS have any future deficit authorization, which means we must have a balanced budget each year.

LSS' non-government revenues from the Notary Foundation and our own investments continue to decline because of low interest rates. Funding from the Law Foundation has been confirmed for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. These non-government revenues are insufficient to sustain the discontinued services.

Updates

During times of change, it is particularly important that you have access to accurate, reliable, and timely information about legal aid services. To find up-to-date information, please:

visit the LSS website (click on "Media," then "News releases");
subscribe to the Electronic Legal Aid Newsletter (ELAN); and
follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/legalaidbc.

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