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To contact LawLINE, please call the Legal Services Society at:
604-408-2172 (in the Lower Mainland)
1-866-577-2525 (no charge, outside the Lower Mainland)
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday)
9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Wednesday)
LawLINE
Note: LawLINE services are available until March 26, 2010.
LawLINE is part of a free phone service of the Legal Services Society (LSS) designed to help people who don't qualify for a legal aid lawyer to represent them. LawLINE provides legal advice and information to people who qualify financially and have a legal issue we cover.
All callers to LSS telephone services have an initial interview in which our staff ask questions to determine eligibility for our services. Our services are provided in English. If callers cannot communicate with our staff in English and cannot call with someone who can interpret for them, we can arrange for an interpreter. Callers can also access recorded messages about our services in six languages: Cantonese, English, French, Mandarin, Punjabi, and Spanish.
Callers who are eligible for legal advice are transferred to the LawLINE, where lawyers and paralegals will provide advice and information.
LawLINE services are available for the following areas. (Click category to view list of issues.)
- Bankruptcy
- Bill disputes
- Credit card debts
- Debt collection
- Foreclosure
- Loans, including student loans
-
Tax debt and related issues
- Employment insurance
- Harassment
- Termination
- Access
- Child and spousal support
- Child protection
- Custody
- Divorce
- Guardianship
- Property division
* Note: Callers from locations with in-person advice services will be referred to those services.
- Adult guardianship
- Estate administration
- Intestacy (where a deceased person has not left a will or a valid will)
- Long-term care
- Patients' rights
- Powers of attorney
- Probate / letters of administration
- BC Housing
- Co-op disputes
- Disputes on reserve
- Foreclosure
- Residential tenancy
- Strata matters where you may lose your housing
- Child tax & disability benefits
- Canada Pension Plan / Old Age Security / pensions
- Victim assistance disputes
- Welfare (also known as employment assistance or social assistance, and formerly known as BC Benefits)
- buying or selling a home (conveyancing matters)
- consumer rights
- criminal law matters
- defamation claims
- human rights
- immigration and refugee matters
- incorporating a company or shareholder disputes
- medical malpractice claims
- neighbour disputes
- pardon for a criminal conviction
- personal injury claims
- property tax assessment disputes
- representation in court or other hearings
- veterans benefits
- wills
- workers’ compensation claims
For help finding legal advice and information for these matters, see Frequently Asked Questions on this page for links to other resources. Or check out LawLINK, an online legal information service that connects you to the information and tools you need to resolve your legal problems.
Do I qualify?
LawLINE's advice services are for people with low incomes. To be eligible, you must meet the financial guidelines for legal advice services.
Before you call us
It is a good idea to have the following information with you before you call us:
- Identification, such as a CareCard, Social Insurance Number, or driver's licence
- Any documents related to your legal issue, such as:
- court papers
- notices (e.g., eviction notices)
- separation agreement
- tenancy agreement
Calling LawLINE
- LawLINE services are time-limited. Most callers will receive advice in one call. Additional calls may be necessary depending on the circumstances of the case.
- LawLINE is a popular service. You may have to wait for several minutes to talk to us, so we suggest you call on a land line instead of using your cell phone. Please be patient. You will be served faster if you wait than if you hang up and call again.
- Days when call volume is very high, LawLINE may stop taking calls before regular closing times.
- LawLINE is unable to respond to voice messages or e-mail requests for legal information or advice.
Note: LawLINE provides advice and information on British Columbia law only, and does not replace a lawyer who represents you in court. If you need a lawyer for something we can't help you with, try the Lawyer Referral Service of the Canadian Bar Association, BC branch at 604-687-3221 or 1-800-663-1919 (call no charge). LawLINE cannot give advice if you already have a lawyer.