Qualifications for Legal Aid in Bc

We provide legal assistance in British Columbia. The law is complicated, but not everyone can afford a lawyer. We can help you with your legal problem. When the proceedings were initiated, SMA was joined by two co-applicants who had experience in the family legal aid system. These individuals courageously shared their stories of abuse and insufficient access to justice to improve access to legal aid for all survivors of violence. While each had to pull out of what has become a complex, multi-year legal battle, their stories helped shape the case, and we are grateful for their participation. Although there is no legal right to family legal aid, the courts have interpreted the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to mean that parents may have the right to a lawyer if the government (in British Columbia, the Ministry of Children and Family Development) wants to remove their children from the family home for their protection. For this reason, LSS also provides lawyers to represent parents whose children have been placed in foster care – or are at risk of foster care, for the duration of the government`s intervention. If legal counsel tells you that you are not qualified to be represented by a lawyer, you may be able to request a review of that decision.

See How to apply for a review of a legal aid refusal. You can always be entitled to legal advice and our legal information is accessible to everyone. There are two maximum income levels: one for criminal cases and one for all other cases. These different levels were introduced in 1997 due to budgetary constraints. In 2000, however, the financial eligibility limits for applicants were increased to bring the number of criminal cases back to pre-1997 levels. British Columbia has a “Brydges Hotline,” which is a 24-hour toll-free telephone line to provide access to legal advice to people who have been arrested, detained or investigated but have not yet been charged and need emergency advice. A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a bailiff appointed to keep the peace. Justices of the peace may perform certain judicial functions, such as: conducting court proceedings, issuing court orders, and many other services.

Justices of the peace do not need formal legal training. Visit Justice of the Peace (Provincial Court of British Columbia) for more information. Visit Clicklaw for information on legal services and resources. Look for Clicklaw`s help card to find free, low-cost legal services in your community. The purpose of this section is to provide an up-to-date list of legal aid plans in Canada other than the territories. Unlike Statistics Canada publications, this inventory focuses only on legal aid for criminal matters and deals only with eligibility criteria and coverage limits. Areas such as lawyers` fees or expenses are not included. However, it builds on Statistics Canada publications and updates information on each plan to date (as of January 2002). To get legal help or get legal information or advice, you can: Criminal remedies are covered only if they are within the usual scope and have a reasonable chance of success. Applicants who are financially entitled to legal aid may be insured if they respond to appeals lodged by another party. Otherwise, the NSSO only finances appeals and judicial reviews that meet the company`s usual coverage criteria and have a chance of success.

The NSSO Appeals Department must approve all judicial appeals and services to be provided in each case. Here are some of the things a legal advisor will include in your monthly income: There are also special circumstances in which applicants may also obtain legal representation if they: By challenging the public interest of the SMA, the B.C. government is trying to prevent an important case from ever being heard. Over the past two decades, numerous government and public reports have documented the inadequacy of family law legal aid in British Columbia. However, the B.C. government has refused to meaningfully respond to its recommendations. If SMA does not get its day in court, this lack of accountability will only continue, and survivors of violence will continue to feel the brunt of the damage. What happens if my financial situation changes after I receive legal aid? Legal aid is an invaluable program that facilitates access to legal representation and advice for low-income Canadians.

If you qualify under British Columbia`s financial eligibility criteria, legal aid will cover some (or all) of your legal fees. In addition to financial requirements, there are a number of other eligibility criteria for legal aid. Let`s dispel the misconceptions and look at how legal aid eligibility works in British Columbia. As part of its mandate, the NSSO is responsible for providing beneficiaries to financially eligible individuals who are charged with criminal offences and who, if convicted, Legal Aid BC has increased the amount a person can earn to obtain legal aid. This is just an overview of legal aid in the context of provincial court. LSS also has a wealth of free public legal information available in courthouses and online. These resources will help people understand their rights and obligations under the law and describe what legal aid can – and cannot – do for people with legal problems. To find out more about the scope of legal aid, visit the LSS website.

The courts have long recognized the problem of unequal access to justice and allow organizations like ADM to sue on behalf of those directly affected in certain circumstances. In these cases, organizations have what is called the “public interest.” Family law advice includes a financial suitability test The Legal Aid Society conducts an income and wealth test to determine financial eligibility. An applicant whose net household income and assets are below the specified limits is eligible for legal aid. Receptionists assess an applicant`s financial situation to determine their net income and household wealth. If there is no legal aid centre in your area or if you cannot get to the office, you can seek legal representation by calling our provincial call centre. While legal aid is used to make legal representation accessible to more people, certain eligibility requirements must be met. Your legal fees will be covered if you meet the eligibility criteria in the following areas: West Coast LEAF believes that every survivor of violence should have access to the legal assistance necessary to protect her rights and safety and the well-being of her children. See also previous eNews articles: Legal Services Society`s Infographics – effective and engaging legal information and Legal Services Society publications explain the legal rights of Aboriginal people. This scenario is all too common in British Columbia today. More than two decades ago, legal aid was significantly reduced by 40% in British Columbia and by 60% in family law. Today, three out of five family law legal aid applications are rejected. That`s why we go to court to defend survivors` right to fair and equal access to the family justice system after domestic violence.