Legal Resources

Brief description of the federal child support guidelines, which are the rules for calculating the amount of child support one parent must pay to the other parent to help support their child or children.

Information on the three types of caregiving benefits for family members who are critically ill, critically injured, or in need of end-of-life care. These are family caregiver benefit for children, family caregiver benefit for adults, and compassionate care benefits. It explains who is eligible to apply, how to apply, how much you could receive...

This fact sheet explains what a judge considers when sentencing in criminal court and the types of sentences can be given. It also talks about pre-sentence reports, victim impact statements, and the sentencing of Indigenous persons.

Provides definitions of child abuse according to the law, the warning signs of child abuse, and what to do when a child tells you about it. Includes tips about keeping children safe and where to get help.

Co-operatives (co-ops) offer a range of supports like housing, food, or health care. They are owned and operated by the people who use these essential products or services. Provides information on how to start, maintain, and dissolve a co-op.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the British Columbia Human Rights Code. This website provides information on many types of discrimination and harassment under the Code, as well as links and contacts about human rights in British Columbia.

This site explains how to get an interpreter for the deaf or hard of hearing. The site also explains the situations where the courts will provide an English language interpreter and offers resources for when they don’t provide one.

This free online course (offered in English and Punjabi) helps parents and family members make decisions about caring for their children after separation or divorce. Learn about guardianship, parenting arrangements, contact, spousal and child support, and resolving disputes with the help of a mediator.

This describes BC’s network of care, where family and community members provide kinship care, and individuals or families foster children and youth. The network of care also includes community social service agencies who provide care for children and youth with complex needs in a specialized environment.

Sometimes people responsible for a child disagree with the Ministry of Children and Family Development or Aboriginal child and family service agency about a child’s safety. Child protection mediation is a way to make a plan for a child’s safety with the help of an impartial person called a mediator.