Legal Resources

Find websites and materials written in plain language.

Logo with six rectangles and a circle in six bright colours to represent people, and "People's Law School."

Dial-a-Law: Peace Bonds and Assault Charges

People’s Law School
Explains peace bonds, which can offer protection if you fear for your safety. Topics include how peace bonds work, and what to do if a person disobeys a peace bond. It includes the steps you need to take to get a peace bond.
Last reviewed March 2024
Logo with two swoops and a circle to represent a person, and "Legal Aid BC."

Parents Legal Centres

Legal Aid BC
Describes Parents Legal Centres (PLCs), a Legal Aid BC service that provides a free lawyer and an advocate to help parents address child protection issues early on. The service is available to eligible parents any time after the social worker contacts them.
Last reviewed March 2024
Logo with the words "British Columbia" and a sun rising behind mountains.

Parenting Coordinators

Government of British Columbia
Explains that a parenting coordinator helps parents carry out their parenting agreement or order. A parenting coordinator does not create or change parenting arrangements. They help parents resolve disagreements about how parenting agreements or orders are put into effect. It also explains how to find a parenting coordinator.
Last reviewed March 2024
Thumbnail of the first page, with the title, text, and the Department of Justice Canada logo.

Parenting Arrangements after Separation or Divorce

Government of Canada
This fact sheet provides general information about parenting after separation or divorce. Includes parenting arrangements for orders or agreements made or changed after the new Divorce Act came into force in 2021.
Last reviewed March 2024
Logo with the words "British Columbia" and a sun rising behind mountains.

Parenting Apart

Government of British Columbia
The BC Ministry of Justice provides information to families that will parent apart. This resources answers basic questions that parents may have during a separation or divorce.
Last reviewed March 2024
Logo features the initials "JES" in green on the left and a grey scale of justice with the text "Justice Education Society" in a circular arrangement around it on the right.

Parenting after Separation Handbook: Finances

Justice Education Society (JES)
This handbook builds on the information provided in the Parenting After Separation (PAS) course. That course focuses on the legal aspects of separating and how to make decisions that put the needs of the children first.
Last reviewed March 2024
Logo with the words "British Columbia" and a sun rising behind mountains.

Online Divorce Assistant Application (e-Divorce App)

Government of British Columbia
This online app helps people complete documentation for joint-filing divorces in the Supreme Court of BC in cases with or without children. Joint-filed divorces are where both applicants agree on all family law issues relevant to their situation, such as spousal support and the division of property.
Last reviewed March 2024
Thumbnail of the handbook cover featuring four photos on a yellow background: an elderly man with a younger woman, a senior couple with a child, a middle-aged couple, and an elderly man in a hospital bed.

My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment

Government of British Columbia
Helps you make an advance care plan that outlines your wishes about future health care decisions if you become unable to express your treatment wish (perhaps because of illness or injury). It includes forms that are legally valid if completed properly.
Last reviewed March 2024
Logo featuring the red maple leaf from the Canadian flag inside a green crescent. Beneath are the letters, in black, “CCMW.”

Muslim Marriage Contract Toolkit

Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Rooted in traditional Muslim laws, this toolkit helps Muslim women to develop a marriage contract. It includes a sample marriage certificate, a sample Muslim marriage contract and explanatory notes on what each clause means.
Last reviewed March 2024
Cover of the booklet with the title and a photo of a mother holding a young child. The YWCA logo is at the bottom.

Mothers Without Status

YWCA Vancouver
This booklet is for service providers assisting “mothers without status” — women who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents. It gives an overview of the issues they face and options they can take. It includes information on where to get help.
Last reviewed March 2024