Tag: divorce

2017 Bi-Monthly Update Series: September/October

New on Clicklaw, The broader context

To keep you informed, here are some highlights of changes and updates made to Clicklaw in September and October:

Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec

The Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBA BC)

Seventeen (17) Dial-A-Law scripts have been updated in October 2017. For a complete list of these resources, see their listing here (sorted by “last reviewed date”).

Legal Services Society

  • First Nations Court Duty Counsel
    Duty counsel is now available at the newest location of First Nations Court: Nicola Valley Indigenous Court (Merritt).
  • Your Gladue Rights
    This new booklet explains Gladue rights, rights under the Criminal Code that apply to anyone who identifies as Aboriginal. Gladue rights can apply at bail and sentencing hearings.
  • Your Welfare Rights: Applying for Welfare Online
    New fact sheet about how to apply for welfare using your computer or mobile phone. Describes the three stages involved and the steps you follow at each stage. Expands on information printed in the booklet How to Apply for Welfare. Available in print and online.
  • Mothers Leaving Abusive Partners: Information on Custody and Access for Women with Children
    This booklet is now available in both traditional and simplified Chinese, French, Punjabi, and Spanish. Describes what abuse is, how to protect yourself and your children, what the courts can do, deciding parenting arrangements, and where to get help and support. Includes a checklist of what to take with you when you leave an abusive relationship.

Wills & Estates Q&A
by People’s Law School

Questions and answers on wills and estates topics. Volunteer legal professionals provide answers to questions from the public relating to personal planning, wills, dealing with death, and settling an estate.

Future Planning Tool
by Plan Institute

This new online tool guides you through the steps of planning for a good life, including financial security, personal network building, estate planning, housing choices and supported decision-making.

Support Person Guidelines: Information Poster
by Provincial Court of BC

An informational poster to help explain the BC Provincial Court’s Support Person Guidelines.

Mothers Without Status
by YWCA Vancouver

This updated booklet is for service providers assisting “mothers without status”. They are 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.

Legal Forms Workshop at Vancouver Public Library (Amici Curiae Programme)
by Law Courts Centre

Amici Curiae is offering free one-hour sessions with legal professionals who can help you fill out your forms. Get help with forms for court, human rights, employment issues, residential tenancy, and more. No legal advice will be provided. Anyone can make an appointment by calling: 778.522.2839 or by email: aclegal.vpl@gmail.com.

Northern Navigator
by South Peace Community Resources Society

A system for healing for families going through separation and/or divorce. The goal is to improve access to mediation and other services, provide guidance, direction, and information to families in the Peace. The program works with the Registry and Court so when directed by the Judge or when families choose on their own, families will be provided more options for accessing alternative dispute resolution methods (mainly mediation through a roster of mediators working on a sliding scale).

New and updated Common Questions

Gives you a selection of helpful guides when you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft. It also tells you who to call to report the incident and to ask for more information.

Now includes links to Disability Alliance BC’s blog posts about the new increase to disability rates, the restoration of the bus pass program, and the new transportation supplement.

Stay informed:

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MyLawBC helps you with common legal problems

Get help using Clicklaw, New on Clicklaw, The broader context
mylawbc_image
MyLawBC features numerous “pathways” for your legal problems.

By Nate Prosser
Online Outreach Coordinator 

There’s no doubt that the law is complicated. What further complicates matters is when laws vary by jurisdiction (from province to province, and from country to country). This is why sites like Clicklaw are needed to help people find legal information. One of the biggest challenges faced by people who teach the public about the law is making legal information easy to understand and easy to act on.

The Legal Services Society’s new site, MyLawBC, takes a new tack to this challenge. The site is built around the idea of guided pathways — interactive pathways that ask you questions about your situation and then use your answers to create a plan that empowers you to solve your legal problem.

What can MyLawBC help me with?

For now, MyLawBC covers four main areas of law: divorce and separation, foreclosure, wills & estates, and personal planning.

If you’re going through a separation, MyLawBC can help. Its pathways guide you to the best way to work through separation with your spouse, to get a court order, or to respond to a court document. You may also use the Dialogue Tool which simplifies the process of creating a separation agreement by helping you and your spouse identify what’s important to you, giving you the platform and tools to work together to create a fair and lasting separation agreement.

For those facing foreclosure, there’s the missed mortgage payments pathway. As you progress through the pathway, MyLawBC gives you practical information on how to avoid foreclosure and where to find financial and legal help. Upon completion of the pathway, you are provided with an “action plan” which tells you what your options are to keep your house and what steps you need to take. Your plan also includes resources like tips, checklists, and sample letters.

The make a will pathway will help you learn about the decisions you need to make when writing a will. Depending on your situation, MyLawBC may provide you with a simple form to fill out to create your will. Even if MyLawBC cannot provide a will to fit your needs, the pathway will give you information about what to put in your will and how to get help to complete one.

Planning for your future where you may need help making decisions is also important. The plan for the future pathway explains the available legal documents and which one(s) are for you.

STAY INFORMED WITH LSS:

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