2019 Bi-Monthly Update Series: March/April

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

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


Motor Vehicle Accidents and Injuries Solution Explorer
by Civil Resolutions Tribunal

On April 1, 2019, the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) started resolving many motor vehicle injury (MVI) personal injury disputes in British Columbia. This includes determinations of whether an injury is a “minor injury”, disputes about accident benefits, and disputes about damages and fault up to $50,000. The Solution Explorer is the first step in the online CRT process, with free legal information and tools.

Ordering a Court Transcript
by The National Self-Represented Litigants Project

This guide outlines the steps that are required to order court transcripts in each province/territory. It is a compilation of information obtained from court websites, telephone & email conversations with court services/transcript services at different courthouses, and from legal professionals.

Disability Alliance BC

The following help sheets have been updated:

Disability Alliance BC logo

Legal Services Society

Legal Services Society logo

Mediate BC

Mediate BC has launched a new website, providing an easy way to learn everything you need to know about mediation, and help you find the right mediator. The updated listings on Clicklaw include:

People’s Law School

People's Law School logo
  • Being an Executor – this updated booklet is for people who have been asked to be an executor in a will.
  • Power of Attorney – this updated booklet tells you how a power of attorney can be used to give someone the legal power to take care of financial and legal matters for you.
  • Preparing Your Will – this updated publication explains how to prepare a will, what to consider when appointing an executor, and next steps after the will is finished.
  • Essentials of Work & the Law (formerly Working in BC) – this updated booklet offers information about your rights & responsibilities as a worker.
  • Unbundled Legal Services – this new website helps the public understand “unbundling”, a new service model for law in British Columbia.

Rise Women’s Virtual Legal Clinic (VLC)
from Rise Women’s Legal Centre

Provides free and low-cost legal services to self-identified women who live outside of the geographic zone from Whistler to Chilliwack (inclusive). The clinic offers a range of services, including information and summary advice, document drafting, and legal coaching for self-represented litigants.

Drop-in Legal Clinic at Ray-Cam Community Centre
from Society for Children and Youth of BC

This new drop-in legal clinic provides legal help for young people who are experiencing problems relating to family law, child protection, a breach of your human rights and many other legal issues.

North Shore Pro Bono

  • Dispute Resolution Education – education and coaching workshops regarding separation, divorce, parenting arrangements, support and division of property and debt.
  • Pro Bono Estate Planning – estate planning assistance for low-income individuals who want to ensure that they have a valid will and all documents (incl. Power of Attorney & Representation Agreement) in place to handle their financial & personal matters should they not be able to.
  • Pro Bono Family Mediation – family mediation for low income individuals with concerns in the areas of property division, support and custody.

Project Inclusion: Confronting Anti-Homeless and Anti-Substance User Stigma in British Columbia
by Pivot Legal Society

Project Inclusion is a comprehensive study into the ways in which specific laws and policies in policing, health care, and the court system directly undermine the health and safety of people who are homeless and living with substance use issues by trapping them in a cycle of criminalization.

Red Women Rising: Indigenous Women Survivors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
by Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre

This comprehensive report is based on the lived experience, leadership, and expertise of Indigenous survivors. The report places Indigenous women survivors at the center, rather than as a secondary reference. It proposes 35 key recommendations and goes into more details in its 200 recommendations.

Stay informed:

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Final Report of BC Family Justice Unbundled Legal Services Project

We previously discussed “Unbundling” in this introductory post.

In short, unbundled legal services means clients pay for some assistance depending on: (1) what they want help with and (2) what they can afford. It is ideal for clients who value cost predictability and prefer to play a more active role in their own legal matter.

The BC Family Justice Unbundled Legal Services Project has now released their Final Report, which gives some more background on the project designed to encourage more BC family lawyers to offer unbundled legal services to BC families who wish to resolve issues arising from separation and divorce through out-of-court processes including mediation. The Report details the project’s activities, and contemplates the future of the project.

The Report also highlights places where you can learn more about Unbundling, namely the unbundling website: http://unbundling.ca

You may also access the Unbundling Roster on the Clicklaw HelpMap here.

Please spread the word with your colleagues, friends and family; as the Report notes, the Roster “will only be effective and sustainable if the public knows about it and uses it.”

Stay informed:

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