Author: Clicklaw Editor

Legal Help from Home: Family Resolution Centre & Dialogue Tool

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Legal Help from Home is a Clicklaw Blog series highlighting free or low-cost resources available during COVID-19.

Public health directives associated with the response to COVID-19 have changed accessibility to various services, creating what can be a confusing landscape for anyone needing access to legal resources. To ease confusion and highlight resources available, Clicklaw has put together the Covid-19 Resources for British Columbians wikibook. We will also be featuring legal help and tools in this and other Clicklaw Blog posts. The resources featured in this series provide help beyond finding legal info and are accessible from home or remotely.

Parenting plan during COVID-19: the Family Resolution Centre      

Legal Aid BC offers a service to help separated or divorced couples put together a parenting plan, called the Family Resolution Centre. This tool is beneficial to families who need assistance with creating a plan to raise their children separately, with the outcome being a parenting plan that operates in the best interests of the children. The service is free and open to everyone.

How will it work?

After filling out initial intake forms, each parent will submit their proposed parenting plan separately and will be able to access and work on them at their convenience. The plans will cover issues such as decision making, vacation time, transportation, and other important topics.

If parents disagree on some items, there is an option for free mediation. Professional mediators are available to work with the parents to help find a resolution, providing up to five hours of their time at no cost.

Working out a separation agreement: the Dialogue Tool

The Dialogue Tool helps you create a separation agreement by working to find terms that all parties can agree to, with the best interests of the children in mind.

How will it work?

This tool starts with an intake process where both parents:

  • answer questions about the current situation, and
  • present ideas for the future in areas such as child support, children’s care and property and debt.

Once both parents have inputted the required information, the system looks at the answers provided and creates a custom separation agreement to be filled out. A Chat feature allows both parents to discuss ideas and complete sections once both have agreed.

Get in contact

Screenshot of MyLawBC homepage

Family Resolution Centre: https://mylawbc.com/mediation/ (on Clicklaw: https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1170)

Dialogue Tool: https://mylawbc.com/tools/ (on Clicklaw: https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1282)

Stay informed:

To stay informed on resources available during COVID-19 restrictions, visit Covid-19 Resources for British Columbians.

Find it on Clicklaw: https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/4725 or use short URL: bit.ly/covid19bc

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Legal Services Society Is Now Legal Aid BC

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by Legal Aid BC

After years of being known informally as “Legal Aid,” the Legal Services Society has officially adopted the name Legal Aid BC as part of its new brand. If you have recently visited our website or follow us on social media, you may have already noticed our new look and logo.

We completed the rebranding work just before COVID-19 hit the province, but decided to delay the release of the new brand until now so we could focus on serving clients during the pandemic.

Why rebrand?

It was definitely time for the organization to change its visual identity, however. Our research showed that the public no longer associated legal aid with the Legal Services Society, the name we have been using since 1979. By calling ourselves Legal Aid BC, it will be easier for British Columbian’s to find our services and get the legal help they need.

Our new identity is based on feedback from clients and community workers. The new tagline, “Support when you need it,” reflects how we can help British Columbians with their legal problems in many different ways.

The new logo of Legal Aid BC and its new tagline "Support when you need it"

While we transition to the new brand, you may still see our old name or logo on our publications or products, but we will continue to offer the same legal aid services.

Whether it’s a lawyer’s help in a courtroom, legal advice over the phone or legal information online from our websites and publications, we are here to help provide legal aid services to those in need.

About Legal Aid BC

Legal Aid BC is the non-profit organization that provides legal aid services to British Columbians under the Legal Services Society Act, and provides free lawyer services to approximately 120,000 people each year. Even more people use its easy-to-read publications and self-help websites.

Stay informed:

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