Category: Community posts

More Help Available for Families Experiencing Separation and Divorce – Sliding Scale Family Mediation Project

Community posts
About Mediation Page
Mediation help for separation and divorce

By Kari Boyle
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Mediate BC

Are you going through a separation or divorce? Would you like to avoid the time, money and stress involved with going to court? Mediate BC is a not-for-profit society that provides people with practical, accessible and affordable choices for resolving their disputes. With funding from the Law Foundation of BC, Mediate BC has launched the Sliding Scale Family Mediation Project this Spring to help families experiencing divorce and separation to access mediation services at fees which are set based on the family’s net income and assets/debts.

What are the benefits of mediation?
Family mediators will help you reach decisions about issues such as: property division, child and spousal support, parenting time and guardianship without going to court. This approach promotes a healthy relationship with the participants and any children involved, and can also save you time, money and stress.

How do I get started?
Visit our website or call the Sliding Scale Project Mediation Coordinator, Maria Silva, at 1-877-656-1300 ext. 108 for more information. She will help you decide if this program is the right choice for you.

What if I or my ex-spouse/partner qualify for Legal Aid?
You may be eligible for the Family Mediation Referral Program which provides the first six hours of family mediation services at no charge to your family.  To apply for this service, visit a Legal Aid office or contact the LSS Call Centre.

Below are some of Mediate BC’s other services and resources:
–    About Mediation: information on mediation, including the role of a mediator and how to choose one.
–    Roster Mediator Directories: searchable directories of civil, family, and child protection mediators to assist people in selecting a suitable mediator to resolve their dispute.
–    Public Education and Training: offers free public seminars on mediation and professional development opportunities for dispute resolution practitioners.

LSLAP Summer Program Update

Community posts
LSLAP
Free legal advice for low-income people in Metro Vancouver

by Emma Wilson
Peter A. Allard School of Law J.D. Candidate

LSLAP is re-opening its summer program as of today. We have begun booking clients for appointments at our clinics in Surrey, Richmond, Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby, North Vancouver and New Westminster. See our service listing on the Clicklaw HelpMap for clinic locations, hours, language support availability, and contact information (This listing will be updated in the coming weeks).

LSLAP provides free legal advice and representation (where appropriate) to low-income earning members of the public living in the lower mainland.

We are happy to take on cases for people dealing with issues including but not limited to:

  • Employment Insurance claims
  • Tenant-side Residential Tenancy issues
  • Human Rights Tribunal proceedings
  • Immigration Review Board
  • Employment Law (ESB and small claims court)
  • Workers Compensation Board
  • Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Pension claims
  • Summary proceedings in criminal court

For a list of the kind of services we can provide, as well as the areas of law in which we cannot assist, please refer to our previous blog post or our website. To book a clinic with LSLAP, please call our switchboard at 604-822-5791.