New and Revised Publications from the Legal Services Society

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By Nate Prosser (guest blogger)
Legal Services Society (Legal Aid BC)

This week saw a shake-up in family law as the new Family Law Act replaced the old Family Relations Act, and a slew of legal changes came into force. As a result of these changes, many of the family law publications produced before the act came into force are no longer legally accurate.

With this in mind, the Legal Services Society (LSS) has revised all of its family law and child protection publications. This included creating many new publications, from booklets to fact sheets and self help-guides, and revising more than 20 booklets, brochures, flow charts, and fact sheets. In addition to these, all information on the Family Law in BC website has been updated to reflect the new Family Law Act.

A list of new and revised resources can be found on the Family Law in BC website. All of the updated publications are available online and in print now (see also Families & children and Abuse & family violence in the publications section of the LSS website).

If you have any copies of these publications dated earlier than March 18, 2013, please recycle and replace them with the updated editions, as they are now incorrect.

Helpful Resources for Navigating the New BC Family Law Act

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Confused about the new BC Family Law Act?  The new BC Family Law Act is in force as of today (March 18, 2013), and the Legal Services Society has published three very helpful new resources that explain the many changes. We’ve combined these resources in  a new common question:

I want to learn more about the new BC Family Law Act

Here is what you can expect to find in the new LSS publications:

  • The Guide to the New BC Family Law Act includes information about language changes, making agreements to stay out of court, parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, dividing property and debt, family law protection orders, and moving with children.
  • The FAQ pamphlet, presented in a Q & A format, addresses how the new law affects family matters, touching on issues pertaining to children, property and debt, and support payments.  In also highlights some of the changes to legal terminology.
  •  The Quick Reference Tool is a set of easy-to-understand visual cue cards that set out to explain the basics of the new family law and direct users to necessary next steps and resources.