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Governments & Government Agencies The following links will direct you to websites maintained by the provincial and federal governments. Note that many other governmental agencies exist which do not maintain websites; check the blue pages of your phone book for further references. Contact information is available for the Legal Services Society, the provincial government agency which provides legal aid, as well as information on their eligibility criteria.
Click here to go back to the Main Directory. Government of Canada Back to the top of the page. Government of British Columbia
If these links don't help you find what you want, visit The Red Book Online. For years the Red Book has been the bible of people involved in community and social services in the Lower Mainland as the most complete directory of community, social and government agencies and organizations, including non-profit agencies, self-help groups, advocacy groups and so forth. If you don't know where to look for what you want, look here first. You can also contact Enquiry BC, a provincial call centre which provides contact information for most provincial government ministries, Crown corporations and public agencies. Vancouver: 604-660-2421 Victoria: 250-387-6121 TDD Vancouver: 604-775-0303 Email: EnquiryBC@gov.bc.ca Family Maintenance Enforcement Program FMEP is a service of the BC Ministry of the Attorney General. FMEP is responsible for montoring and enforcing all family maintenance agreements an Orders that are filed with them. To file your agreement or Order, contact the Enrollment Office.
FMEP's switchboards are open 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Child Support Infoline This is a provincial government information line which answers questions about the Child Support Guidelines. Lower Mainland: 604-660-2192 Family Justice Counsellors Family justice counsellors provide information about the court process and family law in British Columbia. To find the Family Justice Centre nearest you, call Enquiry BC. Lower Mainland: 604-660-2421 Parenting After Separation Program This is a provincial government program run by the Ministry of the Attorney General. It is a free three-hour information session for parents who have recently separated. In some Provincial (Family) Court registries, the Parenting After Separation Program is mandatory following the filing of an application in court. To find the Family Justice Centre nearest you, call Enquiry BC. Lower Mainland: 604-775-0856 Public Guardian and Trustee The office of the Public Guardian and Trustee has information about wills and estates, powers of attorney and representation agreements. In some circumstances, they may intervene in the probate and management of a will, and may also assume the management of the affairs of people who cannot do so for themselves. 604-775-0202 phone Back to the top of the page. Legal Aid The Legal Services Society provides legal aid throughout British Columbia. To obtain legal representation through LSS, you must have a problem that falls within their guidelines, your income must be below a certain level, and you must have no other way of getting legal representation. LSS' income criteria are as follows:
If you meet this financial qualification, LSS will help you as long as:
LSS also runs the LawLINE, a telephone legal information service, which can be reached at: Lower Mainland: 604-408-2172 LawLINE also hosts a interesting and often informative blog, the LawLINE Journal. Alternatives to Legal Aid The following are some additional resources you might want to check out if you need legal assistance:
The small number of groups offering organized pro bono legal services are listed here. Family Duty Counsel Project The Legal Services Society has started a new pilot project available at many registries of the Provincial (Family) Court. A lawyer will be available to answer general questions and assist in routine court matters for people who meet certain income criteria. While the lawyer won't act for you in the long term, isn't likely to be able to handle a trial for you, he or she can provide advice, speak for you in court and help you prepare legal documents. Back to the top of the page. Who's responsible for all this? Laws and regulations don't write themselves. Your elected representatives are responsible to you for the laws of Canada and the laws of British Columbia. If you don't like something, it's them you should speak to. Government of Canada
Government of British Columbia
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