Who we are
[Legal Aid BC] saved my life. [The lawyer] gave me some information, I used it, and everything worked out 100 percent. Within two days, I had my issues worked out — he did a really good job.”
Family LawLINE client
Legal Aid BC is a provincial Crown Corporation. LABC was created by the Legal Services Society (LSS) Act in 1979 to provide legal information, advice, and representation services. Our priority is to serve the interests of people experiencing barriers accessing the legal system. Some of our services are available to all British Columbians.
We’re funded by the provincial government, with additional support from the Law Foundation of BC and the Notary Foundation of BC. We’re accountable to the public and remain independent of government.
What we do
Every year we help tens of thousands of British Columbians with:
- serious family problems,
- child protection matters,
- immigration issues, and
- criminal law issues.
We do this by providing a range of services that help people resolve their legal problems. We determine the services we offer as part of our obligations under the LSS Act. Our services are offered at legal aid locations throughout the province.
Legal Aid BC is committed to reconciliation and improving access to legal aid services for Indigenous people. Our Reconciliation Action Plan describes how we are moving forward.
We’re also committed to working with our many partners in the justice system, sharing knowledge, and improving access to justice for the disadvantaged.
Strategic framework
Legal Aid BC’s Strategic Framework for 2023-2028 reflects our new vision: BC’s legal system transformed into one that is more equitable and inclusive.
We’ll do that by strengthening the client-centred legal help we provide to British Columbians experiencing barriers accessing the legal system.
Our standards of conduct
Our Standards of Conduct policy describes the conduct expected of all our employees, and promotes integrity, respect, confidentiality, public responsibility, cultural competence and disclosure of wrongdoing as our core principles. The Standards of Conduct also assure the public that Legal Aid BC employees fulfill their duties honestly and impartially. To learn more, read the Standards of Conduct.
Our clients
Legal aid clients are among the province’s most vulnerable and marginalized citizens. Our clients don’t have the financial resources — or frequently the educational, social, or health resources — to effectively access the justice system when their families, freedom, or safety are at risk.
We strive to engage our clients in finding solutions to their legal problems. By taking an integrated approach, legal aid services can help clients prevent future legal issues and increase their ability to positively contribute to society.
Of the approximate 24,000 individuals who were referred to a lawyer in 2020/2021, 41 percent had less than a high school education, 26 percent were Indigenous, and 34 percent were women.
Our stakeholders
In addition to the Ministry of Justice and our clients, stakeholders include our non-government funders — the Law Foundation and the Notary Foundation — our local agents and community partners, lawyers who deliver legal aid services and the organizations that represent them, such as the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC, and the judiciary. Other important stakeholders include public legal education and information service providers, social service agencies, community agencies, and advocates that provide support to our clients.