Family duty counsel (FDC) provide summary legal advice and limited representation in court to self-represented litigants. Legal Aid BC (LABC) arranges for FDC to be available in most courthouses, with the goal of having local counsel provide this service. Each location has a limited roster of FDC lawyers, as evaluation of the service has shown that smaller rosters provide the best client service. When we need to add lawyers to an FDC roster in a particular location, we post that opportunity in the Lawyer Portal and on the LABC website on our Contract positions page.
To be added to an FDC roster, you must first have an LABC vendor number. While FDC are encouraged to take on legal aid representation contracts, that is not a strict requirement for providing FDC services. When adding lawyers to an FDC roster, we give preference to counsel who have a minimum of two to five years of experience practising family and child protection law, although lawyers with less experience can also be added to a roster.
If you are interested in doing FDC work in your area, please submit your application when the opportunity is posted in the Lawyer Portal or on the LABC website. For more information about the FDC program, email Duty Counsel.
