Online Legal Resources for Community Workers
This is a list of legal publications and resources that are available online through external websites; they are helpful for community workers who are engaged in anti-violence work.
Family Law in British Columbia
This website is maintained by the Legal Services Society (LSS). It provides information about variety of topic related to Family Law and some other related mattered including income assistance and immigration issues.
This site is meant to provide legal information only, not legal advice. The information is available in Arabic, Vietnamese, Panjabi, Spanish, Farsi, Russian, French, Mandarin and Cantonese.
http://www.familylaw.lss.bc.ca/default.asp
Phone: 604-601-6000
Legal Help for British Columbians (Community Worker Resource)
This booklet, done in collaboration with the Nicola Valley Advocacy Centre and BC Courthouse Libraries, is a guide for non-legal professionals in British Columbia to learn where to direct clients when legal problems occur. It offers tips, tools, step-by-step process, and where to refer women.
To order copies contact: The People’s Law School
English: http://www.publiclegaled.bc.ca/family-violence-and-abuse/
Public Legal Education and Information Resource Catalogue (BC)
This booklet lists resources including print materials available to the public in BC onlaw-related topics. It is 78 pages long but is well indexed by areas of the law. Anyone providing services to the public will find this helpful, because it is a one-stop resource guiding you to appropriate legal resources for anyone you are working with.
To order print copies contact: Legal Services Society Distribution
English: http://www.publiclegaled.bc.ca/category/resources/booklet/
Phone: 604-331-5400
JP Boyd’s Family Law Resource
This website offers a comprehensive survey of family law, divorce law and the court process in British Columbia, Canada. It’s written in plain language, with handy pop-up definitions for legal words and phrases, and covers nearly everything there is to know about family law and divorce law in the province: http://www.bcfamilylawresource.com/
Justice Education Society of BC
In this website you will find user-friendly information in family law matters that range from ‘how to represent yourself in court’ to ‘how to cope with separation and divorce’: http://www.justiceeducation.ca/family-law
For example, Court Tips helps women to prepare to represent themselves in Supreme Court during a family law hearing. The website has seven videos show what information to present to a judge, explain what to expect from the process and answer questions commonly asked by parents before appearing in court, for example, how to present a case in Chambers; how to put a best case forward; how to avoid pitfalls, etc. http://www.justiceeducation.ca/resources/Court-Tips-for-Parents
Another helpful resource is the What to Expect the Day of the Hearing : Family Law and You: Representing BC Supreme Court has four videos that help women representing themselves in Supreme Court cases.
These cases can include divorce, custody, access, guardianship and/or child support matters: http://www.justiceeducation.ca/resources/Family-Law-and-You
Phone: 604-660-9870
Click Law
This site provides legal information, education and help for British Columbians. Provides links to resources in English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnemese.
English: http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/
Phone: 604-660-2841
(CourtHouse Libaries BC)
Community Legal Assistance Society
Activities include test case and Charter litigation; service case work and law reform; liaison and consultation with community groups; legal supervision of advocacy groups and law students; publication of legal materials designed to assist self-represented litigants; and legal training and support to lay advocates, community groups, law students, and lawyers doing pro-bono work.
English: www.clasbc.net/index.php
Phone: 604-685-3425
Law Students Legal Assistance Program manual
It provides helpful information about the law and legal procedures. Chapter 3 is all about Family law.
English: http://www.lslap.bc.ca/
Phone: 604-822-5791
Access Justice
Pro Bono legal services of BC/ Multilingual brochures /English legal term glossary:
Phone: 604.482.3195
BC Government Attorney General Website
Family Court forms- PDF files: http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/family/info/forms.htm
Phone: 604 660-2421
Accessing Court Documents Online:
http://www.justiceeducation.ca/resources/Accessing-Court-Documents-Online/
Phone: 604-660-9870
BWSS Informational Brochures & Resources
BWSS General Info Brochure
Battered Women’s Support Services provides free and confidential services for women experiencing abuse from abusive intimate relationships, childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault. We seek to empower the women who access our services, support her and work with her to resolve the issues surrounding abuse in a safe, judgement-free environment.
Volunteer Opportunities for Women
If you’re a woman who is enthusiastic, dependable and supportive, and if you like to listen and help others; work well within a team and believe that all violence against women must end, then we have place for you at BWSS. Volunteers are recruited and trained for various positions specific to each of BWSS’s programs and according to preferences and background.
Help Us To Empower Women Who Experience Violence
Find out more about what we do and how much your donation can help us provide support, education and advocacy to women who have experienced abuse and to work toward the elimination of violence against women in society.
Indian Residential Schools
Are you a woman who is a survivor of an Indian Residential School, or a family member of a survivor of an Indian Residential School? If so, the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement provides programs for survivors and their family members.
Wallet Sized Resource card
Wallet Size Card of Resource Contact Numbers for Women Facing Abuse. You deserve to live free from abuse. Contact BWSS with any question and we’ll support you to find solutions.
Advancing Women’s Awareness Regarding Employment
AWARE is one of the many ways that Battered Women’s Support Services works to eliminate all forms of violence and abuse against girls and women. We are here to provide a safe, women-centered space providing antioppressive, anti-colonial support and services treating women as the experts in their own lives.
Violence Against Non Status, Refugee and Immigrant Women
A woman-centred approach to managing the spectrum of needs from settlement to empowerment manual- is one of them. Though not meant to be conclusive, it is written as an exploration of ideas, to present recurring issues and to critique existing practices.
Safety Assessment and Safety Planning Tool
For Supporting Women with Precarious Immigration Status, Refugees, Refugee Claimants and Immigrant Women Facing Domestic Violence
How Can I Help My Friend?
You may be the only person your friend can trust. This pamphlet explains how you can help, provides a list of transition houses with their contact numbers, and has contact information for BWSS.
The Road to Safety: Indigenous Survivors in BC Speak Out against Intimate Partner Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the pandemic, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and Battered Women’s Support Services, in partnership with the University of Victoria, engaged in a “by and for Indigenous women” community-based research project to understand, raise awareness, and advocate about the experiences of intimate partner violence that Indigenous women and gender diverse people are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Battered Women Are Arrested - A Growing Problem
In recent years, Battered Women's Support Services has become increasingly alarmed by the growing number of women accessing our services who have been arrested for allegedly perpetrating domestic violence against their partners. In our experience these arrests are occurring despite the fact that in all cases women were in relationships where they were being abused.
When Battered Women are Arrested Spanish Version
When Battered Women are Arrested Punjabi Version
When Battered Women are Arrested Farsi Version
When Battered Women are Arrested English Version
A resource for women and advocates: Violence Against Women and the Law
Toolkit for Immigrant Women Working with a Lawyer: English Version
Toolkit for Immigrant Women Working with a Lawyer: Punjabi Version
Toolkit for Immigrant Women Working with a Lawyer: Farsi Version
When Battered Women Are Arrested A resource for front-line workers
Toolkit for Lawyers: Best Practices in Working with Battered Immigrant Women
More Legal Resources & Reports
The Legal Services and Advocacy Program at BWSS provides legal information, accompaniment to court and legal appointments, we appeal when legal aid has been denied and provide assistance for documents and affidavits preparation. BWSS legal services and advocacy work spans family, immigration, refugee, and criminal law as well as the Indian Act. As part of this advocacy we have written the following resources. Please click on the images below to download the full PDF version of the toolkit or manual.
Gender Persecution and Refugee Law Reform in Canada in response to The Balanced Refugee Reform Act (BILL C-11)
Battered Women Support Services Response to: White Paper on Family Relations Act: Reform Proposals for a new Family Law Act
A Women’s Right to Legal Representation: A critical examination of Legal Aid in BC. n
The New Family Law Act and its Implications for Battered Women
The Indian Act & Aboriginal Women’s Empowerment: What Front Line Workers Need to Know
