Our Services

LSLAP is a poverty law clinic. If you can afford legal help from any other avenue, please consult that avenue instead.

1. WHO WE CAN HELP
WHO WE CANNOT HELP

LSLAP assists low-income earners who live the lower Mainland of BC with various legal issues, including:

Criminal (summary offences where jail time is unlikely);
- LSLAP accepts quasi-criminal matters, including offences under the Motor Vehicle Act, Motor Vehicle Regulations, Wildlife Act and the Fisheries Act.
- We also accept clients who are facing pre-charge applications, such as weapons and firearms prohibitions.
Complainants who are seeking either third party legal advice in relation to a proceeding or who are seeking general counsel with respect to the criminal justice system;
People facing bylaw offences;
People facing Motor Vehicle Act/Regulation offences (traffic tickets);
People facing ICBC driving prohibitions
Civil Resolution (must be a civil claim under $5,000)
Small Claims (must be a civil claim under $25,000, $35,000 if filed after June 1st, 2017);
Employment Standards;
Residential Tenancy;
WorkSafe BC;
Consumer Protection;
Employment Insurance;
CPP and Old-Age Pension;
Animal Law Matters;
Wills and Estates; and
Immigration and Refugee

In addition, we can offer representation on a case-by-case basis in such hearings as:

Small Claims Court;
Criminal Court;
Welfare Appeals;
Residential Tenancy Branch Arbitrations;
Employment Standards Board; and
Immigration and Refugee Hearings

We can also draft certain types of legal documents, including:

Demand Letters;
Wills (if the total value of the estate is under $25,000);
Powers of Attorney;
Representation Agreements and Advanced Directives; and,
Notice of Claims and Replies.

There are certain areas of law that LSLAP CANNOT assist with, including:

Family Law issues, including divorce;
Tax law issues;
Business and Commercial Law;
Land/Property or Strata matters;
Personal injury or defamation law suits;
Union issues;
Probate or administrative matters related to wills;
Criminal offences which are indictable, or criminal charges where the Crown has chosen to proceed by way of indictment;
Summary conviction (non-indictable) criminal charges where a jail sentence is likely;
Criminal offences in youth court;
Matters requiring appearances in or applications to a Superior level court (the BC Supreme Court, the BC Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada).
Complaints against lawyers, doctors, or government;
Complaints against educational institutions that have not exhausted all internal avenues of relief; and
Any file where the supervising lawyer determines that a law student cannot properly assist the client.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you a part of legal aid?

No, we are a separate organization to Legal Aid BC. Their website can be found here.

Due to the high volume of clients and our limited resources, we are unable to assist those who qualify for legal aid or who already have legal representation. If you are able to afford legal services from any other avenue, please seek that option.

can i book an appointment with a lawyer instead of a law student?

No, all of our clinicians are law students, but all of their file work is overseen by one of our three fully trained and licensed supervising lawyers. This unique model allows us to offer our services for free while also providing an educational experience for students. This means that you will not be able to receive any legal advice instantly upon calling or booking an appointment, because all file work must first be approved by a supervising lawyer. We ask for your patience and support as we work hard to service the community.