LSLAP IS A POVERTY LAW CLINIC:
If you can afford legal help from any other avenue, please consult them instead.
  • WHO WE CAN HELP
  • WHO WE CANNOT HELP
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LSLAP assists low-income earners who live the Greater Vancouver Area with various legal issues, including:
  • Criminal (only summary offences where the Crown is not seeking jail time);
  • 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;
  • WCB;
  • Consumer Protection;
  • Employment Insurance;
  • CPP and Old-Age Pension;
  • 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 total value of estate is under $25,000);
  • Powers of Attorney;
  • Representation Agreements and Advanced Directives; and,
  • Notice of Claims and Replies.
Our current policy is to do our best to provide at least summary legal advice to all clients. Depending on the circumstances of each client and issue, LSLAP may be able to offer more substantive assistance.
You should also be aware that there are certain problems that LSLAP CANNOT assist with, including:
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  • Family Law issues, including divorce;
  • Any issues relating to ICBC
  • Business and Commercial Law;
  • Land/Property matters, including those with regard to wills and estates;
  • Strata Matters;
  • Personal injury law suits;
  • Union issues;
  • Probate or administrative matters related to wills;
  • Impaired driving charges or traffic offences;
  • 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, or where the Crown is seeking a jail sentence;
  • 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;
  • Complaints against doctors;
  • Complaints against government;
  • Complaints against educational institutions that have not exhausted all internal avenues of relief; and,
  • Defamation
Any file where the supervising lawyer makes a determination that a law student cannot properly assist the client under the circumstances.