General Legal Resources
Access Pro-bono Legal Clinics
Tel: 604-878-7400 or 1-877-762-6664 help@accessprobono.ca
Service by volunteer lawyers with eligibility based on income. 30-minute appointments scheduled 2-3 weeks in advance, and offered around Surrey. Cannot provide services on an urgent basis. Call to setup an appointment.
Amici Curiae (Friends of Court)
Tel: 778-522-2839 legalformsbc@gmail.com
Get help completing legal forms in a one-hour session with a legal professional. Service available through videoconferencing in Zoom, or by phone. Book an appointment by phone or on their website.
Ask JES Multilingual Legal Help
Tel: 1-855-875-8867 (call/text)
Can answer legal questions in a range of languages via phone or text. Also have a chat service online. Supported by UBC law students, as well as a knowledge base of over 1000 legally reviewed questions and answers. When complex questions are asked, they are escalated legally trained professionals who respond by email. Provides legal help information, not legal advice.
Askanadvocate.ca by SOURCES
Website provides basic and clear information about tenancy, income assistance, disability benefits (provincial and federal), and other income supports. Has videos, FAQs, fact sheets, and links to other services and resources.
Business Law Clinic at the Allard School of Law
cblassistant@allard.ubc.ca
Provides business oriented legal advice to small businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, and individuals who cannot otherwise afford legal advice. Services provided by law students at the Allard School of Law at UBC and supervised by practicing lawyers. Website has overview of services.
British Columbia Ombudsperson
947 Fort St. Victoria BC
Tel: 1-800-567-3247
May be able to help if you think a provincial government ministry, public agency, or local government has treated you unfairly. Receives enquiries and complaints about the practices and services of public agencies within its jurisdiction and impartially investigates to determine whether they have acted fairly and reasonably, and whether their actions and decisions were consistent with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
Brydges Line - Legal Services Society
Tel: 1-866-458-5500
Province-wide, toll free, 24-hour emergency legal services. Provides access to a lawyer on criminal matters for people who have been arrested, detained, are under active police investigation and in custody, but have not yet been criminally charged.
ClickLaw
Offers basic legal information on a wide range of subjects.
ClickLaw Wikibooks
ClickLaw provides a series of free online law books for the average person on a wide variety of topics. All are available online with links to relevant forms, and some are also available in print at Surrey Libraries. The online versions are regularly updated.
Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS)
Suite 300 - 1140 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4G1
Tel: 604-685-3425 contact@clasbc.net
Provides legal help and education around human rights complaints, housing, mental health law, workplace issues, sexual harassment in the workplace, and issues accessing government benefits.
Courthouse Libraries
14340 57th Ave Surrey
Tel: 604-572-2307 (Surrey) 1-800-665-2570 (Main)
The Surrey courthouse library is a small branch library open to the public between 8:30am - 12pm and 12:30pm - 4pm Tuesdays. The library resources are mainly online, with a small print collection. For reference assistance, please use our more comprehensive New Westminster courthouse library, open Monday to Friday (9am - 12pm, 12:30 pm - 4pm).
Dial-A-Law
Tel: 604-687-4680 Toll free in BC: 1-800-565-5297
Library of scripts prepared by lawyers. It offers general information on a variety of topics on law in BC, but not legal advice. Dial-A-Law is a free service available by telephone and Internet at all times.
Law Students Legal Advice Program & UBC Law Students’ Legal Advice Manual
Tel: 604-822-5791
Run by UBC law students. Free legal advice and representation for low income clients. Offers a range of services but cannot offer help with family law, probate or small business law, personal injury, and criminal cases that might result in jail time. Can meet at many local locations if needed. Also have an online legal information manual with an extensive referral section as well if you need more help finding resources or help.
Lawyer Referral Service
Tel: 604-687-3221 Toll free in BC: 1-800-663-1919
Available by phone from 8:30-4:30pm on weekdays. This program refers you to the right lawyer. Lawyers who participate in the program offer an initial consultation of up to 15 minutes to determine if an individual has a legal issue.
Legal Aid BC
Unit 102 10706 King George Blvd. Surrey BC V3T 2X3
Tel: 604-498-2920 Intake.Surrey@legalaid.bc.ca
Legal aid available for serious criminal charges, young offenders, urgent family law problems and immigration matters. Some restrictions apply dependent on case and income.
LGBTQ-Friendly Legal Services from Sher Vancouver
Find lawyer referrals, human rights information and other community resources.
Mylawbc.com
Online legal information providing guided pathways on a number of common issues including wills and estates, separation and divorce, abuse and family violence, and missed mortgage payments.
Mediate BC
Tel: 604-684-1300 info@mediatebc.com
Provides information about mediation as a dispute resolution process and alternative to court, which can be very costly. Can connect you with mediators for small claims court, family law and other situations.
Patient Care Quality Office
11762 Laity Street 4th Floor Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 5A3
Tel: 1-877-880-8823 pcqoffice@fraserhealth.ca
Complaints process to receive and respond to patient concerns. For patients, clients, residents, and their loved ones in B.C.
People’s Law School
Good, straightforward legal information on a wide range of topics. Offers answers to Frequently Asked Questions as well as links to free publications. Also offer local classes.
Public Guardian and Trustee of BC
Suite 700 808 W. Hastings St. Vancouver BC
Tel: 604-660-4444 mail@trustee.bc.ca
The mandate of the PGT is to protect the legal and financial interests of children under the age of 19, protect the legal, financial, personal and health care interests of adults who require assistance in decision making and administer the estates of deceased and missing persons.
Ready For My Refugee Hearing
info@myrefugeeclaim.ca
Provides straightforward guides to the refugee hearing process. These online guides are available in a number of languages and are customized to different parts of Canada. Also offer online orientation sessions for the process. Registration required.
SOURCES Community Law Clinic
#105-13771 72A Ave Surrey BC V3W 9C6
Tel: 778-735-1368 www.askanadvocate.ca
Provides advocacy, legal advice and representation, mainly to low income individuals, in many areas of the law including: social assistance, income assistance, tenancy, employment (including employment insurance and employment standards), workers compensation, human rights, debt and disability (including mental health).
South Asian Legal Clinic of BC
Tel: 1-877-762-6664 (ask for an appointment with the South Asian Legal Clinic of BC)
Offers free legal advice in family, childprotection, wills and estates, employment,immigration, and WCB law. Services offered inPunjabi, Hindi, and Urdu.
Unbundled Legal Services
With unbundling, your legal matter is broken down into parts. You choose which parts a lawyer helps with, and which parts you will do yourself. You get professional assistance where you need it most — at a cost you can afford. There is a directory of lawyers offering this service on the website.
Looking for services not covered here?
Please ask at your local library. We are here to help.
You can also call 211 for a free, confidential, multilingual information and referral line to a full range of community, social, and government services. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you would like further information or if you spot a change that is needed you can contact us.
Surrey Libraries does not endorse or promote particular resources or programs, and inclusion here does not imply the Library’s endorsement.