It’s designed to save time, money, and in the process, maybe a little heartache.
North Shore Community Resources launched the Family Law Advocacy Program earlier this month in a bid to help residents overwhelmed by B.C.’s family justice system, explained Susan Hart, NSCR’s family law advocate.
The residents “most in need” are those dealing with the legal aftermath of a divorce or separation who have moderate incomes that preclude them from getting legal aid, Hart said.
A mother of three making $50,000 a year can’t afford $450 in legal fees, she said. “And if the rent is more than 30 per cent of their income, which it normally is on the North Shore, that also is a barrier.”
In an effort to breach those barriers, the Family Law Advocacy Program offers general information on B.C.’s family justice system, case assistance, document preparation, and Intake assessment and referrals.
Those resources have been in short supply since legal services were cut in 2002, Hart said.
“There hasn’t been a place for people to go to get some basic, free information to help them go through the process.”
With the Family Law Advocacy Program, Hart is hoping to reach out to people who have burned through their original $5,000 retainer to their lawyer and have no disposable assets.
She said she plans to reach to men’s services, she said.
“I want to make sure men are feeling comfortable to come in and get some information,” Hart said. “Half the problem is the women and half the problem is the men.”
In order to reach the North Shore’s Persian community, Hart said she’s hoping to recruit a Farsi-speaking volunteer for the program.
Offering the equivalent of a You Are Here map to people adrift in the legal system should be more cost effective than the status quo by cutting down on court time, Hart said.
“Instead of a judge having to listen to the husband and wife for an hour yammer about things that aren’t relevant, you go in there with the documents and with an affidavit and the judge can just go through the materials and make a decision,” she said.
Hart also said she’s seen: “a lot of wastage on legal aid” in her legal career, noting lawyers are paid for 35 hours of work.
“I never had to use 35 hours for most family court cases,” she said, suggesting most cases can be wrapped up in five to 10 hours.
NSCR executive director Murray Mollard was similarly enthused about the program.
“Family law issues are the largest unmet legal aid need in the province. This program will be a game changer,” Mollard stated in a release.
Anyone seeking more information on the program can call NSCR at 604-985-7138 ext. 304.
The North Shore program has been funded by the Law Foundation of B.C. for three years.
