- The Family LawLINE is a Legal Aid BC telephone service, and its details such as hours can change, so confirm them with Legal Aid BC before you call.
- Family Justice Centres can also be reached by phone, toll-free, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Some referred services are based on financial need, so you may be asked about your income.
When a family dispute starts, a phone call is often the easiest way to get your first questions answered. The Family LawLINE, run by Legal Aid BC, is one of the services people hear about for that reason.
This article explains how to approach a call, what to ask about and which other phone-based options exist. Specific details such as hours and eligibility can change, so confirm them directly with Legal Aid BC.
This article covers the law of British Columbia.
What the Family LawLINE is
The Family LawLINE is a Legal Aid BC telephone service for people with family law questions. Exactly what help it gives, and whether it can go further than answering questions, is worth confirming with Legal Aid BC when you call. For comparison, Family Justice Centres provide a needs assessment and legal information with referrals for advice.
Hours and locations for Legal Aid BC family services, including the LawLINE and duty counsel, can vary by community and may change. Check the current details before you plan your day around a call.
Who can call and what to expect
Who qualifies, and what kind of help you receive, depends on the service and on your circumstances. Legal Aid BC sets financial eligibility limits, and those limits are updated periodically, so older charts may show different figures. Ask the person you speak with whether an income test applies to the help you want.
Do not assume that family violence removes the income test. Family Law Centres, which Legal Aid BC delivers, give free legal help to family violence survivors who cannot afford a lawyer and have at least one additional eligible legal issue, and they prioritize survivors who fled an abusive partner within the past six months. That is a priority, not a general waiver.
How to prepare for a call
- Write your main question in one or two sentences.
- List the people involved, your children's ages and where everyone lives.
- Note key dates: separation, any existing order or agreement, any court dates.
- Have any court documents you have received in front of you.
- Take notes during the call, including names, advice and next steps.
- Ask what you should do next and who to contact if the answer is outside what the service covers.
If you have a protection order concern, tell the person early. A court may make a protection order when family violence is likely to occur and the other person is an at-risk family member, and it need not be made in conjunction with any other proceeding. Unless the court orders otherwise, a protection order expires one year after the date it is made.
Other free options you can reach by phone
If the LawLINE does not fit your situation, there are other places to start. Family Justice Centres can be reached toll-free at 1-844-747-3963, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and offer services by telephone and video conference for families separated by distance.
- Family Justice Centres offer a needs assessment, legal information and referrals for advice.
- They can refer you to the BC Family Maintenance Agency if child support is not being received.
- Family Justice Counsellors are accredited mediators who provide mediation.
- Lawyer advice at a Family Justice Centre depends on your situation, and staff otherwise refer you elsewhere.
- Family Law Centres offer virtual services in Surrey, Abbotsford, New Westminster, Victoria, Colwood, Duncan, Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George, Vanderhoof and Mackenzie.
Family Justice Centres also provide a free Parenting After Separation course and information on Provincial Court processes. Justice Access Centres also offer free family justice services, including mediation in a neutral, informal setting where a trained mediator helps you discuss issues without giving legal advice.
If your case may go to Provincial Court, ask about Early Resolution Registries. In the Vancouver Coastal, Vancouver Fraser, Vancouver Island and Interior regions, they require specific steps before a Provincial Court family case proceeds.
What to do next
Decide what you most need: general information, help with a specific form, a mediator, or someone to speak for you. Then match that need to a service. Make the call, take notes and follow up on any referral promptly.
If your matter involves safety concerns, complex property or a court deadline, consider speaking with a lawyer, even for one task, so that you understand your options before you act. This is sometimes called unbundling: a lawyer provides legal services for part of your matter, and you and the lawyer decide which tasks each of you will do.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Family LawLINE a replacement for a lawyer?
What a phone service can do depends on the service, so ask what it can and cannot do when you call. At a Family Justice Centre, for example, you can get legal information and referrals for advice, and lawyer advice there depends on your situation. If you want a lawyer to act for you, confirm your options with a lawyer.
Will I have to show my income?
It depends on the service. Some referred services are based on financial need, so you may be asked about income. Do not assume family violence removes an income test.
Can I call about a protection order?
You can ask where to start. A court may make a protection order on application by an at-risk family member or a person on that member's behalf, or on its own initiative.
What if I can only call during the day?
Family Justice Centres take calls Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Hours for other services can vary and change, so confirm them first.
Sources
- BC Gov News – Attorney General release, July 8, 2026 — news.gov.bc.ca
- Family Law Act, SBC 2011, c 25, Part 9, s. 183 — bclaws.gov.bc.ca
- Province of BC – Family Justice Centre services — www2.gov.bc.ca
- Province of BC – Mediation at Justice Access Centres — www2.gov.bc.ca
- Law Society of BC – Unbundling legal services — lawsociety.bc.ca
Links go to official government, court and regulator pages. The law changes — confirm you are reading the current version.
This is a family law question
An uncontested divorce with us is from $2,126.88, tax included. Third-party fees are extra.