Just Ask Angie: How to find free legal information online

Q: Any places you can recommend for free online legal information?

A: Many of you at the resource center know that we are a Legal Aid BC community partner, which means we receive funding from them to help locals navigate the legal maze and find the help they need you need. A great online resource for legal information is provided there by the People’s Law School, a non-profit organization in British Columbia “dedicated to making the law accessible to all.” They provide free education and information to help people deal with everyday legal issues.

Once you visit the peopleslawschool.ca website, there are four main sections listed at the top of the page: 1) Everyday Legal Issues, 2) Questions and Answers, 3) Webinars, and 4) Publications.

Under the heading “Everyday Legal Problems”, topics are arranged in categories such as “Work”, “House & Neighbors”, “Testament & Inheritance”, “Consumers” and many more. Let’s say you look under Wills & Probate, you’ll find subtopics like Handling a Probate or Completing Probate or Administrative Forms. Under the Consumer category, there are some good subcategories, like Letters and Agreement Templates (generic templates for a variety of legal letters you might want to send out) or Cell Phones, which refer to articles on topics such as cell phone contracts cancel, switch phone providers or stop unwanted calls.

The “Q&A” (Questions and Answers) heading is just that: relatable questions written by individuals are answered in Q&A format and reviewed for legal accuracy by attorneys. (You can also ask a question using the online form on their website, or by calling or emailing them.)

Under the Webinar heading, you can find out about and register for upcoming free People’s Law School webinars. It is also a place to find and view previous webinars that have been recorded and published for your viewing pleasure. For example, on September 20th there was a webinar called “Renting in BC” that was aimed at both renters and landlords. Other past topics have included “making a will in BC”, “buying a used car in BC” or “dealing with neighbor disputes”. I bet if you go through this you will find at least a few webinars relevant to your own life and situation.

“Publications” is the fourth and final section. These can be really handy to have on hand when – or before – you need them. Some of the many publication topics are When I’m 64: Benefits for Older Adults, Workplace Bullying and Harassment, and Scams to Avoid. There are also numerous publications on the subject of wills and estates. We have printed copies of a number of these publications in our office for customers who need them.

Aside from browsing the different headings, a good way to navigate this site is to use the search bar in the top-right corner of the screen (look for the magnifying glass icon). Type in what you’re curious about there, such as “divorce” or “debt,” and your search will crawl the entire site so you don’t have to.

People’s Law School lists an email address and a phone number where you can contact them. If you’re having trouble finding what you need, People’s Law School lists an email address, [email protected], and a phone number, 604-331-5400. Follow them on Twitter @PLSBC and on Facebook @Peopleslawschool. They also have a newsletter to keep up to date with upcoming trainings and events.

Remember that this is a legal information website and not a legal advice website. If you are looking for free legal advice about something going on in your life and need help connecting to a counseling service, contact the resource center and we can suggest a few places that offer counseling services. If you are interested in exploring this site but need a device to do so, get in touch and we can book some time to use one of our tablets.

Angie Theilmann is the Information and Referral Specialist at the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, your community information centre. The resource center is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is recommended to make an appointment to ensure we are at your disposal. Note: some days we can book customers after 2pm. Contact us: [email protected] or 604-885-4088.