We offer pro bono legal advice to eligible older adults (55+) residing in BC through our Elder Law Clinic on a wide range of legal matters, including:
While we do not offer legal services in either family or criminal law, we can direct persons to organizations who may be able to assist.
Contact our Seniors Abuse and Information Line at 604-437-1940 or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940 for more information or to arrange a consultation with our legal team.
Pro bono service to British Columbia residents over 55 years of age who meet eligibility criteria which will include income, assets and the nature of the services sought.
Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
Our elder law clinics are available at several locations by appointment:
Seniors First BC Office, Downtown Vancouver
Weekdays 9am to 4:30pm.
Seniors’ Services Society of BC, New Westminster
Every 3rd Tuesday of the month from 2 pm to 4 pm.
Newton Seniors Centre, Surrey
Every third Tuesday of the month between 10 am to 12 pm.
Burnaby Neighbourhood House South House, Burnaby
Every 2nd Tuesday of the month between 10 am and 1 pm.
Burnaby Community Services, Burnaby
Every 4th Tuesday of the month between 10 am to 1 pm.
VCH Deaf Well-Being Program, Burnaby
Two Thursdays each month, mornings & afternoons. ASL interpretation provided.
Clients can expect to hear back from our staff lawyers within three weeks after an initial intake has been completed. For more urgent matters, we may contact clients sooner.
Our Elder Law Clinic may represent you in court. We assess clients for eligibility for our services, determine if assisting you would fit within our mandate (for example, we do not represent clients in family or criminal matters), then conduct a merit assessment of the file (if it has a reasonably likelihood of success), and see if we have capacity to assist. If we cannot help, we will always try to refer callers to appropriate resources.
There are many forms of abuse and not all of them trigger criminal consequences. If you believe a crime has been committed, please contact your local police department. If you need assistance locating your local law enforcement, we invite you to call our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) at 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940.
Seniors First BC is a charitable, non-profit society that provides information, advocacy, and support to seniors across BC who are dealing with issues affecting their well-being.
