By Coral Lyster, Lawyer, Stand Informed
Have you experienced sexual assault in British Columbia? Do you want to know what your legal options are? You could get free legal advice from Community Legal Assistance Society’s (“CLAS”) new service, Stand Informed. Stand Informed services are available to anyone in BC, including newcomers and foreign workers.
What is Stand Informed?
CLAS’ Stand Informed legal advice service gives up to 3 hours of free, confidential legal advice from a lawyer to anyone who has experienced sexual assault in BC. Stand Informed lawyers and staff have training to help you in a trauma-informed way. We do not charge any fees and there is no income limit to qualify for our services. If you need advice about sexual assault in B.C., please give us a call (604-673-3143), or send us an email (standinformed@clasbc.net) to access our services.
You can access our service whether you have reported it to the police or not. Stand Informed can help you understand your rights and legal options. We can also help connect you with support services, like community-based victim services, and counselling.
What to expect when you connect with Stand Informed
Our Intake Coordinator will arrange to have a short call with you to find out about what happened and if we can help. You do not have to provide details of the assault to get legal advice. We try to make our services accessible as much as possible. We can provide an interpreter at the meeting if you need any language assistance. If you have accommodation needs, please let us know and we will do our best to help you.
Matching you with a lawyer
If you qualify for our services, Stand Informed will match you with a lawyer. A short agreement will be sent to you that explains the relationships between you, your lawyer, and Stand Informed. It helps to explain your lawyer-client relationship and protect the privacy of your discussions with us and the lawyer. After you sign the agreement, the lawyer will contact you to set up a meeting. Meetings may happen over the phone, by videoconference, or in person. If you prefer a certain meeting type, you can let us know.
What can Stand Informed help with?
Your lawyer can provide you with legal advice on your situation and your legal options. They can explain what you can expect in a legal process and answer your questions. For example, a lawyer can:
- Help explain if what you experienced is a crime;
- Let you know what your legal options are;
- Explain what to expect in a criminal law process if you make a complaint;
- Tell you what to expect in a civil law process or other legal process, if it is an option;
- Find out if there are other legal issues you may need help with;
- Answer questions about protecting your privacy in legal processes; and
- Help connect you with supports.
If the sexual assault happened in connection with your workplace
If you experienced sexual assault connected with your workplace, you may be able to get more legal help from SHARP Workplaces Legal Advice Clinic. CLAS’ SHARP Workplaces Legal Clinic gives free legal advice to people in B.C. who experienced workplace sexual harassment, including sexual assault. SHARP Workplaces Legal Clinic can only help with workplace sexual harassment. Stand Informed and SHARP Workplaces Legal Clinic are both run by CLAS. Stand Informed and SHARP Workplaces Legal Clinic are both inclusive and trauma-informed services.
The Stand Informed approach
Both staff and lawyers are trained to take a holistic, trauma-informed approach to assist you. We understand that what you experienced is traumatic, and that you are more than your legal issue. There is no pressure to act, and you decide how or if to take the next step. Stand Informed can also help you connect with support services like support workers, counselling, health care and employment services. We are here to provide information and stand with you.
You can contact us by calling 604-673-3143 or Toll-free 1-888-685-6222 or emailing standinformed@clasbc.net. Visit our website to find out more.