For Clients
You choose the legal tasks you want help with.
You choose ones you will handle on your own.
With unbundled service like this, a lawyer or paralegal is only doing some of the work. The arrangement usually costs less than full-scope legal representation.
The BC Family Law Unbundling Roster lists family lawyers and paralegals willing to perform discrete (specific) tasks for people like you.
What is Unbundling?
Separation and divorce can cause a lot of stress and uncertainty. Most people would like to have the advice and assistance of a family lawyer but hiring a lawyer to represent them from beginning to end is often too expensive and makes it difficult to predict total costs. The good news is that it is possible for you to have the help you need from a lawyer at a cost you can afford through unbundled legal services.
Unlike the traditional full-representation model, a lawyer providing unbundled legal services works on, and charges you for, only those tasks that you agree to in advance. You start by meeting your lawyer and, as a team, make a plan to address your legal problem. The entire matter is broken down into tasks and you choose which tasks you want help with and which ones you will handle on your own. This approach is flexible, and can be adapted to meet your needs including your budget and your comfort level with managing your own legal affairs.
For example, if you are representing yourself in court you may want a lawyer’s help with drafting a document or pre-trial advice. If you are resolving your dispute through an out-of-court process like mediation an unbundled lawyer can provide legal advice before mediation or draft a binding agreement after mediation.
Unbundled legal services are becoming a popular and more affordable way to help separating families get better outcomes, manage their finances, and proceed through their separation with confidence.
People's Law School created a very helpful site specifically for the public which explains unbundled legal services in more detail: www.unbundlinglaw.ca .
The Roster
The BC Family Law Unbundling Roster is a list of BC family lawyers and paralegals who offer unbundled legal services. The Clicklaw Helpmap can help you to locate legal professionals near you who offer unbundled services. Many also offer their services remotely, through telephone, webconferencing or other tools.
The Roster provides key information about lawyers and paralegals, including:
Name, contact information and location
Descriptions of the kinds of unbundled legal services offered
Fee structure and remote service options
Mediation experience
Supported languages
The Roster will be updated on a regular basis. For questions or help with the Roster visit our contact page to email us.
The BC Family Law Unbundling Roster is administered by Courthouse Libraries BC. More information about unbundling can be found here.