Research shows that when a domestic relationship breaks down, women and other marginalized genders are exponentially less likely to be able to afford private counsel, creating a disproportionate gap in access to family justice. Our clinic was developed to try to bridge that gap.

Rise has been approved as a special program by the BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, meaning that by limiting our services to self-identified women and gender diverse people, we are “improving conditions for an individual or group that has faced disadvantage.”

We do not charge for Rise services; however, some of our programs have financial limitations to the services. This will be assessed and discussed at your first appointment with the legal navigator.

Rise is not an emergency service. If you have an upcoming court date, we will refer you to a service equipped to work with urgent matters.

If you are a client, please see here.

Support workers, see here

As a legal clinic, we ask all incoming clients fill out the confidential appointment request form, which includes the information of the other party/parties. We are required by Law Society to ensure we have no conflict to provide you with service.

Your first call with Rise will be to speak to our legal navigator, who will learn about your matter and will help you decide on the best resources. This may be a Rise program or another organisation that is better placed to help with your matter or timelines.

After assessing your individual situation, our legal navigator will determine the type and level of assistance we are able to provide. All service decisions are made at Rise’s sole discretion.

Rise can provide a range of services, including summary advice, limited legal services, and referrals to other organizations and depending on your issue you may receive assistance from law students, social work students, legal advocates, or summary advice from staff lawyers or volunteer lawyers. We are not able to provide full representation.

Once you have completed the form, the first person you will speak to is the legal navigator, who will assess for financial eligibility and ensure that Rise is the relevant service for your matter. We are looking at 4-6 weeks of waiting times to speak to our navigators.

If you are referred to a program within Rise, it can be another couple of weeks before you may speak with the lawyer. In all you may be waiting 8 weeks to speak to a lawyer.

Absolutely. We are available to meet with you by phone or teleconference. The Virtual Legal Clinic works with clients outside the lower mainland. The fast way for service will be completing our request for assistance.

Rise is an independently operated community legal centre and we are not connected with Legal Aid BC. Please see Legal Aid’s website if you are looking to apply for legal aid.

We are very limited in our ability to accommodate drop-in service at this time. Like any law office, we want to serve you to the best of our ability, and so we need to set aside sufficient time and resources to give your matter its proper attention. We only have drop-in service available for our community outreach advocate.

Children are welcome at Rise. We have a relaxing space with toys and books where your older children may wait for you, and you are welcome to have your infant or toddler in the room with you while you speak to our team.

Yes, the office is accessible for wheelchairs. We have a ramp indoors.

Rise does not have any designated parking, but there are several parking garages and metered street parking nearby. If you will be driving, please leave yourself enough time to find parking.

Our office is in Downtown Vancouver and we are very close to Granville and Waterfront sky train stations and also on multiple bus routes.

There is no guarantee that any of us aren’t being monitored online. However, there is a greater risk of being monitored online when women are leaving abusive relationships. What you can do is be aware of your online presence so that you can make safer decisions about your online activities. Your online use can be monitored in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

• Looking up internet browser history, email accounts, and social media accounts;

• searching cell phones and other devices;

• sharing accounts such as iCloud;

• hacking of passwords; and

• monitoring through software such as spyware, and hardware such as keystroke loggers.

Internet Safety – Start by deleting your web browser history. Some web browsers will let you surf the web in privacy/stealth and incognito modes. Check if these modes are available in the web browsers you’re using.

• Always use a safer computer when you’re communicating with friends and family about your private plans, searching, setting up appointments and communicating with support services and setting up new accounts and passwords. Safer computers can be found in public libraries, schools, community centres, support service offices or even at a trusted friend’s house.

• Check your settings to see if your accounts are linked and shared between devices such as a smartphone and tablet as information which is sent from your phone when you are out in the world may be accessible from the tablet at home.

Email – Your (ex)partner could have access to your email account.

• To be safe, open a new email account your partner does not know about, on a safer computer and use a new and hard to guess password.

• Also, try NOT to “click” on the email addresses on web pages as your email and the reply you receive may go to an (ex)partner’s account.

• Always copy and paste an email address into the account you own that you know the (ex)partner doesn’t have access to or use webforms to send messages where available.

Cell Phone – Call and text history can be retrieved in a variety of ways and your cell phone can be used as a tracking device.

• Turn off location services on your phone when you don’t need them. Also, check your shared family and friends location settings or any location apps that may have been downloaded on your phone.

• You can consider a pay-as-you-go phone if you suspect your phone is being monitored.

Social Media – Change your password and ensure you’re notified if any changes are made to your account through options in your settings.

• Only post things you want the public to see or know.

• Be protective of your personal information. Your phone numbers and addresses enable people to contact you directly, and information like your birth date, the schools you attended, your employer, and photos with landmarks or location tags may make it easier for someone to find out where you live, hang out or go to school.

• Tell people not to post your personal information or include you in comments, tags and check-ins on social media. Set your settings to options like having to “approve” all information about you before they are posted on your page. Remember this doesn’t stop information about you being shared on other people’s accounts, just your own.

Maintain Appearances – If you are being monitored and concerned for your safety, consider continuing to maintain appearances by using your computer, email, cell phone, and social media for non-sensitive information. Consider setting up an appointment with a local anti-violence program to safety plan around your technology use.

Please see www.nnedv.org/resources/safetynetdocs.html for more information on technology and safety.