Where to Start?

Canada’s laws affect us every day because they are the rules for how we live in our community. Governments create the law, police enforce the law, and courts apply the law. In court, a judge or a jury makes a decision about a legal problem. The problem can involve people who cannot resolve a disagreement, or the government charging someone with a crime. Judges make decisions based only on the facts of the case and the law that applies to those facts. 

Sometimes, everyday issues can become legal problems. Car accidents, contract disputes and workplace injuries are examples of an issue that could become a legal problem. 

If you have an issue that is a legal problem, you probably need some help to learn about your legal rights. You may need a lawyer and you may need to learn more about the law.

If you do not have a lawyer, you will have to prepare your case and do the research to represent yourself. You will need to learn about the court system, the specific laws in your case, what you and the "other side" must prove, what defences you have, and how to build legal arguments for your case.

If you are representing yourself, you have a lot of work to do. It's important to seek legal advice. For more information, see:

• Understanding Your Legal Problem
• How Lawyers Can Help
• Free and Low-Cost Legal Services

There is information in other sections on this website that provide more specific information. Check the sections for Crime, Family and Lawsuits. If you have an issue with a government agency or professional organization, see AdminLawBC.ca.

Types of Legal Problems

There are many different types of laws that apply to different types of legal issues. In British Columbia, the laws that affect most people are: criminal law, civil law, family law and administrative law.

• Criminal Law: The Government of Canada creates criminal laws to protect the public. The laws describe what actions are criminal and how those actions should be punished. Lawyers representing the government must convince a judge or jury “beyond a reasonable doubt” that a person broke a law. This means that there is no other logical explanation except that the accused person committed the crime. To learn more about criminal law see: Crime.
• Civil Law: In Canada, provincial governments mainly create civil law. The Government of BC creates civil laws, which are the rules between individuals. In civil law, an individual can be a person, a company or an organization. Civil law is a term that describes many types of laws, including contract law, family law, and labour law. In a civil law trial, a judge or jury will decide who wins the case based on which version of events is more likely to be true, and then the judge applies the law to those facts. To learn more about civil law see: Lawsuits.
• Family Law: In Canada, family law is a specific kind of civil law that deals with family relationships, marriage, and divorce. Most family law cases that go to court are about issues related to a divorce and separation. Couples don’t need a trial to get a divorce or separation, but they may need help resolving disputes about how to divide their property or who is best able to care for the children. To learn more about family law see: Family.
• Administrative Law:  All levels of government make laws that affect us every day. Government agencies make sure that the laws are applied. For example, the Employment Standards Branch of BC makes sure that employers follow BC’s employment laws. If you disagree with a decision that a government agency has made, your complaint may not be heard by a court. Instead, an administrative tribunal will hear your complaint and make a decision about your case.  To learn more about administrative law, see Tribunal Hearings.

As you can see, there are specialized laws that relate to different kinds of problems. What type of problem do you have? What area of the law is it? 

Depending on your problem, your case may be heard in the BC Provincial Court, the Supreme Court of BC or one of the many administrative tribunals. To learn more, see BC’s Justice System.

Last reviewed: March 2016