Independent Legal Advice for Survivors of Sexual Assault

A program that provides free legal advice to anyone who has experienced sexual assault in B.C. is now available. Stand Informed legal advice services are offered by Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS), a not-for-profit society that provides legal assistance, information, and education in B.C. Stand Informed offers up to three (3) hours of free, confidential legal advice to clients regardless of age, gender, income, whether they have reported the assault to the police, or if they are uncertain what they experienced is sexual assault. Sexual assault occurs frequently in British Columbia, but it is under-reported to police and few people seek help.

Stand Informed offers up to 3 hours of free, confidential legal advice to clients regardless of age, gender, income, whether or not they have reported to the police, or if they are unsure that what they experienced was a sexual assault.

With funding from the Government of Canada through the Department of Justice Canada, CLAS is contracted by the Ministry to provide free independent legal advice to survivors of sexual assault.

Any person who experiences sexual assault in B.C. and lives in B.C. can receive free legal advice by calling (604-673-3143) or sending an email (standinformed@clasbc.net) to access Stand Informed services. Stand Informed staff and lawyers take a trauma-informed approach, which is to say they understand how trauma can affect a person and work to make sure the person feels safe and is not re-traumatized.

Survivors contacting Stand Informed will be matched with a lawyer who will provide them with independent legal advice relating to the survivor’s individual circumstances. This legal advice will include the different legal options that may be available to the survivor (e.g., criminal, civil, or human rights), as well as information about the different legal processes, the survivors’ rights as a complainant in those processes, and options for reporting (e.g., Third Party Reporting).

Please visit https://clasbc.net/get-legal-help/stand-informed-legal-advice-services/ for more information.