CharityVillage

The Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society is a strong and impactful social service provider in our community, promoting equality through outreach, safety and support.  We are looking for a dedicated Family Law Advocate to join our team. As a Family Law Advocate, you will advocate for clients, work collaboratively in a team of dedicated professionals, and engage with community partners and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes and systemic changes. The role is essential in providing support to clients navigating complex family issues, including divorce, child custody, and domestic violence. The ideal candidate will be compassionate, dedicated and knowledgeable in relevant provincial and federal laws and regulations.

Objective and Job Duties
To provide advocacy and information as it relates to the goals of the Family Law Legal Advocacy Project funded by the Law Foundation of BC:

• Screen and identify legal issues according to program guidelines under the direction of the supervising lawyer including domestic violence, guardianship and parenting time, parental responsibilities, child support, spousal support, divorce, protection orders, family court, Supreme Court, and child protection (2 hours of service for system negotiation)
• Provide support, legal resources, information and appropriate referrals by telephone, website, e-mail and appointment
• Assess client information and determine eligibility for referral to Legal Aid
• Where appropriate, support clients through the family court system, including, if necessary, court preparation and accompaniment, but not representation
• Assist in completion of court documents
• Follow-up with lawyers/clients on progress and outcome of cases
• Act as a resource to other staff, volunteers, and support groups on an as needed basis
• Conduct legal information workshops
• Maintain contact with supervising lawyer, and Law Foundation of BC (specifically grant managers)
• Providing monthly statistics to Law Foundation
• Providing monthly board report to WRS board of directors  
• Attend regular educational workshops
• Attend 2 weeks of training hosted by the Law Foundation in Vancouver annual Law Foundation Conferences in Vancouver (both paid for by the Law Foundation)

• Keep up to date with Family Law Act changes in both Provincial and Supreme Court.
• Ensure legal resources are kept current, including brochures, website, facebook, etc.  
• Maintain program records and statistics regarding services and activities
• Attend external meetings as needed
• Meet all Law Foundation contractual requirements

• Post-Secondary education/ or equivalent training and education in Paralegal services, Criminology, Psychology, Social Work, Family Law or related social service program.
• Strong knowledge of Aboriginal culture and family issues
• Good understanding of Family Law and working knowledge of Poverty and Immigration Law
• Knowledge of community resources and other social service agencies
• Knowledge of Legal Services policies and procedure
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•  MS Office skills: Word, Excel and Outlook
• Work with applicable online programming needed to complete documents on behalf of clients
• Ability to work effectively with clients who are experiencing a range of sensitive issues
• Ability to take initiative, identify urgent work items and set priorities
• Must be direct and able to manage a confidential information
• Ability to maintain an open and direct communications between self/clients and colleagues
• Must have a valid BC Driver’s License and access to a vehicle

• Must agree to a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check.
• Must agree to sign an oath of confidentiality.
• Training will be provided by the Law Foundation and the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society.