Resolving disputes out of court
Provincial Court Family Rules, Procedure and Court Forms
Family Law Information and Resourcess
Picklists - Standard Wording of Family Court Orders
Resolving disputes out of court
[also called Consent Dispute Resolution (CDR)) or Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)]
- Family Resolution Centre – Legal Aid BC’s free online service helping separated parents with low or moderate incomes resolve parenting and child support is.
- Access Pro Bono Virtual Mediation Program - volunteer lawyer/mediators for family matters in Victoria, Vancouver and Nanaimo.
- BC Collaborative Roster Society – maintains a list of lawyers, financial and mental health professionals trained to assist with collaborative, out-of-court separation or divorce.
- BC Parenting Coordinator Roster Society- experienced lawyers, counsellors, social workers, and psychologists, trained in mediating and arbitrating parenting disputes, focusing on children’s needs.
- Mediate BC – maintains a list of qualified mediators for civil and family disputes.
- Family Justice Counsellors – offer free mediation of family court issues including support, but not division of property or debt.
- Justice Access Centres - offer free help with family and civil law issues.
Provincial Court Family Rules, Procedure and Court Forms
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General:
• Family Justice Playlist – YouTube videos on the family court rules (BC Ministry of the Attorney General).
• Going to Provincial Family Court – info on family court process (BC Ministry of the Attorney General).
• Provincial Court Family Rules and forms.
First steps
• BC Ministry of Attorney General infographic - chart shows steps in Early Resolution Process followed by Early Resolution Registries.
• Legal Aid BC – info on procedures in Early Resolution, Family Justice, Parenting Education Program, and other court registries.
Court proceedings:
• What to expect at a Family Management Conference – eNews on what happens and how to prepare.
• What can I expect at a Family Settlement Conference? - eNews on what happens and how to prepare.
• Preparing for a Family Settlement Conference: a checklist – eNews
• Attending Court Remotely - info on virtual conferences and hearings including a guide to connecting and participating.
Forms:
• Family court forms - Apply for a Provincial Court Family Law Act (FLA) Order - fill out and eFile Family Law Act applications online using a question and answer format.
Urgent matters
• How can I get an urgent protection order or set one aside? – May 17, 2021 eNews
• How can I get a court order on an urgent family matter? – June 1, 2021 eNews
Family Law Information and Resources
- Aboriginal Legal Aid in BC - This Legal Aid webpage provides family law information and resources in BC for Indigenous families.
- Clicklaw summary of online resources
- Where do I start for information on Family Court?
- Legal Aid BC Family Court - helpful information and resources including self-help guides for family court issues
- Government of BC - Family Justice
- Justice Education Society Legal Help BC - Family Law -family law questions and answers
- Justice Education Society - Families Change - Guide to Separation and Divorce
- How To Separate
- Family Maintenance Enforcement Program
- Do you need to go to Provincial Family Court or Supreme Court? - Family Law website, Legal Aid BC
Picklists - Standard Wording of Family Court Orders
Picklists are lists of standardized terms for court orders. They are stored in courtroom computers so a Court Clerk can use them to quickly and accurately capture the order a judge makes. When a judge decides to change the standard wording, a Court Clerk can edit the term accordingly. Picklists include letter and number codes that help the Court Clerk find a term quickly.
- Standard Wording of Family Court Orders - January 2022 (numbered list of commonly used terms (provided to judges and on Court Services computers) – you can copy and paste terms and fill in the details)
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This website provides general information only and should not be used as legal advice. Updated November, 2022