Basics of Family Law

Last updated on March 6, 2024

Couples must make decisions at separation or divorce.

If you have children, you need to decide how you are going to parent apart and how the child will be supported. You also need to decide if one spouse will need financial support and how your property will be divided.

This section tells you the basics about the family law in B.C. and provides links so that you can get more information.

This is general information only and is not legal advice.

We recommend that you get legal advice before you make any final decisions about your family law disputes.

Check out these resources from Legal Aid BC:

Visit a Justice Access Centre:

Talk with a family justice counsellor at a Family Justice Centre.

Visit Clicklaw and Family Law in BC (legalaid.bc.ca) for legal information
Contact the Lawyer Referral Service to consult a lawyer for up to 30 minutes for free
See MyLawBC for solutions to your legal problems
Take a Parenting After Separation course

Visit the Government of Canada's child support table look-up to find the base amount of child support.
Enroll your maintenance order or agreement with the BC Family Maintenance Agency.
See if the Child Support Recalculation Service could help you annually recalculate child support without having to go to court.

British Columbia has a central authority that assists left-behind parents whose children have been abducted across international borders.

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