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Family Justice Centre services

Last updated on May 1, 2026

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Family Justice Centre services

Family Justice Centres operate across the province with staff available to assist you with issues related to separation or divorce, including: 

  • Parenting arrangements
  • Guardianship
  • Child and spousal support
  • Contact with a child
  • Property division respecting a companion animal

All services are provided free of charge to parents and other family members. Learn more about Family Justice Centre services.

Staff can help you assess what you need and provide information about:

  • Your legal and related issues (including referrals for legal advice)
  • Dispute resolution and mediation options (including court forms and processes)
  • Referrals to community resources and agencies

All Centres have Family Justice Counsellors (accredited mediators) who can provide a full range of services virtually through telephone and video conferencing, so services are available even if there is no Family Justice Centre or Justice Access Centre in your community. Virtual services are also available for families who are separated by distance.

Visit or call a location near you between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM Monday to Friday, or call toll free 1-844-747-3963.

Court processes

Families can get help from Family Justice Centres even if they are not going to court. However, Family Justice Centres do provide services that are part of the Provincial Court process.

Certain Provincial Court locations are Early Resolution Registries. At these Early Resolution Registries, there are Early Resolution Requirements for families who want to resolve a family law matter. Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres in those locations provide services that meet those requirements.

See the list of Early Resolution Registries, filing locations and Family Justice Services Division (FJSD) offices for more information about:

  • Which Provincial Court registries are Early Resolution Registries
  • Where to file documents with each registry
  • Where to go to get help with the Early Resolution Requirements

Effective May 1, 2026, all Provincial Court registries in the Vancouver Coastal, Vancouver Fraser, Vancouver Island, and Interior (including Okanagan and Kootenay) regions are designated Early Resolution Registries. Other locations may be designated in the future.

Other government and community services

At the Family Justice Centres, we can tell you about key community and government agencies for issues such as mental health, alcohol and drug use, income security, debt or housing. These services are located right in your community and sometimes their staff even work at our centre. We can contact them for you if you wish and book appointments as needed.

If you have immediate safety concerns, staff may refer you to a community support organization, VictimLinkBC or the police. (If necessary, staff may give you information about how to get into court quickly, and refer you to legal advice.)

If you need help resolving a dispute about child support, staff can refer you to a Family Justice Counsellor or the child support officer at the centre.

If you're not receiving the child support your child is entitled to receive, staff may refer you to the BC Family Maintenance Agency (BCFMA).

Help with parenting and child support arrangements

Family Justice Centres offer dispute resolution services (mediation with a family justice counsellor or facilitated negotiation with a child support officer). If dispute resolution services at the Family Justice Centre are not appropriate for your situation, staff will do their best to either help you with the next step or refer you to others who can help you.

Legal Help

Depending on your situation, you may be eligible to receive advice from a lawyer at the centre. If not, staff can refer you to other lawyers or to organizations that can give you advice, sometimes for free.

Staff can also give you information about getting help from a legal aid lawyer (if you qualify), community agency, pro bono clinic where lawyers provide free services, or private lawyer.

How much will it cost?

Services provided by Family Justice Centre staff are free. You may be asked about your income, because staff may refer you to services that are based on financial need.

Your privacy

The personal information you provide is confidential. Your basic identifying information and a record of the services you receive may be accessed by staff at the centre as needed. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Act applies to all information you may share with staff.

Access free family justice services in person or virtually at Family Justice Centres and Justice Access Centres.

  • Staff across B.C. can help you understand your options during separation or divorce. They can talk with you and assess your needs, and provide information about:
    • Parenting arrangements
    • Guardianship
    • Child and spousal support
    • Contact with a child
    • Property division respecting a companion animal
  • See Family Justice Centre and Justice Access Centre locations to find the nearest location

Take a free Parenting After Separation course.

Find more family law information and legal help:

  • Visit Clicklaw for practical legal information and organizations that provide free or low-cost legal services in B.C.
  • Visit the Justice Education Society’s Family Law in BC website for information on Separation and Divorce and other family law issues
  • Contact the BC Legal Referral Service (formerly the Lawyer Referral Service) to consult a lawyer for free

Visit Legal Aid BC which offers free legal help for B.C. residents

In a joint divorce, you and your spouse apply together for a simple, uncontested divorce. You both agree on all family law issues that affect your family and only need to apply for a divorce order.

Apply for a joint divorce

B.C. has a central authority that helps parents when someone takes their children to another country without permission. For details and contact information visit the International child abduction page.