What is "collaborative family law"?

Last updated on February 20, 2025

In the collaborative family law process you and your spouse each hire a lawyer who practises collaborative family law.

The two of you and your lawyers all sign an agreement promising to work together to find acceptable solutions.

The goal of a collaborative law process is to settle your case fairly, without going to court. The lawyers are hired to reach a settlement, not to go to court.

If the collaborative process does not work, the lawyers withdraw from the case.

For more information about collaborative law or how to find a collaborative family lawyer, see the following websites:

BC Collaborative Roster Society
Collaborative Divorce Vancouver (Lower Mainland)
The Collaborative Association (Lower Mainland)
Collaborative Family Separation Professionals (Victoria)
Okanagan Collaborative Family Law Group (Okanagan Valley)
Collaborative Law Group of Nelson (East and West Kootenays)

Access Pro Bono's Lawyer Referral Service may also be able to refer you to a lawyer who practises collaboratively.

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. For more information, including contact information, please see International Child Abduction.

Did you find what you were looking for?

The B.C. Public Service acknowledges the territories of First Nations around B.C. and is grateful to carry out our work on these lands. We acknowledge the rights, interests, priorities, and concerns of all Indigenous Peoples - First Nations, Métis, and Inuit - respecting and acknowledging their distinct cultures, histories, rights, laws, and governments.

More topics

What is "collaborative family law"?

Legal Help and Advice

Other Legal Resources

Child Support Information

International Child Abduction