How Do I Schedule a Family Case Conference for Hearing?

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A family case conference (FCC) is a special type of hearing in the Provincial Court involving the parties, their lawyers, and a judge, that is intended to explore the issues in a court proceeding with the hope of finding a way to settle all or part of the proceeding. FCCs are private and held off the record.

FCCs can be very helpful, especially if the judge is prepared to be pushy with the parties and their lawyers. It's fairly common for proceedings to settle at FCCs, and where a settlement is reached, the judge will make a consent order on the spot, at the end of the hearing.

If you think a FCC will help, you can:

  • ask that a FCC be scheduled at your first appearance, or
  • if you've already had your first appearance, ask the judicial case manager to set a FCC for hearing.

If, for some reason, you have trouble scheduling a FCC, you can apply for an order that a FCC be scheduled under Rule 7(1).

There is more information about family case conferences in the chapter, Resolving Family Law Problems in Court within the section Case Conferences in a Family Law Matter.


This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Megan Ellis, QC, June 9, 2019.


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