View source for The Court System for Family Matters

===Making the choice of forum===

There are important differences between the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court. Deciding in which trial court to start a proceeding is called making the ''choice of forum''.

The Provincial Court deals with issues relating to parenting children, child support, spousal support, companion animals, and orders protecting people under the provincial ''[[Family Law Act]]''. The Supreme Court has the authority to deal with all of those issues, but can also deal with issues about parentage, dividing property and debt, and orders protecting property under the provincial act. Only the Supreme Court has the authority to make orders under the federal ''[[Divorce Act]]'', including orders for divorce. There's a chart showing which court can deal with which issue in the [[Family Law in British Columbia#The courts of British Columbia | Family Law in British Columbia]] chapter of the Getting Started part of this resource.

The rules of the BC Supreme Court can be very complicated and fees are charged for many steps in the court process, including filing the paperwork that starts a court proceeding, making an application, or going to trial. The rules of the Provincial Court are meant to be easier for self-represented people and the forms include lots of explanations. However, the procedure is still complex and it’s recommended that you read through the Provincial Court chapters and look at other resources before starting any court proceedings. The BC Provincial Court doesn't charge any fees to file forms.

It is possible to start a proceeding in the Provincial Court to deal with things like child support, and then start a proceeding in the Supreme Court to get a divorce and deal with things like property. However, it can be complicated to split your family law issues between two courts. A lot of people find it easier just to deal with everything in one court. Because of the limits of the authority of the Provincial Court, that court is usually the Supreme Court.