Appearing in Court by Phone

A party must usually appear in court in person

If you are a party in a court proceeding (for example, you are the plaintiff or defendant), and you have to attend or “appear” in court, you usually have to physically show up in court. Telephone appearances are discouraged. However, the court has the discretion in some circumstances to allow you to appear by telephone if you don’t have to testify (and give sworn evidence).

You need court approval to appear by phone

To make a phone appearance, you must get prior approval from the court. Ask the registry of the court where you have to appear if you can do it by phone. Do this at least one week before your court date, if possible. If not, then ask the court registry at least 3 days before your court date. If a phone appearance is possible, the court registry will usually explain what you need to do.

In Small Claims Court, an appearance by telephone may be allowed if the party requesting the telephone appearance doesn’t live or carry on business within a reasonable distance from the court location where the hearing is to take place, or if there are exceptional circumstances. An application using Small Claims Court Form 16 must be made in advance. If the registrar allows the party to appear by telephone, all documents relating to the hearing must usually be sent to the court and to the other parties before the hearing.

In Supreme Court, an application to appear by phone must be made by requisition using Supreme Court Form 17, supported by a signed letter setting out the reasons why you want an order allowing you to appear by phone.

You should contact a lawyer to help you with any court matters.

[updated September 2013]

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In law, to formally deliver documents to a person in a manner that complies with the rules of court. Service may be ordinary (mailed or delivered to a litigant's address for service), personal (hand-delivered to a person), or substituted (performed in a way other than the rules normally require). See "address for delivery," "ordinary service," "personal service" and "substituted service."

In law, a person named as an applicant, claimant, respondent, or third party in a court proceeding; someone asserting a claim in a court proceeding or against whom a claim has been brought. See "action" and "litigant."

A legal proceeding in which one party sues another for a specific remedy or relief, also called an "action," a "lawsuit," or a "case." A court proceeding for divorce, for example, is a proceeding in which the claimant sues the respondent for the relief of a divorce order.

Facts, or proof tending to support the existence of facts, presented to a judge at a hearing or trial. Evidence can be given through the oral testimony of witnesses, in writing as business records and other documents, or in the form of physical objects. Evidence must be admissible according to the rules of court and the rules of evidence. See "circumstantial evidence," "hearsay" and "testimony."

(1) A central office, located in each judicial district, at which the court files for each court proceeding in that district are maintained, and at which legal documents can be filed, searched, and reviewed, or (2) a courthouse.

A central office, located in each judicial district, at which the court files for each court proceeding in that district are maintained, and at which legal documents can be filed, searched and reviewed.

In law, any proceeding before a judicial official to determine questions of law and questions of fact, including the hearing of an application and the hearing of a trial. See "decision."

A request to the court that it make a specific order, usually on an interim or temporary basis, also called a "chambers application" or a "motion." See also "interim application" and "relief."

In family law, this usually refers to one party obtaining a part of any property at issue before the property has been finally divided by court order or the parties' agreement, usually in order to help pay for that person's legal fees.

An officer of the court with the power to make certain decisions, including the settlement of a lawyer’s bill, a party's costs of a court proceeding, and settling the form of an order. An officer of the court charged with the responsibility of reviewing and approving certain documents submitted to the court, such as pleadings. See "jurisdiction" and "pleadings."

Normally referred to as the "Supreme Court of British Columbia," this court hears most of the trials in this province. The Supreme Court is a court of inherent jurisdiction and has no limits on the sorts of claims it can hear or on the sorts of orders it can make. Decisions of the Provincial Court are appealed to the Supreme Court; decisions of the Supreme Court are appealed to the Court of Appeal. See "Court of Appeal," "jurisdiction," "Provincial Court" and "Supreme Court of Canada."

A mandatory direction of the court that is binding and enforceable upon the parties to a court proceeding. An "interim order" is a temporary order made following the hearing of an interim application. A "final order" is a permanent order, made following the trial of the court proceeding or the parties' settlement, following which the only recourse open to a dissatisfied party is to appeal. Failing to abide by the terms of an order may constitute contempt of court. See "appeal," "consent order," "contempt of court," "decision" and "declaration."

Under the Family Law Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a guardian of a child, including a parent who is not a guardian, has with that child. Under the Divorce Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a married spouse has with a child. See "guardian" and "parental responsibilities."

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."