How Do I Find Court Forms?: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:16, 20 July 2018

What are court forms?

Court forms are official court documents that you have to use when you bring a dispute to court. If you are not sure which form to use, you may want to speak with a lawyer. See the section of this guide Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem?.

Where can I find court forms?

Clicklaw’s quicklinks to online laws, cases and rules includes links to the forms for all levels of court. You can search these forms by name, or by number.

Court forms: clarifying your question

Do you have specific information about the form you need? For example: “The registry said I need Form F51 for Supreme Court Family.” In this case, go directly to the Supreme Court Family court forms page to find the one you need.

Or do you have a question that requires the help of other sources? For example: “I need child support forms.” In this instance, you may need to find some additional information from a source such as the Family Law in BC child support page to explain different kinds of forms and procedures. In some cases, there are examples of completed forms online such as JP Boyd on Family Law, Supreme Court Forms.

The Clicklaw website will help you find resources to help you understand which forms you use in each level of court, for example going to small claims court. Clicklaw also has a flow chart that helps you find the forms and guides you may need when going to court.

What if I have limited information?

If you have the form number

The form number helps determine which level of court it is from since each level of court numbers forms in different ways:

Level of Court	Form Number
Small Claims Forms	SCR or COEA followed by the #:
Provincial Court Family Forms	Often PCFR followed by the #:
Supreme Court Family Forms	F followed by the #:
Supreme Court Civil Forms	Just the #:

If you know the level of court

Click on the appropriate court forms link and you can look through the alphabetical list. If you still cannot find the form, you may need to look at secondary resources such as summaries or guides that focus on the legal problem you are dealing with. See the section in this guide Secondary Resources and How to Find Them.

If you know the form name

Look through the alphabetical list of forms for a few different levels of court. Sometimes different levels of court have forms with the same name. For example, if you are looking for a Requisition, you will need to know the level of court since nearly every level of court has a Requisition form.

If you know the level of court but even after searching do not have the form name or form number

You may need to find an Affidavit (sworn written statement) form. However, nearly every level of court has an Affidavit form, and some have more than one type of Affidavit form, such as an Affidavit in Support to Waive Fees. If you do not know the level of court or the form number, you may need to look at secondary resources to figure out what the correct form is. See the section in this guide Secondary Resources and How to Find Them.

If you are just getting started and/or you do not know which forms you need

If you cannot find the form you’re looking for or if you are just getting started, you’ll need to look at secondary resources that focus on the legal problem you are dealing with. See the section in this guide Secondary Resources and How to Find Them. You may also wish to consult with one of the legal advice services described in section Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem?.

Clicklaw has common questions and links to guides that provide information about the forms required for certain legal procedures:

Court forms: examples/guides

Staff at Courthouse Libraries BC can help you find resources to find forms, but cannot help clients fill in court forms.

However, there are a number of guides and examples that may help with filling in court forms. Some of the most used resources include the following:

Affidavits

All levels of court in BC use affidavits. The following resources can help you get started:

A Guide to Preparing Your Affidavit. Explains the purpose and requirements of an affidavit and gives examples and places to go for further help.
How Do I Prepare an Affidavit? Gives tips and explanations of affidavits and how to tell your story.
Tips for drafting an affidavit. Provides information for how to fill out a family law affidavit.

Family Forms (Supreme & Provincial)

The Clicklaw wikibook JP Boyd on Family Law has clearly laid out pages linking to blank and completed example family court forms. From the home page, scroll down to the Court Forms & Documents section.
Family Law in BC Court Forms page includes descriptions of how each form is used.
How Do I Draft a Final Order in an Undefended Divorce? A short guide on one of the most common divorce forms.

Small Claims Forms

Small claims court forms are available online from the provincial government. The forms are in a PDF format that you can fill out and print.
The Small Claims Court Filing Assistant is designed to help you complete small claims court forms online.

Civil Forms

Supreme Court of BC Civil Court Forms. Civil forms are available online from the provincial government, along with helpful notes. The forms are in a PDF format that you can fill out and print.
Evin Ross’ Guide to Civil Litigation. This is a helpful print resource that provides detailed instructions about forms and procedures. It is available at branches of Courthouse Libraries BC, and some public libraries.

Court of Appeal Forms

The Court of Appeal BC Online Help Guide website has guides for people who are appealing civil/family and criminal matters.

Probate Forms

Supreme Court Probate Forms. The Probate forms are available in PDF format to download, fill out and print.
CLE's BC Probate and Estate Administration Practice Manual contains more details on the forms required and other useful probate and estate information. It is available in print and online from the public computers at branches of Courthouse Libraries BC.

What if you are having technical trouble filling in your form?

Filling in the PDF version of the forms can be quite tricky and frustrating. The following online guides may be helpful:

The Ministry of Attorney General site has a guide for tips on how to use the forms.
Legal Services Society site has answers to common problems with using the Supreme Court PDF Forms.

However, if you are still having trouble with the online forms, you may need in-person help. Find out who can help using the list below:

Amici Curiae has legal forms workshops, where their paralegal volunteers provide free help with completing court forms.
Legal Services Society site has a list of people/organizations who can help with filling out court forms for family law cases.
The section Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem? tells you about a range of services in BC that can offer assistance with your legal situation, which may include help with the online forms.

The PDF forms are subject to several web browser restrictions. The Supreme Court has the following guidelines for making sure the forms function properly on your computer:

Adobe Reader Required - You will require the latest version of Adobe Reader in order to use the forms. If you need to update your Reader software, please ensure you remove the old version of Reader before installing the new one. You may also want to be sure that your computer is not starting Adobe Acrobat instead of Reader when opening the forms and check your computer settings to make sure the CSB Smart Forms website is added as a trusted site.

Google Chrome and Firefox Users - If you are using Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser you will need to do a onetime configuration on your browser before using the forms. You can find the steps for configuring your browser here.

Apple and Mac Users - Currently, the forms are not compatible with Apple products, including Mac computers, iPads, etc. If you are using a Mac computer, you can download the desired document form the website by following the instructions here.

You can also use the forms by saving them to your hard drive. To do this, right click on the form you wish to use and save it to your computer.

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Courthouse Libraries BC staff, October 2015.

Beginner's Guide to Finding Legal Information © Courthouse Libraries BC 2015 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ==What are court forms?==
-Court forms are official court documents that you have to use when you bring a dispute to court. If you are not sure which form to use, you may want to speak with a lawyer. See the section of this guide [[Where Can  I Find Help with My Legal Problem? | Where can I find help with my legal problem?]].
+Court forms are official court documents that you have to use when you bring a dispute to court. If you are not sure which form to use, you may want to speak with a lawyer. See the section of this guide [[Where Can  I Find Help with My Legal Problem?]].
 ==Where can I find court forms?==
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Court forms: clarifying your question==
-Do you have specific information about the form you need? For example: “The registry said I need Form F51 for Supreme Court Family.” In this case, go directly to the Supreme Court Family [http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/supreme/2010SupRules/info/index_family.htm court forms] page to find the one you need.
+Do you have specific information about the form you need? For example: “The registry said I need Form F51 for Supreme Court Family.” In this case, go directly to the Supreme Court [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/courthouse-services/documents-forms-records/court-forms/sup-family-forms Family court forms] page to find the one you need.
 Or do you have a question that requires the help of other sources? For example: “I need child support forms.” In this instance, you may need to find some additional information from a source such as the [http://www.familylaw.lss.bc.ca/resources/fact_sheets/child_support.php Family Law in BC child support] page to explain different kinds of forms and procedures. In some cases, there are examples of completed forms online such as [[Supreme_Court_Forms_(Family_Law) | JP Boyd on Family Law, Supreme Court Forms]].
-The Clicklaw website will help you find resources to help you understand which forms you use in each level of court, for example [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/global/search?f=Courts+%26+tribunals%7c1121&so=v going to small claims court].
+The Clicklaw website will help you find resources to help you understand which forms you use in each level of court, for example [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/global/search?f=Courts+%26+tribunals%7c1121&so=v going to small claims court]. Clicklaw also has a [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/content/forms flow chart] that helps you find the forms and guides you may need when going to court.
 ==What if I have limited information?==
-===If you have the form number:===
+===If you have the form number===
 The form number helps determine which level of court it is from since each level of court numbers forms in different ways:
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 |}
-===If you know the level of court:===
+===If you know the level of court===
-Click on the appropriate court forms link and you can look through the alphabetical list. If you still cannot find the form, you may need to look at secondary resources such as summaries or guides that focus on the legal problem you are dealing with. See the section in this guide [[Secondary Resources and How to Find Them | Secondary resources and how to find them]].
+Click on the appropriate court forms link and you can look through the alphabetical list. If you still cannot find the form, you may need to look at secondary resources such as summaries or guides that focus on the legal problem you are dealing with. See the section in this guide [[Secondary Resources and How to Find Them]].
-===If you know the form name:===
+===If you know the form name===
 Look through the alphabetical list of forms for a few different levels of court. Sometimes different levels of court have forms with the same name.  For example, if you are looking for a Requisition, you will need to know the level of court since nearly every level of court has a Requisition form.
-===If you know the level of court but even after searching do not have the form name or form number:===
+===If you know the level of court but even after searching do not have the form name or form number===
-You may need to find an Affidavit (sworn written statement) form. However, nearly every level of court has an Affidavit form, and some have more than one type of Affidavit form, such as an Affidavit in Support to Waive Fees. If you do not know the level of court or the form number, you may need to look at secondary resources to figure out what the correct form is. See the section in this guide [[Secondary Resources and How to Find Them | Secondary resources and how to find them]].
+You may need to find an Affidavit (sworn written statement) form. However, nearly every level of court has an Affidavit form, and some have more than one type of Affidavit form, such as an Affidavit in Support to Waive Fees. If you do not know the level of court or the form number, you may need to look at secondary resources to figure out what the correct form is. See the section in this guide [[Secondary Resources and How to Find Them]].
-===If you are just getting started and/or you do not know which forms you need:===
+===If you are just getting started and/or you do not know which forms you need===
-If you cannot find the form you’re looking for or if you are just getting started, you’ll need to look at secondary resources that focus on the legal problem you are dealing with. See the section in this guide [[Secondary Resources and How to Find Them | Secondary resources and how to find them]]. You may also wish to consult with one of the legal advice services described in section [[Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem? | Where can I find help with my legal problem?]].
+If you cannot find the form you’re looking for or if you are just getting started, you’ll need to look at secondary resources that focus on the legal problem you are dealing with. See the section in this guide [[Secondary Resources and How to Find Them]]. You may also wish to consult with one of the legal advice services described in section [[Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem?]].
 Clicklaw has common questions and links to guides that provide information about the forms required for certain legal procedures:
-*[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/question/commonquestion/1006 Our marriage is over; do we have to go to court?]
+*[https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/question/commonquestion/1165 Where do I start for information on Family Court?]
+*[https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/question/commonquestion/1167 Where do I start for information on Small Claims Court?]
 *[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/question/commonquestion/1112 I’m applying for probate; where can I find the forms required?]
 *[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/question/commonquestion/1144 Varying support orders].
 ==Court forms: examples/guides==
-Staff at [http://www.courthouselibrary.ca/clientservices/howwecanhelp.aspx Courthouse Libraries BC] can help you find resources to find forms, but cannot help clients fill in court forms.
+Staff at [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1009 Courthouse Libraries BC] can help you find resources to find forms, but cannot help clients fill in court forms.
 However, there are a number of guides and examples that may help with filling in court forms. Some of the most used resources include the following:
@@ Line 68: / Line 69: @@
 *The [http://wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/index.php/JP_Boyd_on_Family_Law Clicklaw wikibook JP Boyd on Family Law] has clearly laid out pages linking to blank and completed example family court forms. From the home page, scroll down to the ''Court Forms & Documents'' section.
 *[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/1773 Family Law in BC Court Forms] page includes descriptions of how each form is used.
-*[http://www.courthouselibrary.ca/ItemDetails.aspx?Source=Asked+%26+Answered&ID=27b0d6ec-fe53-607b-975f-ff0000fad974 How Do I Draft a Final Order in an Undefended Divorce?] A short guide on one of the most common divorce forms.
+*[https://www.courthouselibrary.ca/how-we-can-help/our-legal-knowledge-base/how-do-i-draft-final-order-undefended-divorce How Do I Draft a Final Order in an Undefended Divorce?] A short guide on one of the most common divorce forms.
 ===Small Claims Forms===
@@ Line 77: / Line 78: @@
 ===Civil Forms===
-*[http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/supreme/2010SupRules/info/index_civil.htm Supreme Court of BC Civil Court Forms]. Civil forms are available online from the provincial government. The forms are in a PDF format that you can fill out and print.
+*[http://www.supremecourtbc.ca/supreme-court-civil-forms Supreme Court of BC Civil Court Forms]. Civil forms are available online from the provincial government, along with helpful notes. The forms are in a PDF format that you can fill out and print.
 *[http://opac.courthouselibrary.ca/Catalogues/CatView.aspx?id=5440&noAuthRedir=1 Evin Ross’ Guide to Civil Litigation]. This is a helpful print resource that provides detailed instructions about forms and procedures. It is available at branches of Courthouse Libraries BC, and some public libraries.
@@ Line 85: / Line 86: @@
 ===Probate Forms===
-*[http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/supreme/2010SupRules/info/index_probate.htm Supreme Court Probate Forms].  The Probate forms are available in PDF format to download, fill out and print.
+*[https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/courthouse-services/documents-forms-records/court-forms/probate-forms Supreme Court Probate Forms].  The Probate forms are available in PDF format to download, fill out and print.
-*[http://opac.courthouselibrary.ca/Catalogues/CatView.aspx?ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%2fopac.courthouselibrary.ca%2fCatalogues%2fResults.aspx Evin Ross Guide to Wills and Estates] contains a breakdown of each of the forms and other useful probate and estate information.
+*[http://opac.courthouselibrary.ca/Catalogues/CatView.aspx?id=13003&noAuthRedir=1 CLE's BC Probate and Estate Administration Practice Manual] contains more details on the forms required and other useful probate and estate information. It is available in print and online from the public computers at branches of Courthouse Libraries BC.
 ==What if you are having technical trouble filling in your form?==
-Filling in the PDF version of the forms can be quite tricky and frustrating. The Ministry of Justice site has a [http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/supreme/2010SupRules/HowToForms.pdf guide for tips on how to use the forms]. However, if you are still having trouble with the online forms, contact one of the services listed in the section [[Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem? | Where can I find help with my legal problem?]]
+Filling in the PDF version of the forms can be quite tricky and frustrating. The following online guides may be helpful:
+* The Ministry of Attorney General site has a [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/courthouse-services/court-files-records/court-forms/howtoforms.pdf guide for tips on how to use the forms].
+* Legal Services Society site has answers to [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/2865 common problems with using the Supreme Court PDF Forms].
+However, if you are still having trouble with the online forms, you may need in-person help. Find out who can help using the list below:
+* Amici Curiae has [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/organization/helpmap/1210 legal forms workshops], where their paralegal volunteers provide free help with completing court forms.
+* Legal Services Society site has a [https://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/1628 list of people/organizations] who can help with filling out court forms for family law cases.
+* The section [[Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem? | Where Can I Find Help with My Legal Problem?]] tells you about a range of services in BC that can offer assistance with your legal situation, which may include help with the online forms.
 The PDF forms are subject to several web browser restrictions.  The Supreme Court has the following guidelines for making sure the forms function properly on your computer:
@@ Line 95: / Line 103: @@
 *Adobe Reader Required - You will require the latest version of Adobe Reader in order to use the forms. If you need to update your Reader software, please ensure you remove the old version of Reader before installing the new one. You may also want to be sure that your computer is not starting Adobe Acrobat instead of Reader when opening the forms and check your computer settings to make sure the CSB Smart Forms website is added as a trusted site.
-*Google Chrome and Firefox Users - If you are using Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser you will need to do a onetime configuration on your browser before using the forms.  You can find the steps for configuring your browser [http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/supreme/2010SupRules/ConfiguringFireFoxGoogleChrome.pdf here].
+*Google Chrome and Firefox Users - If you are using Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser you will need to do a onetime configuration on your browser before using the forms.  You can find the steps for configuring your browser [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/courthouse-services/court-files-records/court-forms/configuringfirefoxgooglechrome.pdf here].
-*Apple and Mac Users - Currently, the forms are not compatible with Apple products, including Mac computers, iPads, etc.  If you are using a Mac computer, you can download the desired document form the website by following the instructions [http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/supreme/2010SupRules/ConfiguringMacComputers.pdf here].
+*Apple and Mac Users - Currently, the forms are not compatible with Apple products, including Mac computers, iPads, etc.  If you are using a Mac computer, you can download the desired document form the website by following the instructions [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/courthouse-services/court-files-records/court-forms/configuringmaccomputers.pdf here].
 You can also use the forms by saving them to your hard drive. To do this, right click on the form you wish to use and save it to your computer.