JP Boyd on Family Law — Helpful Guides and Common Questions

This section explains common processes and procedures related to family law in BC, from separating from your spouse to addressing the judge in court, and answers common questions about family law issues, such as how to find out if you're divorced and how to avoid paying child support.

The answers and explanations in this section are, of course, only general guides. For most problems, more detailed information can be found in the chapters of JP Boyd on Family Law. The advice and assistance of a lawyer is always recommended, even if you're only hiring the lawyer to answer a few questions.

How Do I?

• Marriage, Separation & Divorce
  • Get Married in British Columbia? · Prepare for Separation? · Separate from My Spouse? · Find Out if I'm Divorced? · Get Divorced?

• Avoiding an Obligation
  • Get Out of Paying Child Support? · Get Out of Paying Spousal Support? · Get Out of Sharing My Assets?

• Alternatives to Court
  • Start Negotiations with My Spouse? · Start Mediation with My Spouse? · Start a Collaborative Process with My Spouse? · Start Arbitration with My Spouse? · Hire a Parenting Coordinator?

• Agreements
  • Execute a Family Law Agreement? · Change a Family Law Agreement? · File an Agreement in Court?

• Starting an Action
  • Find My Ex? · Start an Action in the Provincial Court? · Start an Action in the Supreme Court? · Apply for Indigent Status in the Supreme Court? · Personally Serve Someone with Legal Documents? · Substitutionally Serve Someone with Legal Documents?  · Change Something in My Notice of Family Claim? · Stop an Action in the Supreme Court?

• Defending an Action
  • Respond to an Action in the Provincial Court? · Respond to an Action in the Supreme Court? · Apply for Indigent Status in the Supreme Court? · Change Something in My Response to Family Claim or Counterclaim? · Stop Defending an Action in the Supreme Court?

• Interim Applications
  • Make an Interim Application in the Provincial Court? · Make an Interim Application in the Supreme Court? · Reply to an Interim Application in the Provincial Court? · Reply to an Interim Application in the Supreme Court?

• Affidavits
  • Prepare an Affidavit? · Prepare a Supplemental Affidavit? · Fix an Error in an Affidavit or Add to an Affidavit?

• Courtroom Protocol
  • Address the Judge? · Address the Lawyer When I'm Representing Myself? · Conduct Myself in Court at an Application?

• Appealing a Decision
  • Appeal a Provincial Court Decision? · Appeal an Interim Supreme Court Decision? · Appeal a Final Supreme Court Decision? · Appeal a Court of Appeal Decision?

• Other Litigation Issues
  • Schedule a Family Case Conference for Hearing? · Schedule a Judicial Case Conference for Hearing? · Arrange a Needs of the Child Assessment? · Arrange a Views of the Child Report? · Find an Order or Another Court Document? · Fix an Error in an Order? · Tell Everyone That I'm Representing Myself? · Change My Address for Service?

• Miscellaneous
  • Prepare for My First Meeting with a Lawyer? · Become a Lawyer? · Divide Our CPP Pensions after We're Divorced?