Family Justice Centres

A BC government service, Family Justice Centres have counsellors who can provide information and assistance with family-related legal issues such as custody, access, guardianship, child and spousal support and no-contact orders. They cannot assist with strictly Supreme Court issues such as divorce or property division. Centres in Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster and Vancouver provide legal advice through a Family Advice Lawyer Project. Nanaimo and Vancouver locations also offer expanded self-help services through the Justice Access Centres.

Website ag.gov.bc.ca/family-justice/ Phone 1-800-663-7867 Find on Clicklaw Family Justice Centres on Clicklaw HelpMap

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 family law, an antiquated term used by the old Divorce Act to describe the right to possess a child and make parenting decisions concerning the child's health, welfare and upbringing. Replaced in the new Divorce Act with the term decision-making responsibility." See "access," "decision-making responsibility" and "parenting time."

Under the old Divorce Act, the schedule of a parent's time with their children under an order or agreement, replaced with "parenting time" and "contact" in the new Divorce Act. Access usually referred to the schedule of the parent with the least amount of time with the child. See "contact," "custody" and "parenting time."

A payment made by one spouse to the other spouse to help with the recipient's day-to-day living expenses or to compensate the recipient for the financial choices the spouses made during the relationship.

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."

Something which can be owned. See "chattels" and "real property."