How Do I Reply to a Priority Parenting Matter Application in the Provincial Court?

Replying to the application

The process for dealing with priority parenting matter applications is different from how you respond to regular applications for family law orders in Provincial Court. Things happen much quicker, so you need to watch your time.

The person making an priority parenting matter application, the applicant, will probably serve you with their Form 15 Application About Priority Parenting Matter at least seven days before the date of the hearing. They will also serve other documents that they will use at the hearing. The hearing date will likely have been fixed by the court registry, not by the applicant. It's possible that the applicant may be serving you with fewer than seven days notice if they had obtained permission from the court to have the matter heard on short leave, in which case your time to prepare could be even less.

There is no document that you must file to reply to the application, but you can respond using the Form 19 Written Response to Application. Form 19 is available online. See the Legal Aid BC's helpful list of Provincial Court forms. Also, you should look into the relatively new Apply for a Family Law Act Order tool from the BC Government, which is not only for applicants, but application respondents too. This tool helps you prepare documents online, and it can save you time.

Whether you file a written response or not, you must show up on the date set for the hearing or the court may make the order sought by the applicant. Make sure that you bring any important documents with you that will help at the hearing of the application.

The rules

Consult the Provincial Court Family Rules:

• Rule 75-79: applications for priority parenting matters
• Rule 171-175: affidavits

More information about priority parenting matters

For more information about the steps you need to take to respond to a priority parenting matter application, look into Legal Aid BC's Family Law website's practical guide on this topic. If do consult the Legal Aid BC guide, remember that the form you are responding to is Form 15 (since the guide covers a few other kinds of applications).

Read How Do I Make a Priority Parenting Matter Application in the Provincial Court?, which is another Helpful Guides and Common Questions page in this section. That page explains what an applicant needs to think about, but it also discusses:

• What are priority parenting matters, and what are not.
• How priority parenting matters are different from ordinary applications for a family law order using Form 3.

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Matthew Ostrow, September 19, 2023.

JP Boyd on Family Law © John-Paul Boyd and Courthouse Libraries BC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.

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 court established and staffed by the provincial government, which includes Small Claims Court, Youth Court, and Family Court. The Provincial Court is the lowest level of court in British Columbia and is restricted in the sorts of matters it can deal with. It is, however, the most accessible of the two trial courts and no fees are charged to begin or defend a family law proceeding. The Family Court of the Provincial Court cannot deal with the division of family property or any claims under the Divorce Act. See "Divorce Act," "judge" and "jurisdiction."

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."

A party who brings an application to the court for a specific order or remedy. Usually refers to the party making an interim application, but in the Provincial Court applicant also means the person who starts a court proceeding. See also "court proceeding," "application respondent," and "interim application."

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 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, an answer or rebuttal to a claim made or a defence raised by the other party to a court proceeding or legal dispute. See "action," "claim," "defence" and "rebut."

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."