Difference between revisions of "Provincial (Family) Court"

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{{Dial-A-Law TOC|expanded = family}}
{{Dial-A-Law TOC|expanded = family}}
This script discusses ways to resolve family law disputes without going to court.
==What is Family Court?==
Family Court is a division of the British Columbia Provincial Court. Other divisions of the Provincial Court deal with criminal, traffic and small claims cases. Provincial Court judges hear family law cases, youth and adult criminal cases and small claims cases. Provincial Court might have a separate courtroom where family law cases are heard, or family law cases might be heard in one of the regular courtrooms on a particular day of the week. Usually there is a day each week or every other week when the court will hear family law and child protection cases.


==How to avoid going to court?==
To find the nearest Provincial Court, look in the blue pages of the phone book under “C” for courts.
All sorts of people can have family law issues, including couples who are married, couples who aren’t married, people who have had a child together and anyone, such as a relative, who has an interest in a child. Most family law issues involve separating parents.


When a couple decides to separate, they usually have to make a number of decisions. Where should the child live most of the time? What will the parenting schedule look like? Should support be paid, and if so, to whom and in what amount? Who should stay in the family home? How will the family property and family debt be divided?
==What does Family Court handle?==
Family Court deals with a limited number of family law issues under the provincial ''Family Law Act'', including:


Many people believe that going to court is the only way to resolve these issues. However, if the couple can work together they may be able to avoid court altogether. Going to court is sometimes unavoidable, which might be the case if someone was threatening to hide property, be violent or take the child out of town. Apart from urgent problems like these, most family law issues can be resolved out of court.
*guardianship of a child
*parental responsibilities and parenting time
*contact with a child
*child support and spousal support
*protection orders


People who can work together despite their separation can try to negotiate a settlement between them. If this won’t work, the most common options other are:
Family Court also deals with child protection cases with the Ministry for Children and Family Development under the provincial ''Child, Family and Community Service Act''.


*Mediation
Family Court does ''not'' deal with family law issues under the federal ''Divorce Act'', in particular divorce, family property, custody, adoption and family debts.
*Collaborative settlement processes


==What is “mediation”?==
==Who can apply to Family Court?==
In mediation, parties will work together to identify and resolve the problems arising from the separation with the help of a neutral third party, a mediator. Usually the mediator is a lawyer or another trained professional. A lawyer mediator, called a Family Law Mediator, cannot provide independent legal advice to either party, but can provide some general information about family law and facilitate the settlement process.
Family Court is available to everyone who has family law issues, including couples who are married, couples who aren’t married, people who have had a child together and anyone, such as a relative, who has an interest in a child.


The mediator will listen to what’s important to each party, ask for their opinions on the issues, and help them to come to their own solutions for the future. If parties have a child, the mediator will help them to make decisions that are in the child’s best interest. The mediator won’t make decisions for the parties; the mediator helps them to make their own decisions.
==What issues have to go to Supreme Court?==
Family Court cannot give a divorce, it cannot divide property or debts, it cannot make orders about family property, it cannot change an order that was made under the ''Divorce Act'' and it cannot make adoption orders. These matters have to be taken to Supreme Court if an order has to be made. The Supreme Court can deal with all family law issues, including all of the issues that the Provincial Court deals with.


==How to prepare for mediation?==
Although both courts can make orders about child care and child support, the Supreme Court will generally not make an order about an issue that has already been decided by the Provincial Court, except where the Provincial Court decision is being appealed to the Supreme Court.
Before hiring a mediator, each party may wish to get independent legal advice from a lawyer. The lawyer can give an idea about the range of potential outcomes, explain what to expect at the mediation and suggest what documents may be useful to take to the first session.


==How much does mediation cost?==
==Appearing without a lawyer in Family Court==
Mediation is usually less expensive than going to court with a lawyer. When parties first meet with a mediator, the mediator will discuss the costs and the process. Mediators usually charge an hourly rate and people usually split the mediator’s costs between them.
There is no rule that people have a lawyer when they are going to court. The Family Court Rules are written in plain language and the court’s forms are easy to fill out.


==How long does mediation take?==
==Why go to Family Court?==
Mediation meetings are normally two to six hours long. There is usually more than one meeting, depending on how many issues need to be resolved and how complicated those issues are. Sometimes the mediator will meet with one or each party separately. The mediator may also give parties extra tasks to be performed between meetings, usually to gather additional documents and information.
Family Court can make orders about child care, child support, spousal support and protection orders. Family Court has other advantages:


==Who prepares the agreement?==
*Family Justice Counsellors are available to help to resolve some family law issue. Their services are free.
When the mediator is a lawyer, the mediator will usually prepare a written agreement describing the settlement reached through mediation. When the mediator is not a lawyer, a party’s lawyer will usually prepare the agreement. Regardless of who writes the agreement, each party needs to get an independent legal advice from a lawyer before they sign the agreement. It is very important to understand exactly what the agreement means and how it affects each party’s legal rights and obligations.
*The court forms are easier to fill out than Supreme Court forms.
*No court fees are charged.
*The rules of court are much simpler than the rules of the Supreme Court.
*Duty counsel are sometimes available to help people who don’t have their own lawyer.


==What are “collaborative settlement processes”?==
==The first step is to go to the courthouse and talk to the clerk at the family law counter==
Collaborative settlement processes are a kind of negotiation where the parties work with lawyers and agree that they will do everything possible to reach a settlement without going to court. The parties and the lawyers work together to find a settlement. Specialists like counsellors, child psychologists and financial experts may be used to help find a settlement. Collaborative processes are centered on parties’ needs and their child’s needs. Communications are usually open and transparent.
Different registries of the Family Court have different rules about how cases get started. Some registries require that parties meet with a Family Justice Counsellor before they can see a judge. Other registries require parties to take the Parenting After Separation course before they can see a judge. The clerk at the family law counter can provide valuable information how start a case and what to do to see a judge.


==How long do collaborative processes take to resolve matters?==
Family Justice Counsellors aren’t lawyers, but they are trained to deal with family law issues in Family Court. They can help families with guardianship of the child, parental responsibilities and parenting time, contact and support issues, and can help to resolve issues through negotiation and mediation. The counsellor may refer a party to a Legal Aid office or suggest hiring a lawyer. Contact information for the Family Justice Counsellors is given at the end of this script.
More than one meeting will be required to come to an agreement on all issues. The number of meetings required will depend on how many issues need to be resolved and how complicated they are. Occasionally an agreement is reached after only one meeting between the parties and their lawyers.


==Is an agreement reached through mediation or collaboration binding?==
The Parenting After Separation program teaches parents how to make careful and informed decisions about their separation and to ensure that these decisions take into account the best interests of their child. Contact information for the Parenting After Separation program is given at the end of this script. It's a good idea to take the program whether the court requires it or not.
The agreement is a binding legal contract and can be enforced by the court.


==Can the agreement be changed?==
==What to do if it’s an emergency?==
Separation agreements can only be changed if parties agree or if the court sets all or just part of the agreement aside. If parties agree to change the agreement or talk about changing the agreement, they can go back to mediation or a collaborative process to discuss the potential changes. Alternatively, they can go to court. Although the court will generally be reluctant to change an agreement that was fairly negotiated, the court may make an order on different terms if there was an important change in circumstances after the agreement was signed that wasn’t expected when the agreement was negotiated.
There is a waiting time for an appointment to see a Family Justice Counsellor or for the next Parenting After Separation program. Be sure to tell the court clerk if the spouse or partner is violent. The clerk will explain how the Family Court can make a protection order without an appointment with a Family Justice Counsellor or the Parenting After Separation program.


==When is mediation or collaborative process not appropriate?==
==How are Family Court cases resolved?==
While these are very good ways of resolving family law issues, they may not be appropriate if there has been family violence or child abuse, or if the other party won’t participate fairly during the process.
There are a few ways that family law cases are resolved.
*If the parties to the family law case can talk to each other, they may be able to settle their dispute through negotiation, mediation or a collaborative process. The settlement might be recorded in a written agreement or it might be recorded in an order that the parties agree the judge will make, called a consent order.
*If the parties cannot make a decision for themselves, a Family Court judge will make a decision following a hearing.
*The ''Family Law Act'' also allows people to resolve family law cases through arbitration. The decisions of arbitrators are called awards and are legally enforceable.


==How to find a qualified and experienced mediator?==
==What is negotiation?==
Negotiation is a bargaining process in which the parties try to reach an agreement about their dispute. People can negotiate with each other with lawyers helping them or without lawyers. Sometimes other family members, elders or other respected community members may help with the negotiation process.


*For a Family Law Mediator, phone the Lawyer Referral Service at 604.687.3221 in Vancouver or 1.800.663.1919 toll-free elsewhere in BC. A Family Law Mediator is especially useful if one of the family law issues is dividing up the assets and property.
==What is mediation?==
*Call Family Mediation Canada at 1.877.362.2005 (toll-free) and ask for a list of the closest family mediators. Their website is [http://www.fmc.ca www.fmc.ca].
In mediation, an independent person meets with the parties to help them discuss their issues and find a settlement. Mediators don’t make decisions for people. They help them make decisions for themselves. Mediation may require two or more meetings to reach a settlement.
*Contact the Mediate BC Society, which maintains a list of family mediators. Call 1.888.713.0433 or click on [http://www.mediatebc.com www.mediatebc.com].
*Family Justice Counsellors may be able to help at no cost. Family Justice Counsellors typically help people with custody, access, guardianship or child support disputes in Provincial Court. Phone 604.660.2421 in the lower mainland, 250.387.6121 in Greater Victoria or toll-free 1.800.663.7867 elsewhere in BC, and ask to speak with a Family Justice Counsellor in the nearest Family Justice Centre. Also see the Family Justice website at [http://www.justicebc.ca/en/fam/ www.justicebc.ca/en/fam/].


How to find a lawyer trained in collaborative settlement processes?
Family Justice Counsellors are trained mediators. Thus, parties can use a Family Justice Counsellor as their mediator or they can hire a private mediator. Family Law Mediators are lawyers with special training in mediation and can also be hired privately. 


*Phone the Lawyer Referral Service at 604.687.3221 in the lower mainland or 1.800.663.1919 elsewhere in BC.
For more information on mediation, refer to Script [[Mediation and Collaborative Settlement Processes | Script 111]] on “Mediation and Collaborative Settlement Processes”.  
*Visit BC Collaborative Roster Society’s website at [http://www.bccollaborativerostersociety.com www.bccollaborativerostersociety.com] and search for collaborative lawyers or other collaborative professionals nearby.
*Visit Collaborative Divorce Vancouver’s website at [http://www.collaborativedivorcebc.org  www.collaborativedivorcebc.org] for the name of a member lawyer, as well as for names of other collaborative professionals. All members of the association have received both collaborative family law and mediation training.
*In the lower mainland, visit Collaborative Association’s website at [http://www.nocourt.net www.nocourt.net] for more information and list of professionals.
*In Victoria, call 250.704.2600 or go to [http://www.collaborativefamilylawgroup.com www.collaborativefamilylawgroup.com] for information on the Collaborative Family Law Group of Victoria and the name of a member lawyer.
*In Kelowna and the Okanagan area, check the Okanagan Collaborative Family Law Group at [http://www.nocourt.ca www.collaborativefamilylaw.ca].
*In West Kootenays, call 1.866.926.1881 and visit [http://www.resolutionplace.ca www.resolutionplace.ca] or [http://www.nocourt.ca www.nocourt.ca] for more information on Resolution Place and the Collaborative Law Group of the Nelson.


==What questions should parties ask the mediator or collaborative lawyer?==
==What are collaborative settlement processes?==
When parties have the names of some mediators or collaborative lawyers, they may want to ask each of them the following questions before deciding whom to hire:
Collaborative settlement processes are a kind of negotiation where the parties work with lawyers and agree that they will do everything possible to reach a settlement without going to court. The parties and the lawyers work together to find a settlement. Specialists like counsellors, child psychologists and financial experts may be used to help find a settlement. Collaborative processes are centered on the parties’ unique circumstances and the child’s best interests. The communications are open and transparent.


*Does the person belong to any professional organizations for mediators or collaborative family law lawyers?
For more information on collaborative processes, refer to Script 111 on “Mediation and Collaborative Settlement Processes”.  
*Is the person a lawyer or a mental health professional?
*What kind of training has the person received, and how long have they practiced as a mediator or collaborative lawyer?
*What kinds of mediation or collaborative family law issues do they handle? (Some mediators, for example, may only deal with child custody and access disputes. Other only deal with financial and/or property issues.)
*How much will it cost?


==If a settlement is reached, it should be put in writing==
A settlement is an agreement. Agreements that resolve a family law issue must be written down. This helps people remember exactly what the settlement was and helps to stop people from changing their minds later on.


[updated February 2015]
Written agreements that record the terms of settlement are usually called separation agreements. The terms of settlement can also be recorded by minutes of settlement, which are usually much shorter than separation agreements.


'''The above was last reviewed for accuracy by JP Boyd and Anna Kurt.'''
Agreements that are put into the form of a court order are called consent orders. Both parties must sign their written agreement or consent order. In the case of consent orders, an additional court form must be signed to show that the parties agree to the court making the order.
 
If a separation agreement or consent order is prepared without a lawyer, each party should get an independent legal advice from a lawyer before signing the agreement or order. It is very important that each party understands exactly what the agreement means and how it affects the legal rights and obligations. Having legal advice can help to protect a settlement if a party challenges the agreement in the future.
 
==What is arbitration?==
Arbitration is like going to court, except that parties choose and hire the arbitrator and they decide how the arbitration hearing will work. In other words, a family law arbitrator will make a binding decision to resolve family law issues out of court. Although parties will have to pay for the arbitrator, arbitration hearings are private and can often be scheduled sooner than court hearings.
 
==Sometimes parties have to go to trial==
If the parties cannot settle their family law issues and have to go to a trial, they will have a hearing before a Family Court judge where witnesses will give evidence and documents or other evidence will be presented. Often, the parties themselves are the only witnesses. After all of the evidence has been given to the judge, parties will make arguments to the judge and explain why the judge should make a particular order. The judge will then make an order resolving the issues.
 
==What is a “family case conference”?==
Before trial, the judge may ask the parties to attend a Family Case Conference to see if the dispute can be resolved without a trial. Family law cases are often resolved at these conferences, and when the parties are able to reach an agreement, the judge will make a consent order at the conference.
 
==What is a “needs of the child assessment”?==
If issues about the child care are disputed, the Judge may ask a Family Justice Counsellor or another person, like a social worker, a psychologist or a counsellor, to prepare a Needs of the Child Assessment. The assessor will write a report to the Judge about the needs of the child, the views of the child if the child is old enough, and the ability of the parties to meet the child’s needs.
 
These reports often describe the parenting arrangements that the assessor believes are in the best interests of the child. Because of high demand, reports prepared by Family Justice Counsellors can take a year or more to complete.
 
==What is a “views of the child report”?==
If issues about the care of a child who is at least six years old are disputed, the Judge may ask a Family Justice Counsellor or another person, like a lawyer with special training, a social worker, a psychologist or a counsellor, to prepare a Views of the Child Report. These reports describe the child’s views and wishes about their circumstances and their future. Views of the Child Reports prepared by Family Justice Counsellors, lawyers and social workers describe just what the child has told the counsellor or lawyer in a private meeting. Reports prepared by psychologists and counsellors may also give an opinion about the child’s wishes and views.
 
==More information==
*For information about Family Court or to make an appointment with a Family Justice Counsellor, call Service BC at 604.660.2421 in Metro Vancouver, 250.387.6121 in Greater Victoria, and 1.800.663.7867 elsewhere in BC, and ask to be connected with the nearest Family Justice Centre.
*See the Family Justice website at [http://www.justicebc.ca/en/fam/ www.justicebc.ca/en/fam/]. 
*Check on [http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/divorce/family-justice/who-can-help/pas Parenting After Separation (PAS) program]. Call Service BC at 1.800.663.7867 for the nearest Family Justice Centre that can find the closest session.
*Check the [http://parenting.familieschange.ca/ online PAS course] provided by Justice Education Society of BC. This program is available in English, Chinese and Punjabi.
*For more information about mediation or other alternatives to court, see the [http://www.supremecourtselfhelp.bc.ca/alternatives.htm Justice Access Center webpage] regarding “Family matters”.
 
[updated February 2017]
 
'''The above was last reviewed for accuracy by Janette Kovacs.'''
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