Application About a Priority Parenting Matter (Form 15)
Form 15 is its own application. It is not a step inside Form 3, and it is not the form for long-term parenting arrangements.
Quick answer. Form 15 (PFA 722) is the Provincial Court form used to ask for an order about a priority parenting matter — a defined list of time-sensitive matters on the form itself. The instructions on Form 3 point to Form 15 for that list, and to Form 12 for a protection order.
Whether a situation fits one of those matters is for the court. This page describes the form. It does not decide that a particular case qualifies.
Prepare Form 15 from plain questions.
The builder follows the matters listed on the official form and fills in only the parts that apply, from answers you type. Your answers stay in your browser. It will not tell you whether your situation is a priority parenting matter, whether to give less notice, or what order to ask for.
Start freeAt a glance
| Form | Form 15 — Application About a Priority Parenting Matter (PFA 722) |
|---|---|
| Court | Provincial Court of British Columbia |
| Governing rules | Provincial Court Family Rules, Rules 2, 76, 77 and 78 |
| Used for | The time-sensitive parenting matters listed in Part 5 of the form |
| Not used for | Long-term parenting arrangements (parental responsibilities and parenting time) — that is Form 3. A protection order is Form 12. |
| Notice | Serve each other party at least 7 days before the appearance, unless the court allows less notice or none |
| Without notice or short notice | Also file Form 11. The judge decides whether the application can proceed that way. |
What the form lists as a priority parenting matter
Part 5 of Form 15 (PFA 722) is a fixed list. In plain language, the matters on that list are:
- consent, by a guardian, to medical, dental or other health treatment for a child, where delay will risk the child's health;
- a passport, licence, permit, benefit or similar thing for a child, where delay will risk the child's safety, security or well-being;
- travel with a child, or a child's activity, where consent is required and is said to have been wrongfully denied;
- a change in where a child lives, where no written agreement or order about parenting arrangements applies and the change can reasonably be expected to have a significant impact on the child's relationship with another guardian;
- removal of a child under section 64 of the Family Law Act;
- an interjurisdictional issue under section 74(2)(c) of the Family Law Act;
- an alleged wrongful removal under section 77(2) of the Family Law Act;
- return of a child under the Hague Convention;
- an order under section 45 or 51 of the Family Law Act because a child has been, or will be, removed under the Child, Family and Community Service Act.
A priority parenting matter is not the same thing as a family law matter that needs to go to court urgently. Rule 2 is where the rules define the term. If a situation might not fit the list, that is a question to have reviewed before filing — the form does not answer it.
Form 15's relocation option is for when no written agreement or order about parenting arrangements applies. When one already applies, the relocation application is Form 16. This site does not prepare Form 16. Long-term parenting arrangements are Form 3.
Schedules, and who fills them in
Most applications are the main form only. Two schedules appear only for the Child, Family and Community Service Act option in Part 5:
- Schedule 1 is completed by a director under that Act, not by the applicant. It can be left blank for the director to complete, or filed separately once the director has completed it.
- Schedule 2 applies when that order is about guardianship. It covers Indigenous ancestry and the Guardianship Affidavit (Form 5), including the record checks.
Part 4 — the date, time and method of attendance — is for the registry or a judicial case manager. It is left blank by the applicant.
Where the order is about a Nisga'a or Treaty First Nation child and guardianship is in issue, the Nisga'a Lisims Government or the Treaty First Nation is also served, as sections 208 and 209 of the Family Law Act require on the related guardianship forms.
Notice and service
The instructions printed with Form 15 say each other party is served at least 7 days before the court appearance, unless the court has ordered something different. Ordinary service to an address for service is allowed. A party with no address for service is personally served by an adult who is not a party.
Asking to proceed without notice, or on short notice, means filing an Application for a Case Management Order Without Notice or Attendance (Form 11) with Form 15. The judge decides whether the application can go ahead that way.
Where the CFCSA option is selected, the director is served as well. If proof of service is needed, the person who serves the documents completes a Certificate of Service (Form 7).
Frequently asked questions
Is Form 15 the same as Form 3?
No. Form 3 asks for an order about a family law matter, including parental responsibilities and parenting time. Form 15 is only for the priority parenting matters listed on that form. The Form 3 instructions name Form 15 when the matter is one of those.
Can the builder tell me if my situation qualifies?
No. It records the matter you select from the form's list and flags the judgment call. Whether the situation fits is for the court, and for a reviewer if you are unsure.
Is there a filing fee?
The form instructions state there are no fees for filing Provincial Court family documents. The official form and the current rules control if that changes.
Related guides
- Application About a Family Law Matter (Form 3) — long-term parenting arrangements
- How a Provincial Court family case starts
- Affidavits in BC family court — Form 5, the Guardianship Affidavit, is a different document
- Notice of relocation — the federal Divorce Act notice, which is not Form 15
Official resources
- Provincial family court forms — gov.bc.ca/court-forms (Form 15 and guidebook, PFA 722)
- Provincial Court Family Rules, B.C. Reg. 120/2020 — Rules 2, 76, 77 and 78
Sources
- Provincial Court Family Rules, B.C. Reg. 120/2020, Rules 2, 76, 77 and 78.
- Application About a Priority Parenting Matter, Form 15 (PFA 722), including the form instructions and the Part 5 list — Government of British Columbia court forms.
- Family Law Act, S.B.C. 2011, c. 25, ss. 45, 51, 64, 74(2)(c), 77(2), 208 and 209, as the form refers to them.
The rules and forms change. Confirm the current Form 15 before filing. This page does not decide whether a situation is a priority parenting matter.