Reply to a Counter Application (Form 8)
Form 8 applies only when the Form 6 reply included a counter application. Not every reply does.
Quick answer. Form 8 (PFA 716) is the Provincial Court form used to reply to a counter application. A counter application is made on Form 6 when the person replying to a Form 3 asks for an order about a different family law matter.
Under Rule 34, the party replying to that counter application files and serves Form 8 within 30 days after receiving the reply, and a Financial Statement (Form 4) if one applies. Form 8 is not Supreme Court Form F8.
Prepare Form 8 from plain questions.
For each matter in the counter application, say whether you agree or disagree. The builder fills in Form 8 and only the schedules that apply, from answers you type. Your answers stay in your browser. It will not tell you whether to agree or what order to ask for.
Start freeAt a glance
| Form | Form 8 — Reply to a Counter Application (PFA 716) |
|---|---|
| Court | Provincial Court of British Columbia |
| Governing rule | Provincial Court Family Rules, Rule 34 |
| Used for | Agreeing or disagreeing with the orders asked for in a counter application |
| Not used for | Replying to the original Form 3 — that reply is Form 6. Disagreeing with an order the applicant already asked for is also done on Form 6, not by a counter application. |
| Deadline | File and serve within 30 days after receiving the reply that includes the counter application (Rule 34) |
| Financial Statement (Form 4)? | Sometimes — where the counter application is about child support or spousal support |
| Same as Form F8? | No. Supreme Court Form F8 is the financial statement. Provincial Court Form 8 is this reply. |
What the reply covers
Form 8 answers the counter application and nothing else. For each family law matter in it, the reply is one of: not applicable, agree, or disagree. Disagreeing leads to that matter's schedule — parenting, child support, contact, guardianship, spousal support, or a companion animal. The words in those schedules are the person's own.
The form does not decide whether to agree, what order to ask for instead, a support amount, section 7 expenses, undue hardship, or spousal entitlement. Those are judgment calls to have reviewed before filing.
A Financial Statement (Form 4) may also have to be filed with the reply. The Form 4 guide is the place for that document.
Filing and service
The instructions printed with Form 8 (PFA 716) say the reply is filed within 30 days of being served, unless the court allows something different. It is filed at the registry where the case with the same parties is filed — in person, by mail, electronically through the Family Law Act Online Forms Service, or another method those instructions list. The form instructions state there is no fee for filing Provincial Court family documents.
A copy of the reply, and anything filed with it, is then served on each other party. Ordinary service to the address for service they gave the court is allowed. Where proof of service is needed, the person who serves the documents completes a Certificate of Service (Form 7).
The sequence this reply sits in — application, reply, and what the court does next — is set out in How a Provincial Court family case starts. The first appearance is usually a family management conference.
Frequently asked questions
Is Provincial Court Form 8 the same as Supreme Court Form F8?
No. Provincial Court Form 8 is the Reply to a Counter Application (PFA 716). Supreme Court Form F8 is the financial statement. An F prefix means the Supreme Court Family Rules; a bare number means the Provincial Court Family Rules.
Does Form 8 reply to the whole Form 6?
No. Form 8 replies only to the counter application. Agreeing or disagreeing with the orders in the original application is done on Form 6.
What if I was served with Form 3, not a counter application?
The reply to an Application About a Family Law Matter is Form 6, not Form 8. Form 8 comes later, and only if that Form 6 included a counter application.
Related guides
- Reply to an Application About a Family Law Matter (Form 6) — where a counter application is made
- Application About a Family Law Matter (Form 3)
- Form 4 Financial Statement
- Form 4 or Form F8: which financial statement?
- How a Provincial Court family case starts
Official resources
- Provincial family court forms — gov.bc.ca/court-forms (Form 8 and guidebook, PFA 716)
- Provincial Court Family Rules, B.C. Reg. 120/2020 — Rule 34
Sources
- Provincial Court Family Rules, B.C. Reg. 120/2020, Rule 34 (reply to a counter application) and Rule 30 (counter application on a Form 6).
- Reply to a Counter Application, Form 8 (PFA 716), including the form instructions — Government of British Columbia court forms.
The rules and forms change. Confirm the current Form 8 and Rule 34 before filing.