Family court process
How a family case actually moves — the stages, the steps that come before filing, and what happens at each court appearance. Written from the rules, and cited to them. British Columbia is covered first, in both the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court.
British Columbia
Provincial Court procedure under the Provincial Court Family Rules (B.C. Reg. 120/2020), as amended by B.C. Reg. 17/2026, and Supreme Court procedure under the Supreme Court Family Rules (B.C. Reg. 169/2009).
BC family court process
The procedural stages of a British Columbia family case, in both courts — registry types and the family management conference in the Provincial Court, the notice of family claim and the judicial case conference in the Supreme Court.
Read → Provincial CourtHow a Provincial Court family case starts
The sequence step by step — which registry you are in, the early resolution steps, the Form 3 application, personal service, the Form 6 reply, and the family management conference. Each step tied to its rule.
Read → Supreme CourtHow a Supreme Court family case works
The whole Supreme Court sequence step by step, with a diagram — from the Form F3 notice of family claim to trial, each step tied to its rule and linked to its own page.
Read → Supreme CourtFiling a notice of family claim (Form F3)
How most Supreme Court family cases start under Rule 4-1, the marriage certificate under Rule 4-5, personal service under Rule 6-3, and the 12-month life of the claim under Rule 4-2.
Read → Supreme CourtResponding to a notice of family claim (Form F4)
The 30 days in Rule 4-3 (1) to file and serve a response to family claim, what Rule 4-3 (2) says happens if none is filed, and where a counterclaim fits.
Read → Supreme CourtThe Form F8 financial statement in a Supreme Court case
When Rule 5-1 requires a Form F8, the 30-day (or 60-day) deadline in Rule 5-1 (11), the 30-day and 7-day steps around a judicial case conference, and keeping it current.
Read → Supreme CourtJudicial case conference (Form F19)
Rule 7-1: who may request one, the JCC-first rule before applications and its exceptions, Form F18.1 relief, Form F19.1 attendance, and what the court may do under Rule 7-1 (15).
Read → Supreme CourtInterim applications under Rule 10-6
The serve-then-file procedure in force October 1, 2026: an unfiled Form F31, the Form F32 response in 5 business days, then the Form F31.1 notice of hearing.
Read → Supreme CourtCase planning conference (Part 7.1)
Requested after a judicial case conference on Form F19.2, with Form F19.3 case plan proposals, ending in a Form F19.4 case plan order. With a JCC, settlement conference and TMC comparison.
Read → Supreme CourtSetting a Supreme Court family trial (Part 14)
The Form F44 notice of trial, the Form F45 trial brief, the trial management conference under Rule 14-3, the trial record and the Form F46 trial certificate.
Read → Both courtsHow to write an affidavit
An affidavit is evidence, not argument. What Rule 10-4 and Rule 171 let you put in one, the lines that get struck, how hearsay and exhibits work, and the 25-page Provincial Court limit.
Read → Provincial CourtBC Provincial Court registries
Every Provincial Court location on a searchable map, with circuit contact registries, early resolution registries and family filing locations.
Find a registry → Supreme CourtBC Supreme Court registries
Every Supreme Court registry on a searchable map, with Fort Nelson filing, Revelstoke scheduling and the fax filing registries.
Find a registry →Other provinces
Not yet covered. Repmyself is built to add provinces as separate implementations rather than by generalising one province's rules across the country — so a province appears here only once its own rules have been worked through.
Looking for a form instead?
Procedure lives here; the forms themselves live in their own branch. Family court forms →