British Columbia family court process
Procedure in the two courts that hear family cases in British Columbia — the Provincial Court, under the Provincial Court Family Rules (B.C. Reg. 120/2020) as amended by B.C. Reg. 17/2026, and the Supreme Court, under the Supreme Court Family Rules (B.C. Reg. 169/2009). Each page describes what the rules provide and cites them.
How a Provincial Court family case starts
The full sequence — early resolution registry vs parenting education program registry, the Rule 10 steps, the Form 3 application, personal service under Rule 27, the Form 6 reply and its 30-day deadline, and the family management conference under Part 4.
Read → Provincial CourtWhat happens at a Family Management Conference
Part 4 deep dive — purpose under Rule 36, who attends, what the court may consider under Rule 46, interim and consent orders, and the Rule 56 next-step crossroads if the case does not settle.
Read → Provincial CourtWhat happens at a Family Settlement Conference
Part 8 deep dive — conducted by a judge only under Rule 105, what Rule 108 lets the judge do including a non-binding opinion on probable outcome, whether the conversation is confidential, and why the settlement judge is generally not the trial judge.
Read → Provincial CourtSetting a family trial: issues, witnesses and what to prepare
Trial readiness — what a Rule 56 direction toward trial does and does not settle, how to map each unresolved issue to facts, evidence, documents and witnesses, how court time is estimated, and the Form 22 and Rule 112 steps that still lie ahead.
Read → Supreme CourtHow a Supreme Court family case works
The whole sequence on one diagram, from the Form F3 notice of family claim under Rule 4-1 through service, the Form F4 response, the Form F8 and judicial case conference, interim applications, discovery and conferences, to trial under Part 14.
Read → Both courtsHow to write an affidavit
The facts-only rule in both BC courts — Supreme Court Family Rule 10-4 and Provincial Court Family Rule 171. What gets struck or ignored, when you may write what someone else told you, how exhibits are marked, and the 25-page limit under Practice Direction FAM 13.
Read → Provincial CourtProvincial Court registries and court locations
Every Provincial Court location on one searchable map — staffed registries, circuit courts and their contact registries, the 46 early resolution registries in Appendix 1, and where family documents are filed. Rule 7 on which registry to use, quoted.
Find a registry → Supreme CourtSupreme Court registries and family filing locations
Every Supreme Court registry on one map, with the cases that do not fit the pattern kept straight — Fort Nelson filing, Revelstoke scheduling, Port Coquitlam and the Vancouver Law Courts — plus the Rule 22-3 fax filing registries.
Find a registry →Supreme Court, step by step
The Supreme Court family sequence under the Supreme Court Family Rules (B.C. Reg. 169/2009), one step per page, in the order a case usually meets them. Start with how a Supreme Court family case works, which has the whole sequence as a diagram. Rules current to October 27, 2026.
Filing 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 CourtCounterclaim (Form F5) and response to counterclaim (Form F6)
Rule 4-4: the 30-day filing period, ordinary service on parties and 60-day personal service on new parties, and the Form F6 response within 30 days.
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 CourtDocuments and examinations for discovery
Part 9: the Form F20 list of documents within 35 days, the 5-hour oral examination under Rule 9-2 on a Form F21 appointment, interrogatories and notices to admit.
Read → Supreme CourtSettlement conference in the Supreme Court (Rule 7-2)
Held only on a joint Form F17 requisition or a judge's or associate judge's direction. Private, no witnesses, and a different judge at trial unless all parties consent.
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 →More process topics
This branch is being built out. The Provincial Court pages cover Parts 4 and 8 and trial readiness; the Supreme Court pages above now follow a case from the notice of family claim to trial, including what happens after a judicial case conference. The two registries pages map every court location in the province. Procedural pages are published only once every step in them has been checked against the current rules.
Related
The forms themselves are covered in the forms branch, and the financial statements in their own section — this branch covers the procedure that connects them.