BC Courts & Tribunals

Courthouses are spread across the province, with major centres in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops, and others.

The BC Courts website lists locations of all Provincial, Supreme, and Court of Appeal courthouses across BC. You can also find courts locations on CourtsofBC.ca.

You can search online for ‘BC courthouse near me’ or call Service BC for assistance.

Which court hears your case depends on the type of legal issue.

• BC Provincial Court handles most family matters (except divorce, and property division), small claims from $5001 to $35,000, most criminal cases and traffic and bylaw cases.
• BC Supreme Court handles divorce and other family matters, larger civil disputes, claims over $35,000, and serious criminal cases.
• The BC Court of Appeal hears appeals from the Supreme Court. 

See BC Courts for learn more about the jurisdiction of each court.

For tribunal matters (like housing or employment disputes), your case may be heard outside of the traditional court system. For more information, see AdminLawBC.ca or the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal. 

Yes. Many people represent themselves in court, especially in small claims, family, or tribunal matters. However, court rules and procedures can be complicated, so preparation is important. 

These websites from Justice Education Society (JES) provide Online Help Guides to assist people to learn about court processes, forms, and preparing for court.

• Family Law in BC: Dedicated to family law issues such as divorce, separation, parenting, and child support. Includes practical tools like a separation agreement builder and a series of guides to help British Columbians move through separation and divorce processes.
• SmallClaimsBC.ca: Explains the Small Claims Court process in BC, including how to start a claim, respond to one, and resolve disputes involving money or property.
• SupremeCourtBC.ca: Provides step-by-step guidance, forms, and resources for people representing themselves in civil or family cases in the BC Supreme Court. Also includes information related to criminal law cases heard by the court.
• CourtofAppealBC.ca: Offers information on the appeal process in BC’s highest court, including timelines, rules, forms, and tips for self-represented litigants.
• AdminLawBC.ca: Helps people understand their rights when dealing with government agencies and tribunals, including how to make complaints, prepare for hearings and appeal decisions.

You can find resources for self represented litigants at the Nation Self Represented LItigants Project. You can also learn more at BCcourts.ca and the BC Provincial Court website.

See "Which BC court will hear my case?". Use Ask JES to get answers to your legal questions.

For people who are considering suing someone or who have already started a lawsuit, the most common options for settling out of court include:

Demand letters

• A demand letter is a formal letter that demands the other person (or corporation) performs a legal obligation, such as fixing a problem, paying a sum of money, or honoring a contract. The letter describes the agreement between parties and gives the recipient a chance to fix the issue without being taken to court. See a sample demand letter.

Negotiate a settlement

• Negotiation is when the parties try to come to a resolution by discussing the issues.
• You can negotiate by sending letters or by having a settlement meeting.
• One form of negotiation is mediation.

Mediation

• Mediation is when a third party helps you and the other person to negotiate and reach agreement. Professional mediators are trained to help resolve legal disputes. Mediators do not take sides and they don’t decide the case. They are neutral.
• Mediation is especially helpful when both parties have an ongoing relationship with each other. Court cases can damage relationships. Mediation builds understanding between you and the other person.
• For more about mediation, see the Ministry of Justice’s Guide to Mediation in BC.
• MediateBC has several services that can help you resolve conflict, including a directory to help you find a mediator and the free Ask a Mediator clinic where you can ask a mediator for tips.

Arbitration

• Arbitration is a settlement option where you and the other person in dispute select an arbitrator to resolve your dispute. The arbitrator is an impartial person who examines the facts of the dispute. The arbitrator can then decide a dispute much the way a judge would do in a court. Arbitrators may be trained in the law, or have other expertise relevant to the dispute. The ADR of British Columbia provides a directory of arbitrators that you can search.

Collection Agency

• A collection agency is a business that pursues payments on debts owed to you or your business. Most collection agencies operate as agents and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed from you. The main advantage of hiring a collection agency is that it becomes their job to reach the other person and obtain the money they owe you.

Anyone can write and send a demand letter. It does not need to be from a lawyer or other professional. A demand letter is a formal letter that demands the other person (or corporation) performs a legal obligation, such as fixing a problem, paying a sum of money, or honoring a contract. The letter describes the agreement between parties and gives the recipient a chance to fix the issue without being taken to court.

A demand letter is not legally required to start a lawsuit, but it is often a good idea because if the recipient agrees with the demand, everyone avoids the stress of going to court.

What to include in a Demand Letter:

• Date and the recipient's contact information
• Legal phrase WITHOUT PREJUDICE to protect you from the contents of the letter being used against you later in court
• Summary of the agreement and the problem or issue
• Demand for a specific relief or payment
• Deadline stating when the matter must be settled
• A reasonable amount of time to comply
• That you intend to start a lawsuit if no action is taken
• Sender's contact information and signature
• Fair and specified terms

You can find a sample template and a sample Demand Letter on the SmallClaimsBC website.

Preparing for a trial or court hearing in BC can feel overwhelming, but breaking it into steps can help:

1. Understand your case – Know what you are asking for or defending against, and what laws or rules apply. The Justice Education Society (JES) publishes a series Online Help Guides which are list under "Do I need a lawyer to go to court in BC?" 
2. Get Advice - even if you plan on representing yourself in your case, it is still best to get some legal advice and help along the way. There are many legal clinics and low cost legal services. See Free and Low Cost Legal Services.
3. Gather evidence – Collect documents, photos, receipts, or records that support your case. Organize them clearly.
4. Line up witnesses – Ask people with first-hand knowledge to attend court. Make sure they know the date, time, and location.
5. Prepare your questions and arguments – Write down what you plan to say, the points you need to prove, and any questions for the other side’s witnesses.
6. Practice – Rehearse telling your story in a clear, step-by-step way. It can also be very helpful to go to court and watch trials. This can help you get a better understanding of how the court works and a trial progresses.
7. Courtroom basics – Be on time, dress neatly, and address the judge as “Your Honour.”

Building your case involves collecting and organizing evidence, such as documents, photos, contracts, or witness statements. You must file required documents on time, follow court rules, and be ready to explain your side clearly.

Consider mediation or settlement options – see “How can I settle without going to court?” As you prepare for trial, use Ask JES to get additional information about court processes to help you be ready.

There are two types of evidence – documents and oral evidence. Documents include contracts, receipts, emails, pictures, videos, etc. Oral evidence includes what a person says while under oath.

To present a document in court and enter it as evidence you usually need someone, a witness or a party (this could be you), to introduce it to the court. They will need to swear that it is the authentic document and may be needed to explain the content of the document.

Steps for presenting a document in court:

1. Take each original document and hand it to the court clerk as you tell the judge about it. The clerk will give the document to the judge.
2. Give the other party one of the copies of the document.
3. You may need to stand in the witness box and swear or affirm the truth of your statements. Alternatively, you may present the document to the court if it is an exhibit to your sworn affidavit.
4. After identifying the document, it will be marked as an exhibit.

If you are presenting a document to a witness:

1. Make sure the other side has a copy of the document.
2. Give the document to the clerk.
3. Ask the clerk to mark it for identification and give it to the judge at the beginning of the testimony of the witness who will identify it.
4. Once it has been identified, ask the clerk to mark it as an exhibit.

You and the other party may bring witnesses to court to help prove your case. Witnesses will need to answer questions asked by both parties and the judge. When you call a witness to court you will get to ask questions first. A witness cannot lie when they answer. If they do, there may be serious penalties, such as a fine or jail time.

A witness should be able to help establish the facts you’re trying to prove. If you have documents you want to present to the court, you may need to have a witness explain them or verify their authenticity. Witnesses can also give evidence on things they heard or saw. For example, if your neighbour told you about seeing a fire in your backyard, you could have your neighbour provide this information in court.

It is important that the witnesses you choose are credible, articulate, and sincere. You can’t tell your witnesses what to say. But it may be helpful to review the questions with them that you will ask and the information they will provide. It is also helpful to consider what questions the other party or the judge may ask.

Case law is the collection of past decisions made by judges in court. These decisions are important because they show how laws have been applied in real situations. Case law creates a legal precedent for how laws have been applied. When you look up case law, you can see how judges interpreted the law in cases similar to yours.

If you are building a legal case, case law can:

• Support your argument – You can point to past decisions that back up your position.
• Show what to expect – Reading similar cases helps you understand possible outcomes.
• Clarify the law – Sometimes legislation is general; case law shows how it works in practice.

Lawyers and judges often rely on case law to make fair and consistent decisions. Even if you are representing yourself, knowing the main cases related to your issue can strengthen your preparation.

To research case law, a good place to start is CanLII (the Canadian Legal Information Institute). CanLII is free and includes decisions from courts and tribunals across Canada.

To search, type in keywords, a person’s name, or a law (for example, “Small Claims debt collection” or “Family Law Act”). You can narrow your search to British Columbia courts or tribunals by using the filters on the left side of the page. CanLII also lets you sort results by date or relevance.

Reading case law can be tricky, since judges often use legal language. Focus on the “headnote” or summary at the top for the main points.

For step-by-step help, see the CANLII Legal Research Guide from Courthouse Libraries BC.

Getting a sentence after being convicted does not always mean that the accused will go to jail. There are several possibilities in criminal sentencing and each paragraph below explains certain types of sentences judges can order.

A discharge means that the judge finds the accused guilty but lets him or her go free. This usually only happens when the offence is not serious, and the accused has not been in trouble before. An absolute discharge means that the accused has no criminal record. A conditional discharge means that the accused will be on probation, with certain conditions, for a period of time. If the accused follows the rules, he or she is treated as if there were no conviction. The accused will not have a criminal record.

Probation means that the accused has to follow certain conditions that the judge sets. For example, the accused will have to stay out of trouble, report to a probation officer, and follow other rules that the judge has set. The accused is still convicted of the crime, but the sentence is suspended (on hold) while the accused is on a term of probation. A suspended sentence is not a final sentence. If the accused does not follow the probation order, he or she might be sentenced to a breach of probation as well as having the suspended sentence cancelled and being sent to jail.

A judge can order that the accused pay a fine in addition to going to jail or a term of probation. An order for restitution means that the accused must make things right. For example, the accused might have to repair property damage or replace stolen property.

A conditional sentence order means that the accused spends his or her jail time in the community. The sentence must be under 2 years or there is a minimum sentence. It is not available if the accused has committed a very serious crime. The word “conditional” applies to the rules the offender must follow in order to stay out of jail. If the accused does not follow the conditions (rules) that the judge sets, the accused may have to spend the rest of his or her sentence in jail. For example, the accused may be given a sentence, conditional on her not taking drugs for 18 months. If she is found to be taking drugs after trial, she will spend the rest of her 18-month sentence in jail.

The length of a jail sentence varies. If it is a summary conviction offence, the maximum jail sentence is 6 months. If it is an indictable offence, the maximum sentence is 5 years, unless the Criminal Code states that the maximum sentence can be higher.

If an accused is convicted of two crimes, a judge can order that the sentences be served consecutively (one after the other) or concurrently (at the same time).

If you miss a court date, the consequences depend on the case type.

In civil cases, the judge may decide against you. In family matters, parenting or support orders may be made without your input. In criminal cases, a warrant for your arrest may be issued.

Contact the court registry immediately to find out what steps you need to take. See People’s Law School.