In British Columbia, both the Provincial Court and Supreme Court hear family law cases. The BC Provincial Court is sometimes called Family Court because it is generally easier and less costly for people to deal with family law issues in this court. For this reason, whenever possible, it is good to settle whatever issues you can in BC Provincial Court and then to only use BC Supreme Court as necessary.
Only the BC Supreme Court can make orders for divorce and property division. The Supreme Court can make orders under the Canadian Divorce Act and the BC Family Law Act. The Provincial Court can only make orders under the BC Family Law Act.
You may have a choice as to which court to go to and you should consider speaking to a lawyer about the advantages and disadvantages of both.
For more information about which BC court to use for family law issues and the differences between the courts, see the How to Separate website. If you need help to learn more about your legal rights and options to separate or divorce, visit LawCoachBC or a Family Justice Centre.
