Resources
Caring for Children: Parents Rights and Responsibilities
This booklet discusses parents' responsibilities, children's rights, the legal meaning of abuse and neglect, dealing with the Ministry of Children and Development, and where to get help. (You will have to scroll down the page to find the booklet.)
Clicklaw
Clicklaw is a website that can help you find information and services in your own language. It contains legal information and education from more than 24 public legal education contributors.
Court Tips for Parents
This resource includes 7 videos that help parents prepare for going to Supreme Court about a child support order. Topics include presenting your case, what to expect and common questions about the process. The videos are only available in English.
Dial-A-Law Family Law Scripts
The BC branch of the Canadian Bar Association has prepared a number of helpful audio and text scripts – most are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi. To listen to a script on the telephone, call 604-687-3221 (Vancouver) or toll free in BC at 1-800-663-1919. The website provides text versions of the scripts as well as print-friendly versions.
Families Change
This website uses videos, audio and text to help children, teens and parents become more prepared to handle a family break up. The site provides information about Child Support, and includes the Online Course: Parenting after Separation.
Family Law in BC
This website, produced by Legal Services Society, provides a broad range of information about family law. Topics include separation and divorce, child and spousal support, adoption and custody. There is also some information about non-family law topics, including family violence, income assistance and immigrant issues. Most of the website’s information is in English, but there are also resources in French, Spanish, Punjabi, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
Immigrant Legal
BC's Immigrant Legal Toolkit website offers a variety of resources related to the issues of family law and domestic violence, such as booklets and fact sheets, commonly used forms, and listings of online resources. You can also search for organizations in your area that offer services in your language.
Justice Access Centre
If you live in Nanaimo or Vancouver, you can find free help for family issues, such as separation or divorce, as well as civil law matters such as employment and housing, at a Justice Access Centre.
Justice Access Centre Self-Help and Information Services
This website can help you if you are representing yourself in Supreme Court. You will find links to family law resources that can help you, legal advice services and alternatives to court. The website is only available in English.
Justice BC—Family Justice Information and Support
This website of the BC Ministry of Justice provides general information about family law in British Columbia.
Living Together or Living Apart: Common-Law Relationships, Marriage, Separation, and Divorce
This booklet explains the basics of family law in BC. It includes information about living common-law or being married, the process for separation and divorce, and how to work out care for the children and money matters. Also describes legal options and where to get help. Available in Arabic, Chinese (Traditional), English, Farsi (Persian), French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Parenting after Separation
Parenting after Separation is a free 3-hour workshop for parents that are divorcing or separating. Topics include the impact of separation on children, decision-making and legal options. Workshops and Parent Handbooks are available in English, French, Punjabi and Chinese.
Justice Education Society also offers free Finances After Separation workshops. For more information, or to book a session, phone 604-775-0856 or visit www.JusticeEducation.ca/parents.
Parents' Rights, Kids' Rights: A Parent's Guide to Child Protection Law in BC
Explains what can happen if the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development has concerns about a child's safety and well-being or is planning to remove a child from the family home. Also provides detailed information about developing agreements with the ministry, what happens in court during child protection hearings, and what family members and advocates can do if they have concerns about a child's foster care or a complaint about a social worker.
More Family Law Resources
Explains many of the court orders and hearings for the child protection process. Describes the Report to Court, access order, consent order, interim supervision orders, temporary supervision orders, and continuing custody order. More details
Lists resources that might be helpful to you if you're working as an advocate for people with family law issues. Includes what's new in family law, links to all information pages and step-by-step guides listed by topic, videos, and links to other services and resources. More details
Lists resources that might be helpful to you if you're not a Canadian citizen and you have a family law issue. Explains how laws in other countries can affect your legal situation, how some processes might be different, and what you can do if your residency sponsorship breaks down. More details
How to Separate is an online course that helps people in BC move through separation or divorce. It's for those who can work it all out on their own, as well as those who need the court. Learn about key issues, decisions and who can help. Prepare to go to court, build your case and prepare for trial. More details
Answers some of the common questions asked by children and teens about their family law rights, including whether a young person can get child support, medical care, guardianship over younger siblings, and a say in which parent they want to live with. More details