The Family Law Act

The Family Law Act is B.C.’s primary private family law statute and impacts almost all areas of family justice in the province.

When families decide not to live together anymore, the Family Law Act:

• Puts the safety and best interests of the child first
• Encourages families to resolve their disputes out-of-court
• Clarifies parental responsibilities and the division of assets when couples separate and divorce
• Addresses family violence
• Provides a framework to determine legal parentage

Resources

The following pages explain the Family Law Act in more detail:

• Family Law Act provides an overview of the Act.
• Family Law Act Explained:
  • Details the Family Law Act section by section
  • Describes the intent of each section
  • Notes where a section replaces, changes or carries-over a section of the Family Relations Act
  • Provides answers to common questions about the Family Law Act and Family Law Act Regulations

  Legal Aid BC's Family Law in BC Quick Reference Tool also provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Family Law Act. This includes information about what happens if you were separating or separated before the Act took effect.

  Legal Help and Advice

  Check out these resources from Legal Aid BC:

  • Separation & Divorce
  • Do your own uncontested divorce

  Visit a Justice Access Centre:

  Talk with a family justice counsellor at a Family Justice Centre.

  Other Legal Resources

  • Visit Clicklaw and Family Law in BC (legalaid.bc.ca) for legal information
  • Contact the Lawyer Referral Service to consult a lawyer for up to 30 minutes for free
  • See MyLawBC for solutions to your legal problems
  • Take a Parenting After Separation course

  Child Support Information

  • Visit the Government of Canada's child support table look-up to find the base amount of child support.
  • Enroll your maintenance order or agreement with the BC Family Maintenance Agency.
  • See if the Child Support Recalculation Service could help you annually recalculate child support without having to go to court.

  International Child Abduction

  British Columbia has a central authority that assists left-behind parents whose children have been abducted across international borders. For more information, including contact information, please see International Child Abduction.

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